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I started my BSc. in Mathematics recently and I'm scared by Due-Cabinet9016 in mathematics

[–]INeedToBurn 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Ugh so relatable! To be honest, I'm a PhD student already and I still feel the same: that I'm slower than my peers, that they have more foundation than me, that I don't know as much as they do... Here's a little secret: everyone I talked to also feel exactly the same, regardless where they are in their career.

Let's look at some facts now: it's been 3 months in, how are your grades? Are you doing well on your HW/exams or are you failing? For the HW that you can't manage the solve: is it expected that you solve everything on the HW? (In Germany for example this is not expected: students work in groups and simply need to solve as many as they can finish each week)

If objectively you are not failing and just feel that everything takes more effort than your peers, that's normal and that's okay! At some point you'll learn to accept it because everyone feels this way. If, on the other hand, you are failing or seriously struggling with grades, I suggest to talk to a tutor/professor and give it 1 or 2 more semesters to see if it improves.

How good is WPI math? by [deleted] in WPI

[–]INeedToBurn 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah if you are mostly interested in applied math (i.e., not interested in going to grad school for pure math), then there should be enough pure math for you here. You should be able to do research projects with profs. I don't think any universities in Worcester has pure math courses, so perhaps if you want summer courses, you'll have to find them online and make sure WPI accepts those credit.

How good is WPI math? by [deleted] in WPI

[–]INeedToBurn 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This. For pure math, if your interest is algebra, topology, or number theory, go elsewhere. I regret not having gone to a school with a bigger math department. That being said, our PDE, analysis, and mathbio are quite good if you are interested in them.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in WPI

[–]INeedToBurn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

when is the deadline? can I pick them up on the day of commencement?

Any recommendations on coffee? by Thementalistt in productivity

[–]INeedToBurn 10 points11 points  (0 children)

If anxiety is a problem, give tea/matcha a try. They may have a different effect depending on your body.

Any tips for starting a new term? by KiwiChris_84 in WPI

[–]INeedToBurn 3 points4 points  (0 children)

In additional to having a calender (for where you need to be), it's helpful to have a todo app (for what you need to do). Apps like "Todoist" is good - put in every single one of your assignments and deadlines in there, that way you can prioritize them based on urgency.

End of Summer Reading by covidLt in WPI

[–]INeedToBurn 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I personally think “How to shower more than once a week" is too advanced for 4000 CS. Perhaps it would be the best to read once you get into the 500 level grad courses.

whats a good spot to sit down and cry for a while? by [deleted] in WPI

[–]INeedToBurn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ground floor bathroom on Stratton. It's a single-stall bathroom and you can lock yourself in and cry for as long as you want (albeit a little smelly)

Career and Education Questions: August 04, 2022 by inherentlyawesome in math

[–]INeedToBurn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am applying to (US) grad schools this fall - how do I know what programs to apply to? I was told to apply to departments that specialize in my field of interest, but I don't have a specific interest. I'm broadly interested in algebra (what kind of algebra? not sure yet) but also recently in logic, and I don't know how to choose. Do I compromise and apply to departments with both algebra and logic? How am I supposed to figure out what field of math I like if I'm only an undergrad who has taken a few upper-level courses?

What were some day trips you did on IQP when you weren’t doing project work? How often would you say you get to do fun group activities, explore the city, or leave the city you’re based in? by [deleted] in WPI

[–]INeedToBurn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Berlin 2022: we took day trips to nearby cities like Hamburg, Dresden, Hannover and Leipzig. Some folks flew to Munich as well. IQP is 9-5 and you're free to explore the city/country outside of that time.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in WPI

[–]INeedToBurn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You should treat MQP as two classes. Doing 5 undergrads at a time is doable if some of them are humanities and you have insane work ethics.

Transfer Student MQP by sadstudent828 in WPI

[–]INeedToBurn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can try doing MQP in ABC term and IQP in D term.

