Course:  Math 10A

Title:  Calculus I

Credit Hours:  4  

Prerequisite:  Math Placement Exam qualifying score, or AP Calculus AB score of 2, or SAT II Math Level 2 score of 600 or higher, or Math 3C, or Math 4C.

Catalog Description:  Differential calculus of functions of one variable, with applications.  Functions, graphs, continuity, limits, derivatives, tangent lines, optimization problems.

Textbook: The required textbook for the course is OpenStax: Calculus, Volume 1, by Strang, Herman, et al.  This book is freely available online, so you don't need to spend any money on it unless you wish to purchase a physical copy.  Please be aware that you will, however, need to purchase access to an online homework system, which costs twenty-five dollars for one quarter.

Material Covered:  We shall cover parts of chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the text.  A list of the topics scheduled to be covered can be found on the course calendar.

Reading:  Reading and doing the examples in the sections of the textbook corresponding to our lecture will help you learn and understand the course material better.  If you work through the relevant examples in the book before you start your homework problems, you will probably solve the homework problems more easily and perform better on your exams than if you do not do the reading.  Your reading assignments are on the course calendar; for example, 1.1 is written on Sep 23, so your assignment is to read section 1.1 before our class meeting that day.

Homework:  There are two types of homework assignments in this course, online homework (which will be graded and is posted on Canvas) and good old-fashioned written textbook homework (which will not be graded and is posted here).

• Online Homework Grading Policies:
  • You will be allowed infinitely many attempts to correctly answer each problem.
  • No homework scores will be dropped when calculating your final grade; instead, you are allowed to turn in late online homework problems up to 48 hours after they are due.  Note that there is a late penalty of 20% applied to any problems which are completed after the due date; the late penalty applies only to exercises submitted after the due date and not to those already submitted before the due date. 
  • Homework may not be submitted after the last day of classes (the Friday of Week 10 at 11:59 PM).

Discussion Section:  Discussion section meets every Tuesday and is led by a teaching assistant (TA).  Discussion section activities are designed to help you succeed in and keep up with the course. Attendance at discussion is not mandatory, but attendance at discussion section is rewarded with participation points, as detailed in the Grades section below.  Please note that discussion sections are held in small rooms with limited capacities, so if you would like to attend discussion section, you may only attend the discussion section in which you are officially enrolled on Webreg; please do not attempt to attend a discussion section in which you are not enrolled, as you will not receive any attendance credit for doing so.  For more details about discussion section, please refer to these FAQs.  

Note:  Please do not attempt to falsify section attendance in order to get credit.  Attendance will be taken via Gradescope, and any attempts to complete the attendance assignment by students who are not physically present will be reported to the Academic Integrity Office (no exceptions).

Academic Support:   You are encouraged to make use of the following academic support services that are freely available through the Academic Achievement Hub.

• Content Tutoring:   Drop-in and online tutoring is available at Tutoring.
• Learning Strategies Tutoring and Workshops:   can be arranged at Learning Strategies.
• Supplemental Instruction:   Supplemental Instruction cultivates active learning with peer-assisted study sessions.

Electronic Computing Devices:  Graphing calculators and online computing websites (e.g. Desmos and WolframAlpha) can be very helpful when working through your homework.   However, a calculator/computer should be used as an aid in the learning concepts, not just as a means of computation.   You should use these devices/software when working on math problems at home, but always keep in mind that you will not be allowed access to any electronic computing devices during exams.   Of course, this also means that you will not be asked to solve problems on exams that require the aid of an electronic computing device.

Exams:  There is an in-person midterm exam from 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm on Wednesday, November 2nd and an in-person final exam from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm on Saturday, December 3rd (as listed in the Schedule of Classes).  Please note:

• Because Math 10A is a large coordinated class, it is not possible to reschedule the midterm or final exam to an earlier or later date. Thus, if you cannot attend both the midterm and the final exam as scheduled, please do not enroll in Math 10A this quarter.
• You may not use electronic devices of any kind during the exams, i.e. no calculators, computers, phones, etc.
• You must bring your student ID to the exams.
• If you violate the instructions of an exam or communicate in any way with any other student during an exam, you will receive a zero on that exam.

Grades:  There are two grading schemes for this course.  The grading scheme used to calculate your grade is determined by whether or not you choose to attend at least five of your discussion sections.  Please note that discussion sections are held in small rooms with limited capacities, so if you would like to attend discussion section, you may only attend the discussion section in which you are officially enrolled on Webreg; please do not attempt to attend a discussion section in which you are not enrolled, as you will not receive any attendance credit for doing so.

• Grading Scheme One:  If you choose to attend four or less of your discussion sections, then your cumulative course average will be calculated according to the following formula:
  • 20% Online Homework
  • 40% Midterm Exam
  • 40% Final Exam
• Grading Scheme Two:  If you choose to attend at least five of your discussion sections, then your cumulative course average will be calculated according to the following formula:
  • 14% Discussion Section Participation (full credit automatically awarded to all students who choose this grading option by attending at least five discussion sections)
  • 20% Online Homework
  • 33% Midterm Exam
  • 33% Final Exam

Regrade Policy:  Your exams will be graded using Gradescope.  In case you notice a grading error on your exam, you will be able to request a regrade via Gradescope for a specified window of time.  This time window will be announced when the exam scores are released to the students.  Be sure to make your request within the specified window of time; no regrade requests will be considered after the window closes.

