Appalled by Quals? Five steps to Passing your Qualifying Exams!

Posted on 03/18/2014 by twilliams

Studying for and passing qualifying exams is undoubtedly one of the most difficult aspects of graduate school. The difference between getting a masters or PhD can rest on your ability to solve a select group of mathematical problems. Having gone through the process … twice… I have some advice I’d like to share with you!

1. Start early. – It’s never too early to start studying for your quals and I suggest beginning your very first year! (If you’re further along, no worries. Just keep reading!) By setting aside an hour a week to review the material as you go along, you will be ahead of the game when time comes to take the test!

2. Get copies of the old exams. – Most departments or more advanced graduate students will be happy to provide you with qualifying exams from previous years. You should make sure that you can solve every problem from beginning to end!

3. Create a solutions set of old exams. – One mistake I made was that I would look at old exam problems and write out a skeletal solution without filling in the details, because I thought I could solve the problem. But when I took my qualifying exams, I would lose credit on all those “details” that I didn’t write out. I suggest that you create a detailed solution for each problem that you work and show a few of them to your professor to verify that you would receive full credit.

4. Talk to your professors. – This is especially true if you have to take an oral exam like I did. By speaking to my professors individually, I gained insight into the type of question they would likely ask me. The conversation usually started like this: “Dr. Scott, I’m studying for my qualifying exams and I was wondering if you would give me some practice oral questions?” No one ever turned me down and I heard many of these same questions during my actual oral exam!

5. Relax. – Often easier said than done, relaxation can mean the difference between passing and not passing your exams. Your brain function and overall mental health improves when your body is in a relaxed state. So take a walk or go for a swim in the days leading up to your exam. And remember that no matter what happens, you’re still amazing!

Posted in Graduate School | 2 Comments

The Ubiquity of Pi Day: It’s Not Just for Math Geeks

Posted on 03/15/2014 by Edray Goins

More and more every year, popular culture seems to be fascinated with Pi Day: the one day of the year where the infamous irrational number \( \pi = 3.14 \) is celebrated to eponymous accuracy, that is, on March 14. (In Europe the day in question is 14/03, but I’m assuming that a weblog for the American Mathematical Society will be mostly read by a North American audience.)

But why celebrate Pi Day? And how can we as educators use this as a learning moment in the classroom? I’d like to present ways you can discuss \( \pi \) in Religious Studies, Sociology, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Political Science. (Most of the post below comes from my web page here.)

Continue reading →

Posted in General | 1 Comment

Awesome Summer Outreach Program!

Posted on 03/07/2014 by Mohamed Omar

Last summer I had the great pleasure of visiting the Summer Program in Mathematical Problem Solving (SPMPS), a 3-week residential math enrichment program for rising 8th graders from schools in which at least 75% of the students qualify for free lunch.  I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this program, and strongly believe it should serve as a model for many outreach initiatives across the country.  This program is a big deal: it was even featured in the New York Times.  Why do I love SPMPS so much?  Here are just a few reasons:

  1. SPMPS provides enrichment opportunities to outstanding, mathematically gifted, and mathematically motivated students who are robbed of pursuing their passions because of lack of resources, lack of finances, or lack of community support.  I faced this issue both as an elementary and a high school student, and it wasn’t until a teacher recognized my interests that I was able to attend a similar program.  Without it, I would not be where I am today.
  2. For many attendees of the program, the 3-week experience is their first time entrenched in an academic environment on a university campus.  Moreover, they meet college students, college graduates, and faculty members from different universities throughout the program.  This exposes the students to the possibilities that are out there.
  3. One aspect I love about SPMPS above all is the program’s continued investment in the students outside of the camp program.  Tutoring programs and New York High School entrance exam prep is provided by the program executive body.

I can’t emphasize enough how transformative an experience this program is for the students, and how much I wished such a program existed where I grew up when I was a rising 8th grader.  Teaching at SPMPS was a great joy, and I highly recommend it as an outreach initiative to get involved in!

The program is currently looking for Instructors and Residential Counselors for the 2014 summer program.  For more information on how to become involved this summer, see “Jobs At SPMPS”

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Posted on 01/20/2014 by Dagan Karp

I just found out that January is National Mentoring Month!

http://www.nationalmentoringmonth.org/

The idea of mentorship is central here (the eMentoring Network!), so this is a good excuse to remind myself: I think all of us can act as mentors (and mentees). Undergraduates can act as peer-to-peer mentors, helping out classmates. Joining a local math club is also a good way for us to support each other. Graduate students can also help out in math clubs, and can reach out to mentor undergraduates. A nice word from a grad student can go a long way for an undergraduate. For folks that already have PhD’s, the opportunities for mentorship are limitless.

Two organizations that standout for fostering mentorship are SACNAS and the National Alliance. At SACNAS, one can join (or start!) a local chapter, or become involved in the national organization. And the National Alliance is always looking for new mentors. You could also start or joint a mentorship program at your home institution (there’s a cool and exciting program at my home institution).

Happy new year!!

