Day at math summer program for gifted middle school students

Days at MathPath differ a bit from year to year – but rarely by more than 10-15 minutes – to fit in with the schedule of the host institution and distances between buildings. Typically a day begins with wake-up between 7-7:30 am and ends with bedtime around 10 pm. Do not apply to MathPath if you can't go to bed by 10 pm. Lights are out around that time. Academic activities take place Tuesday through Saturday.

Below is the schedule for the first week of MathPath 2018 on Tuesday-Friday, and then on Saturday. Other weeks may differ slightly because the plenaries will be held in other locations, a different distance from the dining hall and from the classrooms

6:00-7:20 am: Optional Activities for early risers, supervised by staff: Working on the Problem of the (previous) Day, thinking about other problems from yesterday or your original ideas, jogging around the campus, playing chess or table tennis, etc.

7:00 am: Wake-up call

7:05 am: Last wake-up call

7:20–7:30 am: Walk to breakfast in counselor groups

7:30–8:25 am: Breakfast in Fields Dining Hall in the Templeton Campus Center, 3rd Level

8:25 am: Walk to the lecture hall (the Council Chambers, Templeton Campus Center, 2nd Level)

8:30–9:20 am: First Plenary Session (class for the whole camp). History of mathematics. For a listing of all the 2018 plenaries at all the different hours, click here.

9:20–9:30 am: Walk to our classroom building (J. R. Howard Hall)

9:30–10:35 am: Morning Breakout Sessions – Several (usually 6) weeklong classes run simultaneously on various topics (5 days, 65 minutes each day). Students get to rank their choices and usually get their first or second choice. For information on all the breakouts in 2018, both morning and afternoon, start by clicking here. It is a good walk from most of our lecture hall settings to the breakout classrooms, so we need to move along quickly.

10:35 am: Walk to the lecture hall (the Council Chambers, Templeton Campus Center, 2nd Level)

10:45–11:45 am: Second Plenary Session . Often a distinguished visiting speaker. Typically a 50-minute presentation with 10 minutes for questions. All sorts of interesting mathematical topics are covered.

11:45 am: Problem of the Day. Presentation of the new problem of the day.

11:55: Morning announcements.

12:10–1:00 pm Lunch.

1:00–2:25: Afternoon Free Time. Work on problems, play board games, play sports, etc. The afternoon free time will generally be leisurely and relaxing. For more about how free time can be spent, see our MathPath Recreation Philosophy.

2:25 am: Walk to the lecture hall (the Council Chambers, Templeton Campus Center, 2nd Level)

2:35–3:05 pm: Writing in mathematics. Discussion of the Qualifying Test problem solutions, as a vehicle to talk about mathematical proof and good communication style.

3:05–3:15 am: Walk to our classroom building (J. R. Howard Hall)

3:15–4:35 pm: Afternoon Breakout sessions. A second, independent set of weeklong classes (4 days, 80 minutes each day).

4:35 am: Walk to the lecture hall (the Council Chambers, Templeton Campus Center, 2nd Level)

4:45 am: Problem of the Day. Back in the lecture hall for student solutions to yesterday's problem of the day, including a prize for a best solution.

5:00 pm: Wrap up – announcements.

5:15 am: Walk to dinner

5:20–6:00: Dinner (Templeton Campus Center; 3rd Level)

5:50 or during dinner: optional Phone Call Home time for overseas or East Coast/Central parents

Evenings are planned around the athletic and social needs of the students, followed by time for mathematics.

6:15–8:00 pm: Evening Free Time. Again see our Recreation Philosophy.

8:15–9:15 pm: Math Conferencing Time. Faculty for the week's breakouts, as well as counselors who assisted in the breakouts, make themselves available in the common rooms of the dorm and students can visit them to work on homework or the Problem of the Day, or ask general questions about their courses, or just talk math with staff or with each other. All students must attend Math Conferencing until at least 9:00.

9:00–9:15 pm: Transition time. Some students will finish conferencing and doing their homework early. They may use the extra time until 9:15 as free time, where they transition towards winding down. Some may play with friends, some may start getting ready early for bed. Counselors prepare for the coming dorm meetings. Under no circumstances may students be noisy or disrupt those who are still conferencing.

9:15 – 9:30 pm: Dorm meetings with counselors

9:30 pm: Campers preparing for bed and phone call home

10:00 pm: Lights out; quiet!

Saturdays follow the same morning schedule, but the afternoon is replaced by a show-and-tell back in the lecture hall around 1pm about the breakout selections for the coming week, followed by students submitting their choices, followed by some sort of games or contests, usually mathematical, organized by the counselors or the other staff.

These Saturday afternoon activities are a regular part of the MathPath program and students will not be excused from them to go off campus with parents or family friends.

Weekends – which will be Sunday and Monday – Trips to the various attractions in the area as well as nature trips, hiking, cycling, water sports, and the like. On Sundays there tend to be multiple trips, all optional, for which students sign up. Mondays tend to be all-camp trips.