APMA 3080

Prof. Holt was by far the best professor I've ever had for a math class (I have taken classes in both the math department and the apma department) He is from the Statistics department but taught this APMA class extremely well. It also helped that he wrote the textbook we used

J. Holt is a great professor!!! He is very intelligent and friendly. He is great during office hours. The homework is very long and challenging. GO TO Office Hours.

Professor Holt is helpful and funny.
He is one of great professor in UVA.

A somewhat strange APMA course because of the large number of proofs, but the expectations of students are reasonable.

Holt is the best! His lectures are very neat and he knows exactly what he's talking about. This isn't like most math classes, it's pretty conceptual and there's quite a bit of homework, but if you go to TA hours you're bound to find someone to help you even if it's not the TA.

Great class, fair amount of homework, but great professor.

More challenging then expected. Linear is often joked around as the "easy" math class among math majors and engineers, but don't go into the class with that mindset. This class gets somewhat difficult and confusing after the first exam (which is up through basic vector algebra).

That said, Holt is great option for APMA 3080. You may have heard from college kids that Holt is tough for STAT 2120, but I think that is due the large lecture effect. In a smaller class setting Holt is enthusiastic, approachable and helpful. The only negative about Holt is his test writing. He can be tricky and theoretical, throwing on 2 or 3 types of problems you've never seen on HWs or quizzes. More proof questions also show up on the tests when Holt teaches the class compared to other semesters (so if you're a math major like me and trying to avoid a proof based linear algebra experience, you're not going to). Other than those 2 or 3 questions though, tests are very reasonable.

Finally, the set up of the class is perfect. 10% webwork, 10% written HW, 10% quizzes, 2 midterms 20% each and a 30% final. This allows you to flub a midterm and cover it with guaranteed 100s for 20% of your grade.

Overall Holt is a great professor. He is articulate, understanding and actually a great guy to talk to. If Holt is teaching a section of this, or any small to moderate math/stat class, try to take it with him, you won't go wrong.

Holt is a good professor for Linear Algebra, probably my favorite APMA professor so far. He explains things well and is eager to help clear up any questions anyone has.