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Getting started designing/directing undergraduate research: upcoming panel at the JMM

Posted on 12/23/2013 by rebeccagarcia

I remember very clearly my first few days as one of the newest members of the faculty in my department. My colleagues were very welcoming, but I was really impressed with the warmth of the students’ reception. Many visited my office just to chat, get to know me and to share some of the cool topics they were studying: the ubiquitous nature of the Fibonacci sequence, the life and mathematics of celebrated women mathematicians, how mathematics changed the game of baseball, and so on. Then, one day, a bubbly undergraduate stopped by, eager to talk about his topic on the history of magic squares. As he rambled on, a deluge of ideas flooded my mind. A year earlier, I had attended a research conference/workshop on solving polynomial systems of equations and I was captivated by a talk on magic squares given by a graduate student at the cusp of finishing her doctoral studies. A light went off immediately: this was my chance to really engage this student. And so, I asked, “How would you like learning even more about these magic squares and perhaps contributing something new about them?” Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Dealing with Illness and Loss Early in One’s Mathematical Career

Posted on 12/11/2013 by Dagan Karp

Hello again folks! It’s nice to be writing again. I’ve been on a partial medical leave of absence since last June. This isn’t the first time that I’ve had to deal with longterm illness. And I have many friends, as I’m sure you do, that have had to deal with personal loss and tragedy early in their careers — by which I mean pre-tenure.

Since we early-career mathematicians must be concerned about current and future career instability, illness and loss take on extra dimensions of complexity. In this post, I reflect on my own experiences and the lessons I’ve learned from those around me.

Continue reading →

Posted in General, Tenure | 4 Comments

Mentoring at SACNAS

Posted on 11/16/2013 by Ricardo Cortez

I have been thinking of the many mentoring opportunities that conferences offer. It is usually not the typical long-term mentoring that students look for from their advisors, but it is very important for many reasons.

The SACNAS conference took place about six weeks ago and I was reminded of how quickly students and faculty can connect with one another in the right environment. As they arrive, students know that this conference is a friendly place where pretty much all the events are tailored for their benefit: faculty are there to talk to students, the scientific symposia are designed to be understandable by students, and there are tons of professional development sessions for students, postdocs and professionals.

One of the first sessions of the conference is called “conversations with scientists” and the room is set up with round tables full of math students and math faculty meeting one another. The idea is for math conference participants to meet right at the beginning of the conference so that they recognize each other as they run into one another later on.

sac13-convs-23 sac13-convs-1

Faculty prompt students for their current academic status, their future plans and their professional dreams. “Have you considered going to graduate school?” “Have you participated in an REU?” And so the conversation starts.  Most important is the fact that the atmosphere is such that students feel very comfortable approaching faculty and asking for advice and talking about their background. This session sets the stage for later lunches and random meetings.

Nowadays, many mathematics conferences include undergraduate poster sessions and other student events. For those of you who are involved in organizing conference sessions for any organization, you might consider the “conversations with scientists” model of bringing people together early on and creating a good environment for mentoring students throughout the conference.

Posted in General, Outreach | Leave a comment

Five suggestions to be a successful undergraduate

Posted on 10/20/2013 by Ricardo Cortez

There are lots of things that undergraduate students can do to be successful. I have written a few here that I find very important and often neglected. See what you think.

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Posted in General, Going to graduate school, graduation | 2 Comments

How Do I Find Money for Graduate School?

Posted on 09/15/2013 by Edray Goins

At many schools across the country, the Fall Semester is underway. (My university’s first day of classes was exactly three weeks ago.) That means many students are beginning their final year of college and wondering what the future holds. Well, if you’re thinking about graduate school in the mathematical sciences, you should remember this maxim: you should never have to pay to get a doctoral degree.

Perhaps you’re not sure if you want a doctorate degree, a master’s degree, or any degree other than a bachelor’s. Even so, many of the applications to receive funding for a postbaccaloreate degree will be due soon — within the next three months — so it’s best to start thinking now about how you’d pay for such a program. I’d like to offer some advice on how to receive funding.

Continue reading →

Posted in General, Going to graduate school, graduation | 2 Comments

Getting your faculty promotion dossier ready

Posted on 08/24/2013 by Ricardo Cortez

If you are on a tenure-track faculty position, you will have to go through performance reviews. Most universities implement a third-year review for Assistant Professors, a review for tenure and promotion to Associate Professor during year 6, and later a review to Full Professor.  The reviews are based on a great deal of documentation and information about the candidate’s performance in areas of teaching, research and service.  Most of the documents have to be provided by the candidate to the appropriate department committee and ultimately to a college Promotions and Tenure committee.  Most universities provide some mentoring for new tenure-track faculty, but there is inconsistency  across the universities in the amount of mentoring toward preparing your dossier. This post is to alert those of you in tenure-track positions that the process of gathering all the information that your committees request is substantial and requires organization.  I will concentrate on reviews for Assistant Professors. Continue reading →

Posted in General, postdocs, Tenure | Leave a comment