Frequently Asked Questions
These are some collected answers and advice to frequently asked questions!
About Classes:
How should I address you?
I’m fine with being called “Dr. Wong”, “Prof. Wong”, or “Richard”. Use whatever feels comfortable to you!
I use he/him pronouns.
In general, if you’re not sure how to address your instructor, you should ask them! However, “Professor X” or “Dr. X” are typically safe choices, and they help mitigate gender bias in academia.
What resources are available to me at UCLA?
If you need support, you should always feel free to ask me in-person, or via e-mail!
Beyond my (and the TA) office hours, here are a few other resources at UCLA:
- The math department runs open office hours for lower division courses at the Student Math Center.
- The Academic Advancement Program provides an array of academic services to support students from groups historically underserved in higher education.
- UCLA has a multitude of other groups, resources, and services available to support your academic success, your social belonging, your physical and mental health, and your overall well-being. You can explore these resources here.
How should I study for exams?
In general, exams are meant to assess your understanding of course concepts. This means that while you may not have seen a particular problem before; you should have all the tools to solve the problem.
With that in mind, I think that Bloom’s Taxonomy is a useful framework for gauging your knowledge of a subject. In particular, I recommend that you focus on being able to explain explain core concepts/problem solutions to your peers, instead of trying to memorize the steps to solving a problem.
For studying for exams, my generic advice is the following:
- Study incrementally. That is, do a few homework/practice problems every day. There is evidence that spaced repetition improves long-term memory!
- Study with others. That is, work with others to learn how they approach and think about problems.
- Make sure you can explain the key concepts, in detail, to others! Teaching others is the best way to make sure that you understand the concept.
- Practice in an exam environment. That is, practice solving problems under a time constraint, and only use the resources available to you during exams.
- During exams, demonstrate what you know. That is, think about and write down the relevant tools you have to solve the problem!
What is a “Challenge Problem Report”?
Challenge Problem Reports are technical writing assignments, where you will apply mathematics to more challenging (real world) problems.
These challenge reports are designed to both help you develop both your mathematical reasoning and your communication skills. Accordingly, you will be graded on both the correctness of the mathematics, as well as how you explain your mathematical ideas.
These assignments are also designed to simiulate how mathematicians think about and do mathematics. In other words, they are an opportunity for you to demonstrate your understanding and mastery of the material on something other than a timed exam.
They are inspired by the “Challenge Problem Sets” that I completed as an undergraduate in Math 291 at Rutgers University (taught by Eric Carlen).
What are “Social Office Hours”?
They are a way for you to get to know me, your classmates and peers at UCLA, and professional mathematicians!
Once or twice a quarter, I will invite guest mathematicians to attend special office hours, where they can share details about their journey through mathematics, why they chose to pursue math, and to answer any questions that you have for them.
Math/Career Advice:
Will you write me a letter of recommendation?
If I have taught, mentored, or worked with you, I am always happy to provide support for you and your goals!
However, in order for me to write a strong and effective letter of recommendation, the following things should be true:
- You have given me at least two weeks of notice before the relevant deadline(s).
- I may still be able to write a letter with less notice, but I may also decline due to insufficient time.
- You have earned a letter grade in one of my courses (or I have otherwise worked with you in a significant capacity, such as research, the LA program, etc.).
- I can supply personal details about what makes you stand out as a candidate, beyond your grades.
- This can include things like participation in lecture or office hours, exceptional work on assignments, or perservence and growth throughout the course.
In your request, you should also send:
- The deadline and other details about what you are applying for (the program/scholarship/application website suffices)
- Your application materials (CV/resume, cover letter, etc.). Rough drafts are fine!
If I don’t think I am properly equipped to write a strong and effective letter for you, I will let you know. This is not necessarily a reflection of you or your abilities - a vaguely positive letter might be detrimental to your application, especially for competetitive programs!
What is math research like?
Math research is about trying to answer questions. In order to do so, we must understand complex ideas deeply, and communicate those ideas to other mathematicians.
My favorite analogy about math research is this Quora answer.
Communicating [complex mathematical] ideas is a bit like trying to explain a vacuum cleaner to someone who has never seen one, except you’re only allowed to use words that are four letters long or shorter.
— Yasha Berchenko-Kogan
Most of the mathematics you’ll see in undergrad has been around for at least a century. In other words, there’s been enough time for mathematicians to answer an important question, come up with the correct definitions to prove theorems, figure out the best way to explain the material, and write a textbook.
However, with research, such textbooks don’t exist (yet!). In other words, the concepts exist only in the minds of mathematicians (and their research papers). What’s worse, is that we might not yet have the correct definitions to talk about these concepts properly, and we might not even be asking the right questions!
Thus, in order to push the boundaries of mathematical knowledge, mathematicians talk to each other frequently (at seminars and conferences), and they often collaborate!
How can I get involved in math research as an undergraduate?
Math research is quite different from other types of research in STEM! Typically, one needs experience with proofs (such as discrete math or linear algebra).
However, here are some typical ways to get involved:
- The math department runs the Directed Reading Program every quarter. The DRP is a program that pairs undergraduate students with graduate student mentors to undertake independent projects in mathematics.
- Research Experience for Undergraduates (REUs) are summer research programs. The application deadlines are typically in the preceding January.
Further opportunities can be found on the UCLA math department page.
Can I become a mathematician?
“Everyone can have joyful, meaningful, and empowering mathematical experiences.”
In my opinion, the answer is yes! Although each person will have their own mathematical journey, I strongly believe that everyone is capable of success in mathematics.
One collection of mathematician’s journeys can be found in Living Proof.