εpsilon talk

Musings on math and education. Made with love by the Washington Student Math Association.

A Day in the Life of a Math Camper

If you’re considering signing up for a math camp program then this post may be helpful!

We’re going to be walking through a typical day in math camp to give you an idea of what it’s like and if it would be worth your time. Before we get started it’s important to note that different programs adhere to different schedules; daily life is different based on what math camp you’re going to! The schedule we will be walking through is based off of the experiences of a camper who attended PROMYS at Boston University.

On weekdays, the day starts bright and early in the morning with an hour long lecture on number theory. The lectures generally are led by college professors who specialize in mathematics and are aimed at teaching the students to think creatively.

After the lecture, campers are given a problem set related to the lecture material. The set usually consists of 14-20 problems and students are free to do whatever they want for the rest of the day after they finish the set. Campers will generally spend 5-10 hours on these sets and enjoy their well-earned free time afterwards. There are also midterms and finals included in the course and test corrections on these assessments are mandatory.

On weekends, campers are given more time to explore the city and participate in fun activities. On Saturdays, campers have the option to play sports like volleyball, basketball, and soccer; watch movies; and play board games.

Additionally, optional field trips to local attractions are generally offered on Sundays.

Overall, math camp is a great opportunity to build new connections and make new friends with people who share the same passion for math as you.

For more information on math-related summer programs for kids of all ages head over to our list of programs.