Students liked that the professor was helpful and enthusiastic about the material. Since it is two courses combined into one, it does not cover the subjects as thoroughly as two separate courses would. Many students wished there had been more applications of the concepts they learned, rather than just theoretical concepts. Homework assignments were difficult, but students said going to office hours was very helpful and that the professor was willing to help. If you want to really master either subject, rather than just get an overview, it is better to take separate linear algebra and differential equations courses instead of this combined course.

Students found this course to be very wel planned out and thorough in the materials, so they believed that they learned a tremendous amount over the semester. The professor went out of his way to ensure 13 that students got the materials and was always wil ing to meet or answer questions. Students found that the course concentrated too much on proofs and not enough on equations. They suggested adding a textbook to include more concrete examples and exercises as well as using Blackboard more extensively to post notes on the lectures. Students also wanted more practice with differential equations and less emphasis on the proofs. Prospective students should have taken math up to at least Calculus II and would benefit from some background knowledge of MATLAB. They should be prepared to take good notes in each class.

Students appreciated that this course was taught by an engaging instructor who demonstrated genuine concern that students understood the material. Students thought that the class’ greatest drawback was that the course did not go into greater depth in its subject matter. Students felt the course could have been improved by going at a more rapid pace. They also found that it was valuable for prospective participants to know that this course offered a useful, but introductory survey of its subject matter.

The best aspects of this course included the helpful teaching assistant and section meetings, as wel as the good amount of practice students got to have with the content through the assignments. The worst aspects of the course included the difficult course material and homework assignments. The students felt that the lectures concerning the MATLAB portion of the class were inefficient. The course would improve if there were more lessons on MATLAB and more practice or review of the challenging concepts. Prospective students should be prepared for a chal enging course, and should try to attend al

The highlights in this course included the effective instructor, the available TAs, and the combination of two related areas of mathematics. Many students thought Dr. Castello’s lectures were thorough, moved at a good pace, and prepared students for the exams. Many students cited MATLAB as the worst aspect of the course, while others thought the homework was too time consuming especial y towards the end of the semester. The suggestions for improving the course included providing MATLAB to the students 12 at low or no cost, giving more instruction in MATLAB, and giving a higher percentage weight to the homework. Prospective students should have a background in Calculus II , and taking linear algebra and differential equations together is much better than taking them separately. This course is well suited to engineering majors.

The best aspects of the course included the professor’s clear and effective lectures, as well as her helpful use of examples in class. Many students, however, reported that lectures merely skimmed the surface of these topics, while homework problems were much more in-depth. Further, some students were caught off-guard by the required use of MATLAB in the course despite having no formal instruction in the program. Suggestions for improvement included making class notes accessible online, providing some tutorials on using MATLAB, and including more difficult material in lectures. Prospective students should be prepared to attend lecture, to stay on top of assignments in this fast-moving class, and to familiarize themselves with MATLAB independently before the semester begins.