Math 150
Getting Started

Before The First Meeting

• Obtain an ISU NetID
  This is the user name you use for AccessPlus, WebCT, and everything else on campus. I am pretty sure you already have one. If not, go to the ISU Acropolis site and click on Register.

• Buy the textbook and access code
  The current edition of the book is the 11th, and we will be using a custom edition for ISU. The full 11th edition will also work. If you have a copy of the 10th edition, you can still use that. You will just have to find the corresponding sections in the older book. A new book will come with an access code for MyMathLab. If you buy a used textbook (or none at all), you can buy an access code separately. If you bring a credit card, you can buy the access code during class.

You need the access code to do any work in this course. If you are waiting for financial aid to come through, read the following information from Pearson:

Many of you are asking about Grace Period for MyMathLab and MyStatLab, and although we don’t have an official solution, we do have a work-around that your schools can use this fall.

• If the students with financial aid concerns go to http://www.pearsonhighered.com/mmlspecialaccess, they will see a form to fill out.
• Once they complete this form, Customer Technical Support will let the student into MML/MSL within 48 hours.
• The student will then have up to 17 days to purchase a hard-copy MML/MSL Access Kit, tell Customer Technical Support the code, and be let into their course permanently.

During The First Meeting

The TA will go over the following things during the first meeting. If you can't make it to the meeting at your scheduled time, go at one of the other times (see schedule). If you can't make it at all, do this on your own, or wait until next week.

• Overview of the class:
  • You do assignments on the computer every week (homework from any machine, exams in the computer lab). Details are in the Lesson Plan and the weekly pages accessible from there.
  • One weekly meeting (recommended, but not required), plus office hours and SI for questions
  • Assignments have deadlines, but otherwise you can complete them when it is convenient for you
  • You can work ahead, and even complete the entire course early.
  • The key word is Consistency. If you keep doing the assignments week after week, you are virtually guaranteed to pass this course with a decent grade. You even get extra credit for not skipping any assignments.
  • If you think you can get by with cramming for the exams, you will fail
  • You can read the details on grading and other policies on the course web site later; right now we need to get everybody started.
• Find the course web sites:
  • ISU Math 150 site is http://www.math.iastate.edu/mathbus/sp/current/
  • MyMathLab is at http://www.coursecompass.com/ and also at http://www.mypearson.com/. The Math 150 web site at ISU is also accessible from inside MyMathLab.
  • There is a Math 150 site in WebCT, but you can ignore that, except to look up your scores at Midterm Grade and Final Grade time.
• Create an account in MyMathLab:
  • If you have used MyMathLab before, look at PowerPoint Instructions for Old Users. If you were in Math 150 before, you will not need a new access code. If you used MyMathLab at a different university, or for a different class at ISU, you will need an access code.
  • If you have never used MyMathLab before, look at PowerPoint Instructions for New Users. You will need an access code. You will also need your class code. That is listed on the course home page.
  • Access codes are in upper case. Turn the caps lock on.
  • When you sign up, make sure that you put your ISU email address into the Email field, not Yahoo, Hotmail, or anything else. We need to know how to match up your CourseCompass account with your ISU account, to transfer scores. No ISU email address, no grades.
• Log into MyMathLab and complete the tutorial on How to Enter Answers in MyMathLab. You can find it under the Chapter Contents link. If you are doing this on your own computer, you need to install the MathXL plugin first. See below.

When you are done with all that

This can be during the first meeting, or later at home.

• Fill out the SI questionnaire: Go to: http://www.dso.iastate.edu/asc/si/course.php?id=320, Click on "Complete a Schedule Survey" in the right-hand menu.

• Poke around the course web sites and see what is there. Read the syllabus and other documents.

• If you plan to use MyMathLab on your personal computer, use the Installation Wizard to install the MathXL plugin. Only install MathXL; once it wants to install TestGen, kill the wizard. More detail is in the MML help file. You can bring your laptop to class or to an office hour if you want, and we can help you.

• Read the instructions for Week 1, and start working on the first homeworks.