APMA 3080

Professor Abramenko is a great professor and teaches the material very well! The worksheets are kind of tedious since there is one assigned pretty much every class period but there is always a 1-day grace period and the lowest 1 or 2 worksheets are dropped if you attend at least ~85% of lectures. The projects are horrible solely because they are in MATLAB, a terrible programming language that's never actually taught during class but you're just expected to kind of pick it up (but only to the extent of completing the projects MATLAB is not testable material).

Overall, the concepts taught in this class are very cool and have tons of applications in computer science such as image compression and least squares regression. Every concept builds on top of the last, so make sure you get help immediately if you don't understand something. Exams can be tough but an A is certainly doable.

Abramenko is a lovely professor who is passionate about the material and honestly has really good notes/lecture ability. The issue in this class is that the material is pretty dry (not too difficult though). I would not hesitate to take this class again with Abramenko.

Professor Abramenko was a great professor! I loved the class and really learned a lot. It did require doing work outside of class, but I thought it was a fair workload. Unlike most math classes, I did have to read the textbook before class usually, but skimming it was usually enough. The Matlab labs and projects were a lot of work, but I think they are changing that aspect of the class. I always got full credit for the Matlab components, it just took a lot of time and trial and error.

Prof. Abramenko is a great APMA educator. She answers any questions you may have well and teaches effectively. I think all math professors are under-appreciated at UVA. I appreciated her availability and willingness to help students understand the material. The course is well structured and by the end, you feel like you've learned a lot. The exams were fair and the homework and classwork were excellent ways to learn. The WebWork questions were sometimes tricky and the time you spent on them made it feel like a waste when it's only worth 5% of the grade. Recorded lectures helped when you were stuck. I personally never read the textbook after the first chapters, I found the lectures and in-class material enough, but I also wasn't the best student.

This class follows a familiar format to previous APMA classes you must take before 3080, which is reassuring. The hardest part of this course is that all of the content is intertwined. If you have any doubts about the first few units, clear them ASAP because they will come back to haunt you at the middle and end of the course. I found this class much easier than Calc 2 and 3, but I took those online. Review the homework worksheets and classwork worksheets before the exams because the questions are usually similar. If you understand the homework and classwork worksheets, you'll be fine for the exams.

The class grade is spread across classwork, homework, midterms, and the final, so you're set up for success if you put in the effort. #tCFfall2021

Overall, this class was fine. I wouldn't say Abremenko is a bad prof, but there was something about her teaching style in recorded lectures I didn't quite like. Yet, she gets the points across and teaches what she needs to teach. There were weekly homework and group work that were mostly fine, except sometimes the graders were nitpicky on minute things. Overall, Abremenko was pretty pleasant to have and taught what needed to be taught. #tCF2020

I do not understand why people like Abramenko. I think she is truly one of the less skilled APMA professors. I relied on youtube videos to understand most of the concepts and had an epiphany moment towards end of chapter 6 when I could link all c0oncepts together. Meanwhile, she never built the next chapter on prior one and her lectures were a jumbled mess. She is so awful with technology you can cry. She constantly missed publishing recorded lectures, or couldn't even upload a worksheet from her end if gradescope had any bugs on your end. It is a very interesting topic but she made it miserable for me.

Linear Algebra is a hard math course but this class is still pretty great. If you're willing to put in the effort and do all the work, you can do very well in this class. We had 1 homework and 1 webwork due every week which wasn't that bad (Grad TAs were super helpful with this) and the questions were pretty straightforward. The tests (3 of em and a final) were kinda weird in that not only are you expected to know how to solve problems, but you have to understand the definitions and what it implies. I found the reading the textbook was extremely helpful in understanding the concepts because although Abramenko's lectures are solid, its hard to understand everything because of the pace of the class. Attending lectures is a must though (she also has a participation grade for that) and Abramenko is a p chill professor and explains the topics pretty well.

Abramenko is passionate about the topic and knowledgeable about the class. Some of what she teaches is a bit abstract, so if you really love math you want to take this class with Professor Abramenko; otherwise, she's probably not the best choice for you. Some people find the tests difficult, but in my experience if you pay attention in lecture and try on the homework and in class worksheets, the tests are plenty easy. I said about 2 hours a week for reading because if you choose to do the readings that's about how long they are. However, the readings are helpful, but not necessary.
For people who enjoy math absolutely take this class.

