Reading: Reading your textbook is one of the most important things you can do to succeed in the course. The lectures are designed not to substitute for the text, but to complement it, and you will be held accountable for material in the book but not in lecture. On the other hand, it may be difficult to read a math text, and I understand that you may not yet be skilled at this. So here are my suggestions:

Read quickly first. Spend about a minute per page reading the words carefully but skimming the formulas, and getting the "big picture." This task is almost worthless by itself. Next, spend about 5-10 minutes per page reading in detail. Allow yourself to slow down for every little symbol. Analyze every formula, every number, every remark, and every footnote. Ask of each of these things: is it correct that it is here? Where did it come from? How is it going to be used? One thing that distinguishes mathematics writing from many other kinds of writing is that you will never be asked by theauthor to "just believe" something: Math is written for the skeptic, and correct reading is intensely skeptical. Most people find it useful to keep pencil and paper handy in order to work out hangups in the reading. If you're reading correctly, you will spend most of your reading time stuck on some little detail, but you will be able to sort out almost all these details on your own. Anything you can't resolve on your own should be taken to office hours or section. Finally, if you have time, read quickly again.

Do this reading each day before or after class. Be careful not to fall behind.

Outside Help: Before seeking outside help, please know that I am eager to meet with you in office hours, or even by appointment if necessary, to help you succeed in my class. So come see me! Also, your TA will schedule office hours and may have time to meet with you by appointment as well. So be assertive and see him or her too. When we're not available, you can find free walk-in tutoring most hours of the day in the Math Help Room. Feel free to drop in the Math Help Room as frequently as you like for help understanding lecture, text, or homework. Most tutors are graduate students in mathematics. If you feel you need a longer-term, more personal solution, the advising office offers tutoring programs for students having difficulty with introductory mathematics courses. Tutoring through the advising office is remarkably inexpensive ($15 or $25 per semester) and very effective.

Course description: Differential and integral calculus. Includes analytic geometry, functions, limits, integrals and derivatives, polar coordinates, parametric equations, Taylor's theorem and applications, infinite sequences and series.

Absence policies: It is your obligation to attend each lecture, each section meeting, and all three exams. If for any reason you are unable to attend an exam, you must tell me as soon as possible. Makeup exams are given only under unusual circumstances, because excused absences are very rare. Typical responses to excused absences include administering a makeup exam or assigning a grade equal to the average grade on future exams, but these judgments depend on specific circumstances.

Ethics (Dean's statement): The strength of the university depends on academic and personal integrity. In this course, you must be honest and truthful. Ethical violations include cheating on exams, plagiarism, reuse of assignments, improper use of the Internet and electronic devices, unauthorized collaboration, alteration of graded assignments, forgery and falsification, lying, facilitating academic dishonesty, and unfair competition.

Report any violations you witness to the instructor. You may consult the associate dean of students and/or the chairman of the Ethics Board beforehand. See the guide on "Academic Ethics for Undergraduates" and the Ethics Board web site (http://ethics.jhu.edu/) for more information.