APMA 3100

Probability is not easy, and it is not intuitive. Professor Baber does a good job of structuring the course and presenting the material in a way that facilitates learning of the material. There are no surprises on his tests. The first couple quizzes may be more difficult than expected, but don't let that scare you off, especially since he drops the two lowest quiz grades. The most important thing in this class is to do the homework AND DEFINITELY do the problems in his lecture slides AND the problems in his exam review slides.

As for Professor Baber himself: expert on the material, very interested in the material, great sense of humor, cares about his students, willing to go in-depth on Q&A during his office hours.

Professor Baber is very fair and straightforward in what he expects of you in the class. The lectures are from the PowerPoints he posts on Collab, but he often expands on concepts by writing on a blackboard.

Homework (10%):
You have homework due on Monday and Thursday each week from the textbook, and Professor Baber gives you a list of all of the problems at the beginning of the semester. Most assignments can be done the night before they are due, but you'll lose some sleep over it. The 2 lowest homework scores are dropped. The textbook you use is old (2004) and there are no answers in the back, but it's overall not a bad book. You can get it from Amazon used for about $10.

Quizzes (20%):
Every Friday during the last 20 minutes of class, no calculator. The 2 lowest quiz scores are dropped. It isn't difficult to do well on these if you put in some study time the night before.

Tests/Final Exam (20% + 20% + 30%):
On the first test, you can cram formulas onto one side of a sheet of paper and bring it with you. You get two sides for the second test, and three sides for the final. You are allowed to bring a calculator with you for all of these, since many of the questions involve a bunch of math with numbers between 0 and 1. He holds a review lecture before each test and the final exam.

He also brings his dog (some sort of beagle mix?) to class on occasion, which is a nice distraction if you're sitting nearby.