Changes to the Syllabus:  Please be aware that circumstances beyond our control may force changes to this syllabus, online platforms, or other elements of this class.  We live in uncertain times, and it may become impossible to collect or grade certain items.  If such changes happen, then every effort will be made to make equitable adjustments to the syllabus or the grading criteria described above.

Academic Integrity:  Academic integrity is highly valued at UCSD and academic dishonesty is considered a serious offense.  Students involved in an academic integrity violation will face an administrative sanction which may include suspension or, in very serious cases, expulsion from the university.  Your integrity has great value: Cultivate and protect your academic integrity.  For more about academic integrity and its value, visit the UCSD Academic Integrity Website.

Filing for a Incomplete:  Sometimes it is not possible to complete all of the work in the course due to circumstances beyond your control (Being unable to take the final exam because of accident or sickness, for example.)  In such a case, it may be possible to file for an Incomplete grade.  If an Incomplete is granted, you will be given the opportunity to complete the work during the next quarter.  (All work must be completed before the end of Week 10 the following academic quarter.)  In order to be eligible for an Incomplete, you must meet the following criteria:

• Your incomplete work must be due to circumstances beyond your control (sickness, accident, etc.).
• You must be able to verify the circumstances with official documentation.
• Your course work must be of "non-failing quality" (from the Academic Senate Regulations).  This means that you must be currently passing the course according to the weighted grading calculation.  If you missed the midterm exam, you are not eligible for an Incomplete grade.

Study Suggestions:  Below are some suggestions that we hope will help you to succeed in this course:

• Spend sufficient time on the course.  According to the policy of UCSD's Academic Senate, "The value of a course in units ... shall be reckoned at the rate of one unit for three hours' work per week per quarter on the part of the student."  During a ten-week quarter, for a 4 credit course, you should be willing to spend about 12 hours per week on the course.
• Keep up with the homework.  Missing a homework assignment will hurt your understanding of the course material and probably hurt your grade.
• Get started on the homework assignments early.  And "early" means "right after the lecture in which it is discussed".  This will reinforce the topics we discuss in the lecture, help you keep up with the class schedule, and allow you to make the most of your discussion section time by coming prepared with specific questions.  And if you don't put the homework off until the last day, you won't have to worry about something coming up and preventing you from doing it!  (Seriously, don't put the homework off until the last day.)
• Read the section of the book we are covering before the lecture.  Or, if not the whole section, try skimming through it.  Read the section titles, the definitions, the theorems, and anything else that the book emphasizes.  Skimming the section before we talk about it in class will give you some added context, and will help you make connections between the topics we discuss.
• Take notes by hand (whenever possible). Studies have found that students retain information better if they take notes by hand.
• Always try to work out a problem before reading a solution.  Coming up with a solution yourself is a very different cognitive process than understanding a solution someone else provided.  Whether it is a homework problem or an example from the textbook or an online homework problem, you should try to solve the problem first. Work on the problem for at least five minutes.  Set a timer.
• Don't worry if you make mistakes sometimes!  We all make mistakes.  Mistakes are great, because they show us where we might need some extra work.  Mistakes on exams are a little more costly than mistakes on homework.  That's why you should treat all homework exercises as if they were exam or quiz questions.  Get all of the mistakes out of the way on homework, and then you won't have to worry about them showing up on exams!
• Read the book.  And get a physical copy of the book, if you can.  It helps more than you might expect.  If you want to look up a topic, try looking in the book instead of online.  Check out the index in the back of the book.
• The best way to learn something is to teach it, so try teaching the topics to your classmates, or a family member, a friend, a pet, a stuffed animal, or even an empty chair.  Try to anticipate what questions someone will ask you.  It is a great way to assess your own understanding, and it helps to find gaps in your own knowledge of the subject.

Name and Gender Pronouns:  UC San Diego is committed to supporting its students' name and gender preferences.  Class rosters provided to your instructor and TAs have students' legal names, but we will strive to honor your request to be addressed using a preferred name or gender pronoun.  Please let your instructor and TA know your preferences so that we can make changes to our records.  (Certain university records may be beyond our ability to change, however.)

Equity, Inclusion, and Respect:  We are committed to the UC San Diego Principles of Community.  "To foster the best possible working and learning environment, UC San Diego strives to maintain a climate of fairness, cooperation, and professionalism.  These principles of community are vital to the success of the University and the well being of its constituents."  The principles of community include (but are not limited to):

• "We affirm each individual's right to dignity and strive to maintain a climate of justice marked by mutual respect for each other."
• "We reject acts of discrimination based on race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, and political beliefs, and, we will confront and appropriately respond to such acts."
• "We promote open expression of our individuality and our diversity within the bounds of courtesy, sensitivity, confidentiality, and respect."
• "We are committed to promoting and supporting a community where all people can work and learn together in an atmosphere free of abusive or demeaning treatment."

Visit the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for more information.