Expectations from Participants

Although the program is designed to be fairly laid-back, we do have some general expectations from participants.

• The mentors and students have weekly meetings, where the mentors provide help and advice on the material covered. Each pair should meet for at least one hour each week. Specifics of these meetings are left up to the individual pairs.

• In between meetings, the students are expected to work at least four hours each week on their topic. This time should be spent reading texts, solving problems, and preparing for the next meeting.

• Near the end of the semester, the students are required to either give a 10-12 minute presentation or submit a 5-page write-up on their project topic. This presentation session will be attended by other students and their mentors. 

Note that the DRP is not an undergraduate research program. Nor will the students receive any course credit for their projects (this means no exams and no grades).

Benefits for Students

Students participating in the program

• Learn math in a laid-back and low-stakes environment

• Pursue a topic not covered in their curriculum

• Connect with a graduate student mentor

• Learn how to learn independently

• Develop oral communication skills in math

• Figure out if they are interested in majoring in math or going to graduate school in math