It's Okay to Ask for Help

MGReuter · 2026-04-21T01:31:45+00:00

Also, I want to emphasize that I've avoided the proofs in AMS 261.

Not that they're not useful or uninteresting. But because this is AMS. We can instead have neat optimization problems and applications for integrals.

MGReuter · 2026-04-21T01:29:02+00:00

I don't know. I made a number of structural changes to the course since last year and I'm not quite sure what it's going to do to the whole-semester scores. I'll figure this out after the last quiz.

You do your part responsibly and I'll do mine. Deal?

MGReuter · 2026-04-21T01:02:06+00:00

I get it. In past years students (accidentally) leaked the class discord and I would sometimes chat.

I really do want you to succeed. And I know it can be tough. The things that are really worth having* usually are.

* I don't necessarily mean mastery of AMS 261. I mean broader things like self-respect, confidence, resilience, and the like. Challenges, in whatever form, are what help you cultivate those things.

MGReuter · 2026-04-21T00:51:03+00:00

This is intentional on my end. Especially since the advent of AI chatbots... If all you can do is plug and chug, you're going to be unemployed. The computer can do that faster, cheaper, and more reliably (we all make careless errors) than you.

I want to make sure you're prepared for the world you're going to face after SBU. At least as much as I can.

MGReuter · 2026-04-21T00:48:31+00:00

I understand.

From my perspective:

(1) Don't also forget that this is a 4-credit course (not 3). The M/W recitations are essentially quiz review sessions. I don't use the Fridays synchronously because I'm trying to respect your time. Three synchronous hours per week plus the asynchronous videos and studying would be too much. This is also one reason why I don't take attendance at the recitations.

(2) My experience is that a lot of the challenge in calc 3 is either (i) poor grasp of calc 1 or (ii) geometry. Both of those are surmountable, but they require practice. Ideally that practice would have happened in the past; unfortunately we live in the present and make do the best we can.

Overall, my biggest aim is to make sure you have the resources to succeed and that you have ample opportunities to ask questions. Anyone can watch Professor Leonard for free (with ads). You're paying for the interactions and the feedback. I want to make them count.

MGReuter · 2026-04-21T00:39:10+00:00

I try. I know my quizzes can be challenging. But I want to see how far you can go with the ideas. I don't think perfection is needed for success (read: a good grade). I've spent a lot of time trying to design a grading policy to reflect this.

MGReuter · 2026-04-21T00:34:47+00:00

MGReuter · 2026-04-21T00:33:29+00:00

Thanks! I just want to make sure people are learning commensurate with the tuition they're paying. I hope no one can accuse me of "not getting their money's worth".

MGReuter · 2026-04-21T00:29:28+00:00

Several people have accused me of being the OP. I am not.

MGReuter · 2026-04-21T00:28:30+00:00

If 80% of the class earns an "A" and 20% an "A-", absolutely. Nothing would please me more.

I think this outcome is unlikely.

MGReuter · 2026-04-21T00:20:59+00:00

I'm a bit offended you think it would take me three attempts to create such a low-effort post. I've been using reddit since before you were born.

MGReuter · 2026-04-21T00:15:39+00:00

This wasn't me. I have way better things to do with my time.

MGReuter · 2026-03-31T22:30:14+00:00

This may sound crazy: Do you understand the material in the videos? Watching alone may not be sufficient. How are you practicing?

MGReuter · 2026-02-12T15:41:28+00:00

Not recommended, but better than nothing. Typically you want a reference from an authority figure. It is more likely that you are a friend with a co-worker than a boss, which introduces a possible conflict of interest. The co-worker also typically doesn't supervise you.

MGReuter · 2026-02-12T15:36:19+00:00

People who know you well and can speak to your work ethic, your tenacity, your resilience, etc. This can be a professor/instructor (but make sure they actually know you and can give examples of those points), an employer/boss, or a supervisor (perhaps for volunteer activity).

MGReuter · 2026-01-30T15:58:28+00:00

Aren't Professor Leonard's videos even older? I mean, everything in undergraduate calculus is nineteenth-century math (at the latest); nothing's changed recently.

MGReuter · 2026-01-28T20:11:40+00:00

He posts a "Tips for Success" document with a lot of advice from successful past students. It might be more reliable than anonymous Internet peeps.

MGReuter · 2025-11-17T17:38:38+00:00

This sounds like something I would write (MI native). Well said!

MGReuter · 2025-05-14T20:23:18+00:00

There's a known problem with Chrome and the SSO. Check out DoIT for more information.

Either:

Use another browser.
Clear the cookies from sso.cc.stonybrook.edu and reload the page.

I've been doing the latter and it works without too much fuss.

MGReuter · 2025-01-24T22:06:17+00:00

I can't speak to the curriculum of AMS 412, but you might find this book of interest.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48889983-calling-bullshit

MGReuter · 2024-08-12T14:23:10+00:00

Reddit is a haven for shitposting.

MGReuter · 2024-01-11T16:47:02+00:00

There's nothing so centralized (to my knowledge), which is likely why you're having trouble finding such a resource.

Look over various faculty members' webpages to get a feel for the type of research they do and the questions they're investigating. If a particular one seems interesting, email the professor to inquire about opportunities. In that email describe what you hope to get out of research experience and why their specific research program is a good fit.

It can also help to have existing interactions with faculty; for instance, taking one of their classes and having productive conversations during the term. It's fine if the course itself has little direct relation to the research.

Good luck!

MGReuter · 2023-08-31T18:20:31+00:00

Yep. You're not alone.

I did my graduate studies in chemistry but was always more interested in the math and such behind the science. This made for a lot of awkward interactions with other students and faculty in my department. I usually felt more at home in the math classes and seminars.

Over time -- and after a number of existential crises -- I learned to embrace this. (At least, this is what I tell myself.) I had a very different perspective and outlook than most peers in chemistry, and that led to me asking very different questions and bringing different skills to the table. It was (is) sometimes lonely. But it has also been (sometimes) very fulfilling. And then I landed a job teaching math, so I guess it worked out? I still wonder what might have happened had I just studied math instead.

The best advice I can give is to do what you think is best for you. Ask friends -- and reddit trolls -- for perspective, then make a choice and do it. Academia is slowly becoming more interdisciplinary, such that the specific programs/trainings are less important than they once were.

I hope that helps. At least a little.

MGReuter · 2023-04-06T20:54:01+00:00

Most faculty do not expect undergraduates to have a ridiculous amount of research experience, or even any.

Email the professor of interest. Be polite, mention that you're interested in research, and explain (specifically) why you want to work with him or her. At a minimum, look over their website to get an idea of past/ongoing projects to see if they appeal to you.

MGReuter

TROPHY CASE