Professor Abramenko is super nice and extremely helpful, both in class and during her office hours. Her tests and quizzes aren't hard either if you pay attention in class. I would definitely recommend her.

Professor Abramenko will fit your style if you're able to use proofs and conceptual knowledge about the topic when it comes to problem applications. My frustration with this class came from the fact that there were problems on each exam that we had never practiced in class, in online homework sets, or in written homework sets. I found that her tests required applying previous knowledge from class to solve more difficult questions. To me, this seemed a bit extreme. Linear algebra as a course is difficult to conceptualize and Abramenko will without a doubt help you visualize and grasp the topics, however you will seriously need to apply yourself in order to do well on the tests. Do not rely on the practice exams to accurately prepare you for any of the exams, finals included.

Abramenko is a really sweet professor. She genuinely wants her students to learn and tries her best to help. With that being said, linear algebra is very different from calculus. There's a lot more memorization of processes and definitions involved, and it was a lot less straightforward for me. You have to have a certain type of theoretical brain for this to come easy to you. Regardless, it's not a bad class, and she's a good professor. Good luck!

Professor Abramenko is the best math professor I've ever had. She is really kind, helpful, flexible and understanding (but at the same time, not lenient/doesn't give you freebies). Her teaching style took a little time to get used to because linear algebra is a very different type of math from what you might otherwise be used to, but if you write down everything she says during class and try during group works (which we do during lecture), it'll really help you understand the material. She is only picky because linear algebra concepts are very specific, and since she writes the tests, I think it's good to have her because she is also very specific when she explains the concepts. She expects you to read the textbook before lecture which is something I've never had to do, but really did help. I don't think I've ever loved a math class more and definitely recommend taking it with her if you are willing to put in the effort!

Abremko is a great teacher and makes it really easy to do well. There are lots of homeworks but the tests are not hard and they will basically do the written work for you at office hours. Over all not challenging and very useful! #‎tcf2016‬

I thought this class was pretty hard because I'm not that great when it comes to abstract concepts, but overall the class was reasonably difficult and office hours with Abramenko is really helpful. She's nice and really wants her students to learn, so don't be afraid to go to her office hours (they're not really that crowded in my experience either so that's a plus).

Abramenko is a very clear lecturer -- she really emphasizes the reasoning behind why things work, so when it comes time for the test it's a lot easier to remember the various steps for solving different problem types since you know why they work. She's genuinely a very caring professor and is more than willing to work one-on-one with students in her office hours. Prof. Lung subbed in our class one day and it was terrible.... he just copied the textbook on the board and gave convoluted/extremely unclear explanations that were hard to pay attention to: aka the complete opposite of how lectures run under Abramenko. The material itself is very easy, just stay on top of it as it does build. There is one written homework each week and one WebWork assignment. Highly recommend Abramenko!

Abramenko does a great job of making the relatively abstract course material understandable. She has high expectations, but her class is also relaxed and she's easy to get along with.
My one piece of advice would be to feel like you're over-preparing yourself - it's easy to get too comfortable with the material at times, and your test grades will point that out if you aren't diligent.

Linear Algebra is not an easy subject, but Abramenko is very caring about her students and tries to help you as much as she can

Professor Abramenko is one of the best professors in the APMA department. I did not find the subject matter particularly interesting or exciting but it is clear that she cares that her students succeed and learn.

Professor Abramenko is one of the sweetest people I've ever met. She's very kind and wants everyone to succeed. She expects that people go over the material before they come to class (so they can ask engaging questions during lecture), and therefore gets kind of upset if the majority of the class doesn't get clicker concept questions correct or when the class can't answer a question in general. But that's only because she wants to be sure everyone is keeping up. That being said, you can learn everything you need to know from her lectures, and coming to class is not hard because she is an engaging teacher and you come out of every class feeling your time was well spent.
As for the class itself, if you've taken differential equations the first half of the semester will feel like review. Which is nice because it will give you more time for your other classes. Don't slack off though, because it will pick up in the second half and that material will be what trips you on the final. The material really isn't hard, but this is one of those math classes where vocabulary is very important (Abramenko will tell you to keep a vocab sheet--do this it's incredibly helpful and can literally be your study guide at the end of the semester). All the actual math that you will do will be very similar with slight twists depending on the problem, hence the majority of any studying you do will be focused on vocab. I found that the tests/exams are very fair and the workload is appropriate (weekly hw online and on paper).

this was the first apma course that i enjoyed taking.
i don't know what it was, but it was the first class i took that i didn't skip a lecture and it was totally wort it. abramenko is an awesome teacher who will bend over backwards to help you understand a topic. she's extremely nice and only wants you to work hard. she follows the book but contrary what someone below said she does not teach straight out of it. more often than not, if there's an easier method/algorithm she will offer her opinion but leave the choice of which one to use up to you.
yes, this class is hard, but it is extremely useful beyond just comp sci, comp eng, etc, systems, etc.
do not let the first few lectures fool you, it picks up pretty quickly and if you're not following along the last unit will floor you with how abstract it is.

