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Welcome to Math 135! On this page you will find general information about the course, in particular, information to get you started with MyLab, the online homework system for Math 135. You will also find practice exams and a list of learning and mental health resources.
Textbook
Calculus, Single Variable: Early Transcendentals, 3rd edition, Briggs, Cochran, Gillett, and Schulz. Pearson, 2018. (ISBN: 978-0134766850)
A physical copy of the textbook is not necessary for this class. All students are required to purchase a license for MyLab Math (details below) and an e-copy of the text comes with MyLab Math. Purchasing options for the textbook:
- Campus Bookstore
Enter 640 for "Department" and 135 for "Course". The section number is irrelevant.
- Directly from Pearson
The publisher sells both a physical and electronic copy, and you may browse several purchasing options when registering for MyLab Math via your Canvas course site.
Important: We strongly recommend waiting to purchase the text until you are given access to your Canvas course site.
MyLab Math
Students are required to purchase access to MyLab Math to complete the online homework, and possibly quizzes and exams. The MyLab assignments each consist of 12-15 exercises from the textbook. Each assignment will have a specific due date set by the professor, and these assignments must be completed online.
How to use MyLab effectively:
If you take shortcuts like trying to find answers to MyLab problems from various "homework help" web services without solving all of the problems yourself in their entirety, then you will lose the benefit of MyLab and your course grade will suffer. Instead, use the built-in help tools within MyLab. This online homework exists primarily to give you feedback on your ability to calculate correct answers at early stages of the learning process. The homework is not intended to measure your mastery of the material; only the midterm exams and final exam measure mastery. Without doing well on the exams, it is impossible to pass the course, even with a perfect score on the homework. So be sure to take full advantage of MyLab to get as much feedback as possible on your problem-solving skills.
Getting started with MyLab:
Follow the instructions given to you by your professor in your Canvas site to register for your MyLab course.
Student support for MyLab:
- System Requirements
MyLab works on a series of pop-up screens. You MUST enable pop-ups when working in MyLab. For help on how to do this, as well as make sure your browser is up to date, use the link above.
- How to Use MyLab on a Mobile Device
This video shows you how to set up your mobile device with any necessary browser add-ons and apps to use MyLab properly.
- Pearson Support Database
Use the above link to search Pearson's database for support topics (e.g., resetting password).
- Contact Support
Use the above link to contact technical support. Fill out the required form and you will be immediately connected to a support agent based on your issue.
- Pearson sales representative:
Melissa Blum is our Pearson Sales representative. If you are having technical issues, please first contact Technical Support. If you are still having issues after contacting Technical Support, please email Melissa Blum with the Incident Number you received from working with Technical Support. You must have an Incident Number for Melissa to be able to help.
Other information about MyLab:
- MyLab is an interactive, online homework system. The assignments follow the lecture topics.
- Questions are algorithmically generated to give each student their own random versions of the questions.
- After entering an incorrect answer, students are given helpful feedback and hints. Most exercises will also include learning aids, such as guided solutions and sample problems.
- You have three attempts to get an answer correct. If you use all three attempts, you will be told the correct answer and given a new, random version of the same problem. There is no limit to the number of versions of a particular problem you can be given. So you are strongly encouraged to work on a problem until you get the correct answer. There is no penalty for the number of attempts taken.
Course Description
Your grade is based off a weighted average of your scores from homework, quizzes, midterm exams, a final exam, and possibly other assessments. See the syllabus in your Canvas site for details.
Final letter grades:
Your final letter grade in the course is determined at the end of the semester. The meanings of the letter grades in Math 135 are related to the probable success of the student in Math 136.
- Grades of A or B: The student is well prepared for Math 136.
- Grade of C: The student can probably succeed in Math 136, but they will have to work harder in Math 136 than they did in Math 135.
- Grade of D: Although the student is allowed to take Math 136, the chance of success is quite small. In any case, the student should review the material from Math 135 before proceeding to Math 136.
- Grade of F: The student has not shown satisfactory mastery of the material in Math 135. The student is not allowed to take any course which requires Math 135 as a prerequisite.
These proficiency standards indicate how the Math Department converts numerical scores to letter grades. There is neither a predetermined proportion nor a quota of A's, B's, C's, or any other grade. For instance, if every Math 135 student demonstrates sufficient proficiency to be well-prepared for Math 136 at the end of the semester, then it is really true that every student will get A or B. In particular, Math 135 students are not competing with each other for grades. They are competing only with themselves to master the material as well as they possibly can. Letter grades are a reflection of the quality of work the individual student has produced. In particular, please note that there is no "standard" set of cutoffs for letter grades. Many students mistakenly believe that 90% = A, 80% = B, 70% = C, and so on. This is a myth. Letter to number correspondences are determined at the end of the semester and will most likely not match any preconceived set of cutoffs.
Important: These meanings of the various letter grades also correspond to the proficiency standards for the various majors that require Math 135, such as business, economics, biological sciences, pharmacy, etc.
