MATH 2315

Quite a challenge but certainly rewarding if you're willing to put the effort in. Good for anyone thinking about taking higher level math courses.

Rapinchuk was a great professor and he really loves math but this course is just simply too time-consuming. Even if you think you're great at math, this course will consume all your time. The take-home exams are not easy either so don't expect this to be an easy A because of that. Good course for prospective math and physics majors but just be warned that this class is time-consuming af (I really can't say this enough)

This was an extremely difficult course. I found Rapinchuk to be very unhelpful.

I think this class is absolutely perfect for prospective math majors or anyone who loves math in general. It can be a good amount of work, but honesty as long as you budget your time well, it shouldn't be an issue. Both the midterm and final exam were extremely fair and the structure of the course is rather clear from the onset. The quizzes could be a bit tricky, but both the TA and professor Rapinchuk taught the material well. I cannot recommend this course enough to people who want to continue on in math.

I always say it was the luckiest thing for me to take Mr. Rapinchuk's class in my first year. The course material really showed the beauty of mathematics. Prof. Rapinchuk explained concepts clearly, and his comprehension quizzes and homework were fair. The TA, Andrew Kobin, was responsible and approachable. Although his quizzes were a little bit challenging, he was willing to answer students' questions and give some points back on those quizzes. The mid-term and final were take-home exam; they kind of relieve the stress for my whole exam period. What's more, both Rapinchuk and Kobin seemed to master a software called LaTeX, which could also be some useful *extra* experience of taking this class - if you spend some time to learn it and type your homework or math paper with the software. A very worthwhile and rewarding class overall.

This course will likely ruin your first semester! And it is not because Prof. Rapinchuk or the TA Andrew are mean, or poor teachers. It is just that the nature of this class is one of extreme rigor and independent study. You truly will teach yourself Calculus 3 and Linear Algebra. Assignments in this class are relentless, as the second you finish one thing you're on to the next. To First-Years, I know you think you're good at Math because you were good at it in HS with AP Calc and the like, but MATH 2315 is a different ballgame. If you do decide to take this class (for some God forsaken reason), you will likely end up with a fine grade, but your other grades will likely lag from all the time you must devote to this course!

Professor Rapinchuk is a wonderful teacher. His lectures were planned out clearly, logically, and skillfully. Class was always pretty interesting, and his pace was quick enough to maintain our attention but not too fast. He answered student questions very well. His examples and proofs, while sometimes lengthy, always made sense and helped explain concepts. His weekly comprehension quizzes are easy and are very beneficial to the final grade. His midterm and final are both take home, and the final is open notes. Both exams weren't too tricky; they were definitely good evaluations of the students' command of the subject. The only downside to taking this course is that you run the risk of having to deal with the worst TA ever, Mr. Morgan. Aside from the TA, this class was 100% great and worth it. Rapinchuk is the bomb.

I'm telling you, this class sucks, I put so much time to get an A in this class my grades slipped to C's in others, believe me this A is not worth it, you lose your Sunday Monday Thursday and Friday because of this course, my gpa is at a 3.0 because of this time sink. Rapinchuck and Morgan are also pretty cruel to their students. You will hate your life if you take this course.

This course is tough!! However, if you manage to make a good study group, you will all manage to get high grades in this class. I studied alone and this became such a pain and the workload bordered on other subjects. That said, Rapinchuk is a great professor and can makes the class really interesting (when you get there he is VERY enthusiastic about calculus)! One word of advice, YOU NEED TO PROVE IN THIS CLASS!!! Don't think its geometry high school proof, it is logical argument that you will be tested. I highly recommend those who have taken Multivariable to take this class.

I have found this class to be pretty easy, but I've always been pretty good at math. I think reviews on courseforum tend to be more negatively biased than they should be. This class requires students to take initiative in their learning, and a lot of independent work.

Do not take this class! The textbook is HORRIBLE, and combined with the fact that the professor hurries through topics and focuses on proofs rather than understanding the concepts, I have learned barely anything. Weekly homework and the TA's "quizzes" take FOREVER. The TA is horrible, and both are unapproachable and unable to help with homework questions. Do not be fooled by the grade distribution from previous years, and do not take this course.

If you're an upperclassman, don't be misled by the grade distributions. This class was THE biggest mistake of my college career so far. The professor is entirely unapproachable. He "teaches" with a book that doesn't explain the concepts at all. The TA for the course is HORRENDOUS. I regret taking this class more than anything.

It was a pretty difficult class, but the grading curve is equally generous. In fact, I believe half or almost half of the class got a B+ or above, if not >A-. Professor Rapinchuk really taught the course well but unfortunately he won't be teaching it anymore, so the quality might change next fall, but even the course itself was very worthwhile to go through. I wouldn't recommend it if you are running a credit overload or even just taking a full credit schedule since the work is quite time consuming, but otherwise if you have the opportunity to take this, DO IT.

Overall this is a worthwhile class (but my view of it is slightly skewed since I got an A+). The professor really knows what he is doing. He can run through extremely abstract questions in his head and answer them before the you finish asking. Rapinchuk's contributions to your workload (the comprehension quizzes, homework problems, review assignments, and the midterm/final) are generally very fair and can be figured out without too much struggle. The TA goes out of his way to give you regular quizzes that can leave a group of six kids scratching their heads for more than 8 hours and working on it for another 4. I got a 5 on my BC calc exam, and if you are looking for comparisons, you won't find but a scarce few in high school math. You have to be willing to put in the time and work for this class but it is rewarding.

General Course Information:
1) Your grade is determined with 10% Homework, 10% comprehension quizzes, 15% quizzes handed out in discussion section, 15% three review assignments spaced out over three months, 20% midterm, 30% final.
2) All of the work is take home, and I would strongly encourage you to work in groups on everything but the exams. The midterm is take-home closed book/note, the final is take-home open note/book.
3) The class has a built in curve with 86-90% = A-, 90-100% = A, with the possibility of an A+ from 95-100%. That helps a lot.
4) The TA lets you drop one homework/quiz, double one, and if you have enough late points [which are far to complex for me to explain here. (if you take the class you will really understand my joke here)] you can half another assignment and 1.5x another. These help when you struggle at first when losing you proof virginity.

Bottom-line:

If you get the grade you wanted, this class's immense workload offers a great amount of pride and fulfillment.

Incredibly difficult class. An "A" seems accessible (it's only >84%) IF you are willing to put in 15 to 20 hours of work. Maybe 10% of the class understands what's going on. Very fast paced. "Hardest Class at UVA"

One of the best classes I've ever taken, so far. Showed me a whole new side of mathematical thinking and quite refreshing from high school calculus.

A decent class if you really want to learn about the theory behind multivariable. Rapinchuk knows the material well and occasionally makes a joke or two.