Word: mathes
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...pressure to do well. Not everyone appreciates how intimidating it is to take classes from a department academically far away from a student’s own specialties. A fellow physics concentrator once explained to me that, since high school, she had been trained to be really good at math and physics, and she was frankly too scared of doing poorly to risk taking a music class. A few changes to Harvard’s academic policies could lower the barrier of taking such risks and encourage students to explore interests beyond their chosen fields...
...contrast to concentrators in the natural sciences who are exposed to literature and social theory, those in the softer sciences and humanities can, and too often do, spend their four years fleeing natural logs and derivatives. What distinguishes this problem from the converse—of math and science concentrators in humanities and social science classes—is not only the poor content of Quantitative Reasoning (QR) Core courses, but also the extent to which mathematical knowledge relies largely upon the ability to execute certain basic numerical techniques...
...written in a language they understand, but those rusty on their calculus are perplexed by basic notation like delta, theta, and epsilon. As a result, many literature and history Core courses are deemed substantive enough to qualify for departmental credit. But no QR Core makes the cut for the math or statistics departments...
...While previous generations may not have required a strong background in math and science to be considered informed citizens, today’s world has lived up to the vision of H.G. Wells: It is one in which statistical thinking is “as necessary for efficient citizenship as the ability to read and write.” The relevance of mathematics to understanding contemporary policy issues, healthcare, and the modern conception of human nature is increasingly clear. Students who want an in-depth understanding of everything from behavioral economics to education policy require more than a superficial level...
...class teaches a range of foundational topics—from statistical reasoning to model building—for the non-concentrator to learn. Introductory statistics courses, which are required by many empirical social sciences, cover the former, but leave one unacquainted with the calculus needed to build models. Math departmental courses, on the other hand, are heavy on calculus, usually so much so that students who don’t have an intense interest don’t bother to take the class. These two poles leave students lacking a middle ground between the courses aimed at concentrators and fluffier...