Professor Abramenko is very good at instructing this course. She knows the material well and is fair. That's about all you'll get, she isn't mean but expects respect.

I'm not going to debate the merits of linear algebra because either this is a required course in your major, or you are taking it out of interest. Do understand that Linear Algebra concepts are used in all engineering fields, though.

First of all, Abramenko is one of the best professors in the Applied Math department IMO. She is very engaging and understanding, and is pretty funny at times. The 50 minutes go by quickly. She does have high standards, and expects you to come prepared to class; iClicker is used sporadically and counts towards your participation grade (it can only help you).

At the end of the day if you hate the idea of actually having a working knowledge of the material while you are taking a class, you shouldn't take linear with Abramenko. But if you put in the extra 10% you might actually enjoy this class.

Ms. Abramenko is great! She is a wonderful teacher and is well organized and really knows her material front and back. The class is extremely fast-paced. Don't fall behind or you're screwed. Quizzes are hard. There are a lot of homework problems every week, and the homework never stops for anything (Thanksgiving etc.) There are a few proofs, and about 3/4 of the way through, the material gets pretty abstract.

Just keep up and you'll be fine! Abramenko wants everyone to succeed. Make sure to ask questions in class even if it costs the class time on a topic!

Homework is due on Wednesday, but try to get it done over the weekend. You'll feel a lot more prepared for the classes on monday that way.

A three credit APMA with the workload greater than any I've experienced in the four credit APMAs. An absurd amount of homework. Material is too abstract and theoretical for the e-school. Abramanko's German accent is a little tricky, but it is more that her teaching style just regurgitates the book. The book is also pretty terrible. Avoid this class if possible.

This class is an absolute waste of time unless you are com sci, computer engineering, or possibly systems with a concentration in com sci

I took this class as an APMA elective, and never once regretted it. Really useful information, but not as mathematically rigorous as differential equations or calc 3. Monika was one of the best math teachers I've ever had, I really had a great conceptual understanding of the material by the end of the class. TA was great, if you can make workshop hours, it makes the homework x10 easier.

Good professor, she really cares that you learn the material. She makes herself available to her students either in her office hours or by appointment. Her grading is fair, but her tests sometimes have confusing problems. Overall not a hard class, and she's a good professor.

Great class, lots of conceptual thinking involved... Prof. Abramenko is very clear and helpful in explaining concepts and problems.

Monica is the best apma teacher I have had at UVA. Read the book and go to her office hours and you will get an A. I did say read the book! I never read a math text before but it really helps in this class.

She was a good teacher, probably would've done better and paid more attention had I not been cocky because I had already taken the course in high school. As it is it is very proof-definition focused which kills you on the midterms if you don't know them

Great Professor. Class is not too hard

This class was pretty easy and I'd recommend it for people looking for a Math/Science II elective. The homework can be tedious and time consuming, but it's still probably the easiest math course I've taken at UVA.

Quizzes only every other Friday is nice. However, Abramenko relies so heavily on the book to teach that if you don't bring it to class you will be completely lost. I learn mostly by just reading the book and doing the webworks

(1) Abramenko is a great teacher - she is very helpful and welcoming during her office hours, willing to answer any question you have until you understand the answer. (2) The order in which the material in this class is presented is different from its equivalent in the MATH dept. The main difference is that the APMA course has a less theoretical approach. (3) Yes, there is a lot of homework in this class, and the written homework assignments do consist of proofs that you'll never need to know for the exams, but that's why the APMA workshop/TAs exist. (4) The exams are straight-forward. Prior to the exams, you'll always know what to study. (No tricks/surprises.)
(5) Overall, this is a do-able mathematics course, given work ethic and time commitment.

An easy-ish class if you do the homework and take the tests carefully.