Academic integrity:
All students are expected to abide by the Rutgers Academic Integrity Policy. In particular, all work that a student hands in must be their own work. For homework, you may generally use any resource, but you must do the work yourself. For quizzes and exams, your professor and the coordinator will give you a precise list of allowed and banned resources. While we encourage collaboration with other students on the homework, no collaboration of any kind is allowed on quizzes and exams.
Special accommodations:
Students with disabilities requesting accommodations must follow the procedures outlined by the Office of Disability Services.
Missing exams:
- If you must miss an exam, then you must notify your instructor by email before the exam if at all possible. You must provide a valid excuse, which generally must be accompanied by documentation from a doctor or official documentation that you are participating in a Rutgers-approved activity.
- Instructors must make accommodations if an exam conflicts with religious observance. Students must follow their instructor's policy regarding credit for midterm exams that are missed because of a valid excuse.
- No credit will be allowed for any exam that is missed without a valid excuse.
Course Curriculum
Lecture topics:
Math 135 covers the following sections in the textbook. These sections may be covered in a different order in your lecture. See your Canvas site for details. (Section 3.6 is optional and, by the discretion of the course coordinator, may be omitted in certain semesters if time does not permit.)
| SECTIONS | DESCRIPTION |
|---|
| 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 7.2, App. B |
Precalculus review:
algebra review, functions, graphs, domains, compositions, difference quotients, nonlinear inequalities, graphs of exp/log, expressions and equations with exp/log, exponential growth and decay, trig review, special trig values, equations with trig, setting up optimization problems |
| 2.1, 2.2 |
informal definition of limit, rules for limits, one-sided limits |
| 2.3 |
techniques for computing limits |
| 2.4 |
infinite limits, vertical asymptotes |
| 2.5 |
limits at infinity, horizontal asymptotes |
| 2.6 |
continuity (no intermediate value theorem) |
| 3.1, 3.2 |
definition of the derivative, equation of the tangent line, equation of the normal line |
| 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.9 |
derivative rules: power, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, product, quotient |
| 3.7 |
chain rule |
| 3.6 |
(optional) derivatives as rate of change, position and velocity, chain rule word problems |
| 3.8 |
implicit differentiation, logarithmic differentiation |
| 3.11 |
related rates and applications |
| 4.1 |
maxima and minima, extreme value theorem |
| 4.3 |
intervals of increase, intervals of concavity, inflection points |
| 4.4 |
graphing functions |
| 4.5 |
applied optimization |
| 4.6 |
linear approximation, marginal analysis |
| 4.7 |
L'Hopitals's rule |
| 4.9 |
antiderivatives, initial value problems |
| 5.1, 5.2 |
Riemann sums, the integral, geometry of the integral, properties of the integral |
| 5.3 |
fundamental theorem of calculus |
| 5.5 |
substitution rule for integrals |
Learning goals:
Your success in Math 135 is based on your demonstrated mastery of a set of precise learning goals. Each lecture topic above has an associated set of learning goals and textbook exercises. A full list of these learning goals and exercises can be found in the "All Sections" Canvas site for this course.
Learning Resources
The vast majority of learning resources will be made available to you via your Canvas course site. These resources include worksheets (with full solutions), sample exams (full solutions), study guides, lecture notes, and lecture recordings. Other resources outside of your Canvas site include the following:
- Office Hours
Lecturers will hold regular office hours each week. Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to ask questions and to get to know their teachers.
- Rutgers Learning Centers (Study Groups)
Study groups are weekly small group meetings where students will work with a Learning Assistant on practice problems in a small group setting. Students in math study groups also learn how to create individualized study plans and learn skills to maximize their math learning. Space is limited, so register early using the link above.
- Rutgers Learning Centers (Tutoring)
The learning centers offer tutoring in many mathematics classes, including 135. The tutoring is provided by undergraduate peer tutors.
- One-on-One Tutoring by the SAS Honors Program
Tutoring usually begins in the 3rd week of the current semester.
Mental Health Resources
College is a very stressful time for many of you, and not everyone has a good support system. Unfortunately, a lot of new students also often do not know the resources available to them. Many of you will also cope by self-medicating, usually with alcohol. If you are looking for support, you can check the many resources at Rutgers Student Health. You should particularly use these services if you are seeking counseling or if you are concerned about your drinking or substance abuse (or that of a friend).
If you need emergency support, call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.
You can also tell your professor if you are having difficulty, and they can help you find the proper support. Above all, please let someone know if you are in crisis.
Note: Anything you tell your professor will generally be kept in confidence. Please be aware though that all Rutgers employees (other than those designated as confidential resources such as advocates, counselors, clergy, or healthcare providers) are obligated to report information about discrimination and harassment to the university. This means that if you tell a faculty member about a situation of sexual harassment or sexual violence, or other related misconduct, the faculty member must share that information with the university's Title IX Coordinator. If you wish to speak to a confidential employee who does not have this reporting responsibility, you can find a list of resources here (see Appendix A).
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