Day at math summer program for gifted middle school students

Days at MathPath differ a bit from year to year, to fit in with the schedule of the host institution. 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 at that time. Academic activities take place Tuesday through Saturday.

Below is the schedule for 2009 on Tuesday-Friday, and then on Saturday. For a downloadable one-page chart of the schedule in Word .doc form click here.

6:30-7:30 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 track, playing chess or ping pong, etc.

8:00 am: Breakfast

8:45 am: First Plenary Session (class for the whole camp). Usually history of mathematics. For a listing of all the 2009 plenaries at all the different hours, click here.

9:45 am: Morning Breakout Sessions - Several weeklong classes run simultaneously on various topics (5 days, 65 minutes each day). Students get to rank their choices and usually get their first choice. For more on the topics offered, including a list of the breakout topics for each week, click here.

11 am: Second Plenary Session - Often a distinguished visiting speaker, such as John Conway in the first week.

12:00 noon: Morning announcements. Return to dorms.

12:30: Lunch

1:00-2:45: Free time. Work on problems, or games, informal sports, sometimes swimming.

3:00 pm: Writing in mathematics - Discussion of the Qualifying Test problem solutions, as a vehicle to talk about mathematical proof and good communication style.

3:30 pm: Afternoon Breakout sessions - a second, independent set of weeklong classes (4 days, 80 minutes each day).

5:00 pm: Problem of the Day - Student solutions to yesterdayÕs problem of the day, including prize for best solution, and presentation of the new problem of the day.

5:15pm: Wrap up - announcements, head to dorm.

6:00-7:00 pm: Dinner

Evenings are planned around the athletic and social needs of the students.

9:30 pm: Dorm meetings with counselors

10:00 pm: Heading to bed!

Saturdays follow the same morning schedule, but the afternoon is replaced by a show-and-tell about the breakout selections for the coming week, followed by students submitting their choices, followed by some sort of math games or contests organized by the counselors.

Weekends - which will be Sunday and Monday - Trips to the various attractions in the area as well as nature trips, hiking, biking, kayaking, and the like.