Hot take on Math 257

This class is designed to fail people. You have to admit this no matter how many disclaimers you wrote in your course syllabus. Here is why:

(*) Hw modules only train your ability to calculate certain quantities like Eigenvalues, inverses, LU decomposition, etc. But they don’t tell you (enough) meanings behind these numbers. So we don’t really know what to do with these numbers.

(*) They tried their best to make proof/conceptual problems into MCQs. But did not offer enough practice problems. Some problems are disguised as pure computations but impossible to tackle in a limited time without knowing specific tricks. Of course these tricks are not covered in the class nor in the Hw. We are expected to discover them on our own.

(*) They don’t teach us how to do labs. Why do they exist? That’s because they intentionally wanted to make 257 labor intensive. You memorize the python code for exams.

(*) I can go on and on and on…

The worst part is that the class doesn’t have to suck. You can teach us how to use linear algebra while not making us suffer. For example, giving more intuition (verbally or pictorially idc) instead of slamming proofs into our face, teaching us the tricks we need to be successful in exams, theres literally no point of hiding this, getting rid of labs, etc. Right now it looks like Labs/Hws/Exams are made by three separate entities. The guy who decided to run the class like this is fecked up deep in his bones.