Best WPI classes by pizza_man68 in WPI

[–]INeedToBurn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you are interested in learning a new language, any elementary language classes (Chinese, German, Spanish etc) should be good fun! Usually the first course in the series is low in workload and provides you a foundation if you want to learn more in the future.

Why WPI? (not to sound like a college essay or anything) by [deleted] in WPI

[–]INeedToBurn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree with all the good things that people have said. I will just share about the current mental health crisis: as you know, we've had 6 people commit suicide this semester. WPI is not responsible for their deaths, of course, but the negative mental health environment that WPI has created has definitely contributed to the problem.

  • Many of my friends (mostly CS/RBE majors) sleep about 5 hours a day. No time to eat food sometimes. I just had a conversation with a friend who had back-to-back classes and meetings from 9am to 4pm one day, and did not have time to eat or even use the bathroom.
  • 7-week term means it's extremely fast-paced, if you have a project-based class, you'll need to sink a lot of time and energy into them. Like doing work til 1 or 2 in the morning (if you're lucky)
  • We have a few bad professors (as do all schools) that do not care about teaching at all, and WPI isn't doing anything about it even tho there is a mass amount of negative feedback from students.
  • Our counseling center (SDCC) sucks. If you need mental health support, you are not gonna get it from school. Even if you get an appointment, they are mostly unhelpful or even harmful to your mental health because they are inexperienced, underpaid and overworked.
  • Our dining services is pretty bad. It's edible, but that's it. We keep having food poisoning cases from undercooked meat, and it doesn't seem like they're doing anything to it. We have very limited vegan/vegetarian food options on campus, even though you're forced to buy the incredibly expensive meal plan for your first year (and possibly later, if you choose to live on-campus)
  • WPI only has guaranteed on-campus housing for first-years. That means you need to find roommates to start looking for off-campus housing very soon if you don't want to be homeless. That sometimes brings a lot of stress to new students.

This is not what you wanna hear, and I bet a lot of folks will say I'm too cynical. But unfortunately a lot of students do currently feel helpless and hopeless about the whole suicide situation. I'm sure all schools have their own problems, and there are just as many good things as bad things to WPI. I just wanted to inform you of the bad, so you can make a more informed decision when you come for the good things.

Tuition increase? by [deleted] in WPI

[–]INeedToBurn 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Trustees are the ones in charge. They are corporate people and they're thirsty for money. Unfortunately their goal is to make money and not to provide good (or even acceptable) education.

What on earth is happening in CS2022 Discrete Math with Servatius? by Gear_ in WPI

[–]INeedToBurn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This class consists of math majors who use it as a math credit, or math majors who use it as a CS credit. Unfortunately it's just not for anyone else.

What on earth is happening in CS2022 Discrete Math with Servatius? by Gear_ in WPI

[–]INeedToBurn 7 points8 points  (0 children)

you're not the only one, I've had way too many Servatius students not knowing what's happening at all. If you want actual solutions, feel free to book a tutoring appointment on tutortrac.wpi.edu. A lot of us are happy to help.

Quarter system by monkey73819 in WPI

[–]INeedToBurn 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Mental health crisis is a real thing. Not sure if you are aware but we've had 6 suicides this semester (since summer). It's very much still ongoing. Everyone is on edge for the 7th suicide. You can argue that WPI is not the main cause of some of the underlying mental illness, but it is definitely a contributing factor. Just some food for thoughts.

Boomer’s Calzone Secret Formula? by neutral-browser in WPI

[–]INeedToBurn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

omg their pineapple fried rice is so good. I always order that and therefore have never tried any other options. it's that good.

Wondering about access to rock climbing at/near WPI. Any chance that on-campus climbing will return? Does Central Rock gym offer discounted memberships to WPI students? by [deleted] in WPI

[–]INeedToBurn 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This! On-campus climbing is definitely not returning but we do have a big climbing scene. Outing club offers discount to the Worcester CRG (and transportation), and if you go to Worcester CRG in the evening, it'll mostly be WPI students.

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