Typical REU structure and schedule

Weeks What happens?
1-2 Meetings every day Monday-Friday (switches to Mon-Wed-Fri in week 3)
Mornings:
Mentors introduce problems, background, HW exercises.
HW solution presentations by students start on 2nd day.
Afternoon:
TA-led sessions on HW and/or background topics.
3-4 Student 20-minute talks on papers, 2-3 per day.
HW solution presentations by students may continue.
Short research reports start.
5-6 Research happens! Short research reports continue.
7 REU report-writing and editing; drafts given to TAs for comments.
Short research reports continue.
8 Student 20-minute summary talks, 2-3 per day.
REU reports finalized and posted.
In weeks 1 and 2, each mentor's talk will feature at least 2-3 REU exercises that will help students in thinking about the topic and that they can present in a future morning session. Afternoon working sessions with TAs may reflect these exercises or augment areas left unsaid in the lectures.

Each morning session (after the first one) will begin with 2 presentations by students of an REU exercise. These presentations should last 10 minutes each. Every student should present at least one exercise in the two weeks, and you can email the next day's speaker in advance if you would like to present a problem.

Usually 7-8 different REU problems are presented during weeks 1 and 2, one per day. During those first two weeks, students should consider which project paper they would like to present from in Weeks 3 and 4. These papers will be listed in the daily morning presentations, but also posted on the REU site.

In weeks 3 and 4, each student will give a 20 minute presentation on some part of a relevant background paper or source for one of the REU problems. In each case, these student talks should be given as a practice talk to an REU TA first.

The REU may also include some professional development workshops on various topics, such as
Here is some advice from former mentors, TAs and participants.

Back to Reiner's Home Page

The view and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author. The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by the University of Minnesota.