Resources

This page hosts links to academic resources, MUSA links, math departmental info, and other organizations which may be of interest to you.

Academic Resources

• The Student Learning Center offers free tutoring in all lower division math courses and the core upper division math courses, as well as some stats courses. See their website for drop-in times, the topic review calendar, and other info.

• The math department and Tau Beta Pi both host exam banks with past midterms and finals for many courses. MUSA also has a collection of exam cheat sheets.

• Tutors can input their information here, and people who want tutoring can input information here.
  Tutor information can be viewed here, and the information of people who want tutoring can be viewed here.
  We will clear the responses at the end of each semester to prevent temporal confusion. Please note that it's up to you to connect with people on these spreadsheets.

• UChicago has a page on preparing for the GRE exam, which is recommended for students applying to graduate school in math.

• MUSA is keeping a repository of sample graduate school applications generously submitted by current Berkeley grad students. If you know any grad students who might be willing to submit their essays, please send them our way - thank you!

• The annual Putnam exam is the preeminent math competition for undergraduates in the US and Canada, and takes place on the first Saturday of December. For general information see the MAA page. Berkeley offers a 191 course every fall that is a seminar on Putnam preparation; the link to sign up is often found on the course website. There is also a past Putnam exam archive.

• The math department holds five distinguished lecture series each year. MUSA also holds the Pauline Sperry Lecture annually.

• Want to learn some math? Keith Conrad has a page with helpful expository articles on a variety of mathematical topics. Additionally, the AMS has Open Math Notes which are freely downloadable.

• MUSA runs two math classes. MUSA 74: Transition to Upper Division Mathematics is intended for students who have no familiarity with writing proofs, and arent sure if theyre prepared enough for upper-division classes. MUSA 174: Introduction to Category Theory is an opportunity for advanced undergraduates to learn about Category Theory in a dedicated space.

REU and Career Resources

• This brochure from SIAM provides an overview of career opportunities available to applied mathematicians, including paths in industry, government, and academia.

• Internships are a great way to gain experience in applied math. The SIAM internships page lists lots of opportunities in industry and research.

• The AMS page on what mathematicians do explains the diverse careers available to mathematicians, including roles in finance, technology, research, and academia.

• Using math to make a difference is more than just an idea. This Math Stack Exchange discussion dives into how mathematical skills can be applied to real-world problems.

• Wondering about job prospects? The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides details on salaries, employment trends, and industry demand for mathematicians.

• A Mathematician’s Survival Guide by Steven Krantz breaks down what to expect and how to succeed with early-career decisions.

• In Three Things, Ravi Vakil shares his top advice for getting things out of math talks. His Advice for Potential Students offers general guidance on coursework and research.

• A well-formatted CV makes a strong impression! This LaTeX CV and Cover Letter Template could help you create a polished application.

• Navigating REU applications can be tricky. Lena Ji’s tips for applying are a great resource to explore what the REU experience has been like from someone experienced.

• Zengrui Han’s SOP Guide and Berkeley's career center guide provide expert advice on structuring a strong statement of purpose for REU and graduate school applications.

• Searching for REUs? The Math REU List and the REU finder are great places to start.

• MUSA is keeping a repository of sample graduate school applications generously submitted by current Berkeley grad students. If you know any grad students who might be willing to submit their essays, please send them our way - thank you!

Schedule Planning

• Heard about our interactive course map?

• Degree requirements for the math major are found on the math department website.

• Staff advisors can help you with major requirements, department policies, declaring the major, and other bureaucratic issues.
  Faculty Advisors counsel students on selection of electives, preparation for graduate courses, advice on self-study, and research. Faculty Advisors can approve courses which are not on the pre-approved list to satisfy an elective requirement.
  Peer Advisors are current Math and Applied Math majors who can provide some insight into the math major experience.

• Lists of this semester's courses are on the math department website and classes.berkeley.edu. There is also a comprehensive course catalog and grade distributions can be found at BerkeleyTime.

MUSA Resources

• The MUSA linktree has links to join our weekly newsletter and our discord, information about MUSA decals, an anonymous feedback form, and other useful links.

• MUSA's Professional Resource Guide has course advice, interview prep tips, and other resources for careers in applied math!

• We are collecting our members' resumes to better serve as a liaison between math undergraduates and the professional world! If you are interested in having your resume shared with companies who sponsor us, please upload them to our Resume Drop Form.

• We are accepting pre-orders for our merch, so if you want to make sure a hoodie or shirt is set aside for you, fill out this preorder form and your order will be added to the next batch of merch. Note that right now, this will likely be significantly slower than purchasing a non-pre-ordered hoodie.

• Say hi to our executive officers! Schedule a meeting with our President or Vice President.

• LaTeX is a typesetting system used broadly in the sciences, and most upper-divs recommend do your homework using it. The slides from our Fall 2023 LaTeX workshop and other LaTeX resources are on our academic page. We typically have a LaTeX workshop every semester and occasionally host an advanced LaTeX workshop.

• Check out the slides from MUSA's first Spring 2024 general meeting!

Department Resources

• The Math Department has an EdStem page and a mailing list. Links to both can be found on the MUSA linktree.

• The Math Departmental Calendar has a list of upcoming talks, and the Math Seminars page has a schedule of this semester's graduate seminars.

• Liza Jacoby, a graduate student representative on the equity and inclusion committee, has weekly office hours Wednesdays, 9:00 AM–11:00AM at Evans 1057. This is a safe and confidential space to talk about experiences and bring up issues to the department.

• Evans room reservations can be made here. You can also check room availability at 25live.

• If you're interested in attending graduate seminars, here is the Math 290 Seminar Schedule.

• Other math departmental resources may be found on the math department's resources page.

Other Organizations

• A full list of organizations we are affiliated with can be found on our friends page. Organizations popular among our members are Berkeley Math Tournament (BMT), CalTeach, and Gender Equity in Mathematics (GEM).

• MUSA keeps a Student Resources document which has general campus organizations, transfer student resources, community serving organizations, and mental health resources. It has a lot of useful info - we recommend you check it out!

• Here is UC Berkeley's support portal.

• Berkeley students can access support through CARE, which provides resources for those affected by sexual violence and harassment. OPHD also offers guidance and reporting options.

If you run into any problems with the links on this page or outdated info, please send us an email!