18.600
Table of contents
- Course Info
- Realistic Prerequisites
- Subject Matter
- Course Staff
- Lectures
- Problem Sets
- Exams
- Resources
- Grading
- Advice to Future Students
- Syllabus
Course Info
| Class Size | 201 |
| Hours/Week | 7.5 (83 responses) |
| Instructors | Jonathan Adam Kelner (Lecturer), Pranit Nanda (UA), Jie Jun Ang (TA), Jonathan Tidor (TA), Roger Van Peski (TA) |
| # of Responses to Course 18 Underground Questions | 20/89 |
Realistic Prerequisites
- Necessary: 18.01/18.02.
- Helpful: 18.06 for Markov chains, some exposure to proofs perhaps via 6.042, some basic probability/discrete math.
Subject Matter
- Many thought the class was very applied, but some felt it was more abstract than expected.
- Very foundational, broad, and useful.
- The first few weeks were a review of basic probability. People with prior exposure found them slow, while others found them fast.
Course Staff
- Students found the course staff caring and understanding (e.g. midterm was moved due to election).
- TAs were helpful and responsive on Piazza.
Lectures
- Students found that the lectures were well-organized and engaging, contained helpful real-world examples, and connected to the psets.
- Students generally found the class well-paced; a few students found it slow.
- Lectures were asynchronous, supplemented by live problem-solving sessions.
Problem Sets
- Students found the psets doable and fair, since the lectures adequately prepared them.
- Many students worked with others.
- Time spent on psets varied wildly. Some spent 3 hours, while others spent 12.
Exams
- Students generally appreciated exam format and time given.
- Most students found exam difficulty fair. Some students found the exams challenging.
Resources
- The lectures were self-contained. Lecture slides were made available.
- Most students did not use the textbook.
- There was a class Piazza, and it was good.
Grading
- Professor gave cutoff approximations after the second exam but prior to Drop Date.
- Grading was fair and transparent (e.g. grade cutoffs for quizzes were given).
Advice to Future Students
- “Don’t underestimate the class based on the first few weeks. The class goes from 0-100. Don’t get complacent.”
- “Familiarity with writing proofs did come in handy and no guidance was provided in that respect, so it helped to have taken 6.042 before. Reading a chunk of the optional textbook definitely helped lower the mental workload when covering that material.”
- “Make sure you understand probability, you will see it everywhere.”
Syllabus
Click here for a PDF of this course’s syllabus.