Dear Future Math 128 students,
This class will be unlike any math class you have ever taken. I never thought I would be able to see art in math but after this class my entire view has changed. Math can be used to make beautiful art and you will use the math concepts learned in this class to create your own pieces. Some advice I have for this class is to do all the work given because there truly is no busy work and it will greatly benefit you in your development in the class. Thinking back to the beginning of the semester, there are a few things I wish I knew about this class before taking it.
One thing is to save absolutely every art piece you make throughout the semester. This includes drafts, experimental pieces, and absolutely anything you create. It will be very useful for you at the end of the semester. Another thing is to ask a lot of questions if you didn't understand something. Professor Hanusa has always been very understanding and patient. It is much better to ask and learn then to pay for it later. Even though I never really enjoyed math, I really loved this class and I hope that you will too!
When I think back to the beginning of the semester the thing that would have been nice to know is that your failures are as important as your successes. Through this class, you may sometimes set out to create a certain shape or image, but the things you input in the function might give you a unique shape or give you a gateway to a new concept for your piece. To the future student don't get too caught up on functions you see because rather than just having one right answer as you normally would any "mistake" made can be seen as an opportunity to create something unique and new. Also if you do happen to understand certain things well don't be afraid to help out others in the class it can sometimes be rewarding when helping others see how you approached your work.
When in this class another thing you should try to do is try to have a consistent partner or friend to work with. This is because sometimes it can be hard to reach out to someone especially during a pandemic and many people could be working or just have classes later on in the day. It would also be hard to keep track of who already has a partner and who doesn't so keep that in mind. Overall don't stress out in this class don't be afraid to ask questions because it is way better than just staying confused. As well as don't forget to have fun and enjoy yourself in this class.
Dear incoming Students of MATH 128,
To start off, I want to say that I really enjoyed this class. Although math isn’t really my favorite subject, since it was connected with art, it gained my interest very easily. The class will be really easy for you if you have general knowledge of algebra, trig or precalc. Even if you don’t, the professor explains things very well. If you have any questions, then please don’t hesitate to ask any question. When I first joined this class, I didn’t have any idea as to what we will be learning… I chose this class because of credit, but I’m glad I got to experience it. I never knew it was possible to create art through math. 60% of the time, it felt like I was taking a stress relieving class. I enjoy making art. Even though I never did it digitally, using Desmos was so much fun. Even when I made an accident, I saved it, because it looked so cool! I already know you all will enjoy this class as much as I did. Just make sure to stay on track and focus during lecture so that you don’t get lost. Lastly, please do take office hour appointments to clear up your confusion about a topic, or if you’re struggling with something. Good luck everyone, have fun!
Dear future class of Math 128,
I am writing this letter to inform you of some things that you probably would like to know about this class and some things that I wished I would have known before attending this class. Firstly, if you aren't that great in math, that's OKAY, but instead, you'll be learning how you can create art by using a graphing calculator. How? By using math equations, duh. Well, what does that have to do with being good in math or not? As long as you work on it and put some effort into creating and perhaps trying out a bunch of mathematical equations and you'll eventually get the hand of it.
Okay, so what if you aren't that great at being creative or making art? WELL, THAT'S OKAY TOO! If you are a computer whiz and you prefer learning all different types of equations, well, CONGRATULATIONS THIS CLASS IS FOR YOU! My biggest advice for you and the most important one would be that communication is KEY! If some things are difficult to understand or you have trouble understanding certain subjects. Do not be afraid to ask your peers or Professor Hanusa. So, do get along with each other, cause it helps!
Hello, I'm a student from Math 128 and I will be giving suggestions for this class and explaining my past experiences. First off, I know the class might seem a little difficult at first since many of you haven't ever used math to create art but I promise after a while you will enjoy it. When I first started the class I was a little confused because of the many equations and formulas we had to use but after you actually try to explore those equations and graphs, I promise it will get easier. Something that I would've liked to know at the beginning is how important your participation is for class and on the discussion board as well. It's a part of your grade and using will actually be very beneficial since you can ask as many equations and help others out.
Some detailed suggestions I will provide is first getting highly familiar with Desmos. Desmos is very crucial for this class. Everything you will do and present will revolve around it but you also have to get familiar and comfortable with the formulas and equations. Something I did was play around a lot on Desmos and with the formulas because you get to physically see what changing the numbers or variables in an equation does to the design. Another thing is attending office hours, Professor Hanusa is very understanding and helpful so attending and participating in office hours will really help. And finally, reaching out to other classmates. I know at first it will be hard and trust me I know because it took me sometime to actually reach out but everyone is in the same boat as you so don't worry about it. After I reached out to someone, I was actually able to receive and provide help which was very imperative. I hope these suggestions have helped out and I really think you guys will enjoy Math 128 with Professor Hanusa! Good luck guys!
At the beginning of the semester it would've been nice to know how much thought it takes to create artworks that you desire. I haven't taken an art class in years and I forgot how much the thought process for art creation matters and how much it affects the work you end up creating, what you put in is what you get out. This class is a class that more-so focuses on the math aspect than the art, primarily due to the fact that you're creating the art through using math. You get tested on your mastery of certain standards of math and the skills you develop from learning the standards are used in your projects. The advice I have for a student starting in Math 128 is to just have as much fun as you can and don't stress, it isn't as hard as you think it'll be. The class is honestly a really fun one and you get to play around with math to create any kind of piece of art that you set your mind to.
To an incoming student, I would explain the class as detail-oriented. You have to understand what is being taught to make sure you can make art on Desmos. You also need to understand the math to complete the standards. Make sure to keep up and ask questions because things can get confusing fast especially if math isn't your best subject. I would also tell them to really play around with equations in Desmos because usually the mistakes you make there end up being your best work of art. One thing I would have liked to know at the beginning of the semester is that there was going to be a lot of partner/group work involved in this class. I didn't mind it that much but if you are not used to reaching out to people and asking them to work on a partner-oriented assignment, you might want to prepare yourself for that.
When I first entered the class, I felt like I was so engaged within the topic just because the class is unique. Learning math and art into one is very original and is something that I have not heard of doing better either. So combining them together became very intriguing, and followed my thoughts. I would tell any student that has creativity to take this class. An Incoming student could potentially change their views on art after this class, just like it happened to me. You learn to create art in a way you have never, so it is something to look forward to. The math part in this class however, one has to pay attention because if not, they will end up getting lost and will have to do heavy research outside of class. I would also tell someone to look at other pieces of works done by other people because it can use inspiration for future projects, and will definitely help you in creating art for yourself.
