What Are Berkeley Grad Students Saying About Maths Courses 202A, 205, and 214?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the experiences and opinions of Berkeley graduate students regarding specific mathematics courses: 202A, 205, and 214. Participants share insights on the courses' content, teaching quality, and personal preferences, focusing on the implications for undergraduate students considering these classes.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that the quality of the course can greatly depend on the instructor, suggesting variability in experiences.
  • 202A is described as the most basic of the three courses, with a significant portion of undergraduates enrolled.
  • A participant recounts a negative experience with 205 when taught by Sarason, describing it as hard, boring, and harshly graded, particularly for those not interested in complex analysis.
  • 214 is characterized as a standard course in differential geometry, incorporating some topics on Lie groups.
  • Another participant, an undergraduate, expresses interest in taking 202A and is weighing the choice between 214 and 205, having previously enjoyed both complex analysis and differential topology.
  • A different undergraduate shares a contrasting experience, stating a preference for course 185 over 205, criticizing 205 for being overly technical and focused on proofs rather than broader concepts.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on the courses, particularly regarding 205, with some finding it unappealing while others have had positive experiences in different contexts. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the overall value of each course.

Contextual Notes

Participants' experiences are influenced by specific instructors and personal preferences, which may not reflect the courses' overall quality or content. There is a lack of consensus on the best course to take among the options discussed.

Who May Find This Useful

Undergraduate students considering mathematics courses at Berkeley, particularly those interested in complex analysis and differential geometry.

SeReNiTy
Messages
170
Reaction score
0
Any Berkeley grad students in maths here?

Just want to get your opinions on the following subjects,

202A
205
214

Pros and cons?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
It greatly depends on who's teaching the course. Of those three 202A is the most basic. It's taken by about 50% undergraduates. My only experience with 205 is when Sarason taught it, and I did not enjoy it. It was hard, boring, and harshly graded. Unless you really like complex analysis, I wouldn't take it from him. 214 is a standard course in differnetial geometry with some Lie groups stuff. What do you actually want to know?
 
Well I'm a undergraduate student at the moment, and I was thinking of taking 2/3 of those units mentioned above. I've definitely decided on 202A and now I'm trying to decide between 214 and 205. Previously, I've enjoyed both complex analysis and differential topology.
 
Who are you? I'm an undergraduate too.

Also, I really liked 185, but hated 205. It was totally technical stuff. For instance, we spend two weeks proving a bound on one of the coefficients of the taylor expansion of a holomorphic map. That's not my cup of tea.
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

Schools Choosing between UC Berkeley and Caltech - Math
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
5K
Other How to Afford Moving to Another State For Grad School?
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
3K
Schools Question About Relevance of a HBSc degree at UofT Compared to US Universities
  • · Replies 23 ·
Replies
23
Views
5K
Courses Advanced Math for Computational Material Science Engineering
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Admissions Graduating a year early anxieties + grad school
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
2K
Admissions Should I forget about grad school?
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
Other Physics PhD after working for few years
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
Admissions Curious about my grad school prospects
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
4K
Switching from Biology undergrad to Physics grad....
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
5K
Other Should I Address a Grad Student Colleague's Constant Sleeping?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K