Autumn 2022
Math 300H: Honors Foundations of Mathematics Section 970.
I have taught this course six times previously (twice Honors).
Here are comments from many past classes; note that the course number changed to 300, and the book is different.
Do heed your peers; they have useful things to say:
Advice from the experts (former students):
Fall 2021 300H
- Reasonable workload-challenging but manageable.
- The expectations were clear and the learning goals and objectives of the class were clear.
- This is a new way of thinking of math and formulating my thoughts, to me at least. So the learning curve was very difficult, however
because the course is difficult it helps you struggle and understand the concepts better.
- This course required a very different way of thinking that was most certainly critical and engaging.
- The homeworks that were assigned were very challenging at times and provoked critical thinking as you would have to do concepts that
were a little more advanced than what had been covered.
- Homework and test dates were very consistent, lectures were always well prepared.
- Office hours were helpful, professor was very willing to answer questions during lecture, and homework had useful notes on problems.
- For the most part all the feedback was very helpful, there would be times where the feedback was a little confusing but I would say it
was due to my lack of complete understanding of the concepts which I had gained at a later time.
- Frank is extremly passionate and it is obvious that he has a very strong grasp of mathamatics, however I never felt looked down upon
and he encouraged us to fail and get an actual understanding of the subject.
- He did a great job of teaching, maybe better than any other professor I have had.
- Got a lot more out of the textbook than the class. The lectures went by very quickly because there was so much material being covered
that I had to review later.
- Yes, I learn best through running through examples and this class was filled with them
- Seldom assigned reading, or reminded us to read most out of class engagements with Math 300 were on you
- I really enjoyed going to his office hours, he would usually answer my question relatively quick then we would get on a tangent and I
would learn concepts not covered in the course.
- This is the only class I've ever taken where I felt like the professor actually cared about their students. He was very accommodating,
and I feel bad that I'm not going to do as well as he expects.
- Frank always was fair with grading and homework. If there was some type of error, he would postpone the due date to make sure it was
fixed
- I appreciated the "hands-on" math days interspersed between lecture heavy class days. Additionally, Frank goes out of his way to be extremely accessible outside of class.
- Always further explained something or explained it differently if someone was not understanding the concept.
- Dr. Sottile always encouraged asking questions, more so than any other professor I've had. Receiving encouragement from a professor does a lot to help students feel more comfortable in the classroom and engage more with the material, and this was definitely the case for me.
- Give work made to challenge even the brightest of students, so that everybody was left with mistakes that they could learn from. I got only a handful of A's or B's on assignments, but I learned better for it.
- He allowed us to ask questions freely when we needed clarification or help. He always wanted us to genuinely learn the material and be better students.
- Was very personable, made asking questions much more appealing.
- I found that his lectures being close to the textbook examples were helpful as I would be able to see his proofs and then go and read and hear another perspective on the same proofs and gain a deeper understanding of the proof.
- I usually have comments for this section, but I can honestly not think of anything he could have done better. I felt that he did more than any other professor has done in the past to facilitate his students' learning.
- The course was organized and went into great detail over the subject. Assignments were difficult, as befitting an honors course, and ensured students truly comprehended the material. Lectures mainly covered course content, with hands-on mathematical activities interspersed throughout the semester. Dr. Sottile is a knowledgeable professor with a great sense of humor. He has high expectations for each of his students and will require a deep understanding of the subject for any student wanting to do well in the course. Though not an easy class, I would recommend Dr. Sottile for MATH 300.
- Great professor, great course, no complaints
- Great prof and course. Learned a lot!
- Great instructor, great course
- I was very happy with my professor and how the class ran. I thought I was lucky to have someone who very much cared for the learning environment that the students were in. He always fostered a great learning environment and strives to always make decisions that were best for the students and the class.
- I will look for classes where Frank is the professor and take them. I loved his class and how he cared about his students more than anything. I appreciated the fairness of the class and if the tests was very challenging, our grade wouldn't suffer if we struggled on it. He prioritized learning and understanding over grades which I think is important to consider someone a good teach
- I thought the class overall was a very thought-provoking and engaging class. I always found the content interesting, no matter how well I understood it, and it was very clear that Professor Sottile had a deep and meaningful understanding of the content being taught. At times I found the homeworks to be a little excessive on difficulty, but overall gave me a deep understanding of the content at hand.
