Honors Calculus versus Honors Analysis

JHS
Wed, 07 Apr 2010 17:09:13 +0000

A couple of grace notes to UChicagoGrad’s excellent post that I’ve picked up along the way:


It’s not just a question of 160s vs. 207. There are essentially three placement options BETWEEN those two poles (in addition to the four placement options below 160s – math placement at Chicago is a real exercise in fit). There are the inquiry-based learning sections of 160s, that could very well be called a separate course. There is Math 199, which is the gateway course to a math major for people who didn’t take 160s. And there are inquiry-based learning sections of Analysis. Some people who place into 207 choose one of those options instead if they don’t want to devote themselves to one course to the extent required by 207 (some of those other math geniuses UChicagoGrad talks about).
Trust the math department! They really know what they are doing, placement-wise. They aren’t about holding anyone back artificially, either. I have heard many UChicago students talk about arguing themselves into lower-level math placements because they were intimidated by the course they placed into. I haven’t heard anyone who thought the course he or she placed into was too easy or too repetitive of things already learned.


Also recognize that unless you have a really strong theoretical background – you know who you are! – you are probably better off taking 160s. That’s how the program is designed, and it’s designed that way for a whole bunch of reasons. The LAST thing you want is to trick someone into placing you into an inappropriate class – you will wind up dropping back, but only after untold agony, and there may be an ugly mark on your transcript as a result.


I know that some second-year students are (or have been) allowed to take 207, too, after 160s(IBL) their first year. If you really want that overwhelming experience, you don’t necessarily have to get placed there before you start.