I post available courses of two prospective schools, you help me examine them

[Opsimathemagi]

Salutations math elders,

Firstly, when i discovered this site i rejoiced because of all the amazing resources. You can expect to see more of me, asking lots of questions.

I am about to make a (hopefully liberating) life-changing decision and I figured that this was the best place to seek informed advice.

To make a very long story somewhat short I have been studying advertising and marketing for two years, and I am not challenged at all. I am lucky enough to have a very gifted mathematician (a student of Feza Gürsey who shall remain nameless) as a precalc professor. This man introduced me to matrices(just because he felt it was something useful to know, not because it was in the curriculum). About two months ago I decided that I was going to watch Gilbert Strang and Khan Academy videos because i was amazed at how quickly he solved three-variable systems of equations without all the "algebraic bull****".

Well, I have to say, I love it so far. After DECADES of hating math I began to see the beauty of it, and wondered how all of my previous teachers managed to make such an exciting subject seem so dull.

I realized that I wanted to do something fulfilling, something that would increase my cognitive abilities,something that would be challening, and if I'm going to teach myself math at night when I get home from school for fun, why not major in it?

Now, here is where your minds come into the picture. There are two schools that I am looking at, both within the CUNY system: CUNY Hunter, and CUNY CCNY. I have looked over both of the requirements for math majors and I was unable to tell which school seems to offer a better program due to my ignorance. My professor said that Hunter actually has some very strong mathematicians but that CCNY had decent staff as well(I think he is biased against an engineering-dominated school as a physicist).

So, I am posting both of their course lists and major descriptions:

=HUNTER:
http://math.hunter.cuny.edu/courses.shtml

http://math.hunter.cuny.edu/majors.shtml#traditional

=CCNY:
http://math.sci.ccny.cuny.edu/course/list

http://math.sci.ccny.cuny.edu/pages?name=major_description

I found it quite odd that CCNY requires you to have finished Calc III to take Linear when there is NO CALCULUS IN IT. I can already pass the linear final exams posted by CCNY from two months of independent study (however, I am going to keep studying until I can reach a perfect score in my sleep). My professor said that if I was to speak to the department head there is a small chance they would let me take it as I work on the basic Calc sequence. I already have most of my GERs done from the past two years of advertising so I should be able to mainly focus on math.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

[micromass]

Looking at the course transcripts, I would choose hunter. They have more variation in their course lists. They also have more pure topics, while the other school is more statistical/applied oriented.

Also, if your professor tells you that hunter has good mathematicians, then that's another bonus. But frankly, you should also take other points into consideration: the cost of study, the quality of the lectures,... Don't focus to much on the course listings, because (from what I've seen), you'll get a good math education in both places.

 

[Opsimathemagi]

Thank you for your response,
Thankfully they have the same cost so that is one thing that i do not have to worry about. The only downside of the lectures at Hunter is increased size, because it is a larger school. The multiple levels of linear is also tempting. Not to mention that with far more departments I'd probably be able to take more programming/philosophy/economics courses there (strange mix, i know). Aside from my professor's suggestion i really have no idea how to judge the quality of the lectures, Google didn't really help but my keywords might have been the problem.

 

[hadsed]

A word of caution: you shouldn't be too too reliant on having great math professors to teach you these things. It's best if you can learn how to teach yourself for the most part, because not everyone is gifted with the ability to explain things so clearly to others. Just wanted to note this, because you can't blame the teacher in university you're really expected to take care of your education regardless of whether the teacher is competent or not.

 

[rezeew]

Dear student,

I am glad to hear that you have discovered a passion for math and are considering pursuing it as a major. Both CUNY Hunter and CUNY CCNY seem to offer strong math programs, with a variety of courses and opportunities for students to excel.

In terms of deciding between the two, it may be helpful to consider your long-term goals and what kind of math education and experience you are looking for. For example, if you are interested in pursuing a career in mathematics research, you may want to look into the research opportunities and faculty expertise at both schools. On the other hand, if you are more interested in teaching or applied mathematics, you may want to consider the teaching methods and applied courses offered at each school.

Regarding the requirement to have completed Calculus III before taking Linear Algebra at CCNY, this may be because some concepts in Linear Algebra build upon those in Calculus. However, if you feel confident in your understanding of Linear Algebra, you could speak to the department head at CCNY about potentially taking the course as you work on the basic Calculus sequence. Additionally, you could reach out to current students or alumni from both schools to get a better understanding of their experiences and the strengths of each program.

Overall, I would recommend carefully considering your personal goals and preferences, and speaking to advisors and current students from both schools to make an informed decision. I wish you the best of luck in your academic journey!