Week 2: Getting into the rhythm

Welcome back!

Our numbers have grown since last Monday. There are 19 of us now on this journey together.

This week we'll get started with the course itself. We'll look at what mathematical modelling is, and begin to work with linear models. These are by far the most common model you will encounter, and as a bonus you've seen them before (remember y = mx + b?).

All of the material for this week is shown on the Week 2 overview page, and most of it is available now. The remaining items will be posted tomorrow and Wednesday.

Getting into the rhythm

When the course is fully underway your work each week is to,

do the exercises for the week (making use of the course resources you need), and
do the assignment problems (which are on the previous week's topic).

This week begins the weekly exercises. Next week will add in the weekly assignments. (Though the first assignment is posted and you can start on it now if you like.)

Every week after this one will have the same two-beat rhythm: exercises on new material, assignment problems on old.

Reminder: Exercise Set 1 is due by 4 pm today!

Make sure you have both 1) posted a picture to the discussion forum and 2) sent me an email with the answers to the exercise questions. Don't let these easy marks slip through your fingers.

Learning online has some plusses

In the classroom you are there for the duration. Already know the material being covered? You are still expected to sit there while it is presented. Need more time to think about what is being presented? You'll have to ask the teacher, in front of everyone 😬, to slow down.

One plus of online learning is that you have more control. If you are familiar with a topic you can skim the resources on it, or even skip them. Need more time to absorb a procedure? Pause the video, or rewind it, or stop and take a break ☕️.

Pro tip 1: The pencasts come as a video and a PDF screenshot of the final frame. If you suspect you know what that 9 minute video covers, but aren't sure, take a look at the PDF and see if it is all familiar. Maybe you don't need to watch it.

Pro tip 2: Start each week by looking at the Exercise and Assignment. If it's a topic you know well, you may be able to do them without reading or watching any of the resources! And that is fine. #efficiencyforthewin If you don't know how to do them, seeing them will prime your mind for reading and watching.

Free laptops!

I received a reminder email about the free laptops. The deadline to submit a request is this Friday January 16th. Check the posting in the General Announcements section of the discussion forum for more info. Sounds like a good deal.

Office Hours: Get help, or just come by to say "Hi"

I'll have office hours again this week (and every week) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:30 am to 11:30 am in my Zoom "office". Feel free to stick your head in to say a quick hello, or to stay a while and tell me what you're up to. It's optional, but I look forward to meeting you.

My mistakes 😬

Thanks to those who reported errors in the course resources last week! Your karma is glowing. I fix them as fast as I find out about them. Of course there are lots of new resources this week, so there may [ed. "will"] be new problems for you to uncover and report, and for me to repair. 😔

That's all for now!

Stay well and stay in touch,
Tim