- I cannot speak highly enough of Dr. Sottile's Math 300 section. I have been in three different majors over the past three years (Engineering, Biomedical Science, and Applied Math) and have worked on several minors as well, so I have had many experiences with many different departments and professors. Dr. Sottile blows every professor that I have had out of the water. His passion for teaching and for the success of his students is unmatched by anybody that I have ever had before, and the amout of improvement I have seen in my own math abilities as a result of this course has been remarkable - far more than what I expected. I do not think that I have gained this much from any other course that I have taken here at A&M. Dr. Sottile is an excellent academic, an excellent educator, and an excellent role model, and I am beyond grateful for the experience that he gave us this semester with Math 300.
- Great course, had a lot of fun and learned a lot of information. The course could have been much more difficult had the professor not been as passionate about it and the students.
Spring 2019 Math 220
- Be diligent on the class notes and review them regularly to be prepared.
- Don't wait until the last minute to do homework or you will not have time to finish it.
- Be careful on the homework.
- Do all homework, ask questions, and read over notes and the book.
- Definitely read before the class.
- Read the sections in the book before class and then go over your notes after to make sure you fully understand what was taught.
- Read the textbook before attending the lecture for that topic.
- Use online resources and other students through Piazza and much and possible.
- Do all homework, and take efficient notes during class.
- Actually read the textbook because it has good examples to do the homework and to prepare for tests.
- It may be hard to get into at first, but it's the principles on which all of the next math classes are built.
- I would recommend them to read another book as well as the one provided, I think there are redeeming qualities of our book, but comparing it to another one, can be very helpful.
- Read the book and go to his office hour.
Fall 2017 Math 220
- Go to office hours if you don't understand. He is great at helping!
- Go to class and ask questions!
- Seek outside help. The textbook only has two examples per topic and was not enough. I found a graduate student that used to run the Math 220 help sessions and that was my saving grace.
- Read the textbook. Not once, but twice. It will help. Also, make friends right away and get together for study groups.
- Learn most of the material beforehand or learn the basics it would make the course easier as these are concepts most students haven't practiced before.
- Ask as many questions as you are able to in class. He's willing to answer them and wants to help.
- Form a study group and be willing to ask many questions, as the instructor is more than happy to answer.
- Do the homework and pay attention.
- I would always recommend to go to office hours. They legit saved my life in this course because these concepts were very conceptual and so I needed further explanation.
- Practice writing proofs.
- Go to office hours, it helps a lot. Some concepts explained in class are muddled and the book does not always have good examples to supplement lecture material. Homework could be difficult because of this.
- Attend class and respect Sottile and you will have a fun and fruitful learning experience.
- The homework is deceptively long. It is usually only several questions but will still take several hours to complete. Finishing a proof is a very rewarding feeling.
- If you read the book and go to class every day, you would not have trouble with the course.
Fall 2015 Math 220
- You're gonna have to study and work but he's the prof you want.
- Read the textbook. know the definitions. Go to the help sessions for homework.
- Make sure to plan out your time wisely.
- Make sure to study and understand the definitions very well.
- Follow his advice XD Look through the book before a lecture, and review the chapter after class.
- Go to class, read the book, do your homework, and ask questions.
- Read the book sections before and after the lecture over those sections and definitely do as many examples as possible....practice, practice, practice.
- Read the textbook material closely and take notes on it, especially theorems and definitions.
- Be prepared to spend a lot of time on this class. Don't miss class you will miss a lot. Be able to think outside of
comfort zone.
- You need to read the book before you get to class to understand the material that is going to presented. Don't think
that you can just pass by in this class and get a good grade because it takes a lot of time and work. Professor Sottile is
very understanding but does set high expectations for his students.
- Read the textbook everyday. The textbook is your best friend.
- Make sure to read the chapters and do the homework problems because they are the best ay to guarantee understanding of the material.
- Be patient, it's worth it. Frank is an exceptional professor.
- Make sure you understand the homework problems.
Last modified: Sun Aug 07 18:59:47 CDT 2022 by sottile