Professor: Strain Course format: Lecture w/section Number of respondents: 29 Total Enrollment: 46 Class Composition: Froshs: 32 Sophs: 12 Jrs: 2 Srs: 0 Concs: 1 Non-Concs: 26 Don't Know: 2

Instructor Average: 1.91 Course Average: 1.85

The goal of “Methods of Applied Mathematics I” is to learn how to solve differential equations in a variety of ways. A required prerequisite for this class is Math 10 and in general a solid background in calculus, specifically integration, was very helpful.

The student reviews of Professor Strain were very mixed. Although students said that the specific examples he used in class were generally very helpful, they also said that his lectures overall were disorganized and very hard to follow. Additionally, he was often too quiet during lectures and reviewers said that his handwriting occasionally lapsed into illegibility. However, Professor Strain’s constant desire to answer any necessary questions usually helped students clear up their understanding of the material.

The workload for the course consisted of weekly homework assignments, as well as two midterms and a final exam. Both the workload and the grading system seemed very fair to almost all of the students. Reviewers also commented that although the textbook was generally helpful, there was occasional confusion over what exactly was necessary to read in order to complete homework assignments.

Depending on the difficulty of the weekly problem sets, students found themselves spending anywhere from three to eight hours of work outside of the classroom for this course every week. This seemed to more or less match up with initial expectations of how much would be required. Ultimately, AM 33 is a good class to look into if you have any interest in the material, but don’t take it if you are looking for a fun fourth class.

View AM/0033 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.