Freshmen at Virginia Tech choose from a wide variety of courses and subjects, but one common experience is taking a math course at the Math Emporium.
The Curriculum for a Liberal Education requires freshmen pass six credits of math. The common courses include Math 1015 and 1016, elementary calculus.
However, these math classes are taught in a different form than most high school courses.
All class materials are online, administered by computer.
Students can read lessons and do example problems on their computers from anywhere, but must report to the Emporium to complete quizzes and exams.
All graded work is on a schedule of deadlines. Students must report to the Emporium to take the quizzes or proctored exams before each deadline.
The Emporium is not on campus. It is located in the University Mall, on University City Boulevard.
It can be reached via the University Mall Shuttle/Math Emporium Blacksburg Transit. The bus picks up at many points across campus, but its main campus time check is in front of Burruss Hall.
The bus is often crowded around Emporium exam deadlines. Tom's Creek B also drops students off near the Emporium. It drops off on University City Boulevard across the parking lot from the Emporium.
Entrance the Emporium requires a Hokie Passport. Students must check in and out with the front desk, where they will be assigned a computer.
Class times listed on schedules are used only once, where students meet the instructor and are given a tutorial on the Emporium.
It is possible students will not even see the instructor again. Graduate students answer most questions, if students put a red cup on the top of their computers to indicate they need assistance.
Instructors are available for appointments with students and hold office hours in the Emporium. Students may also sign up for individual tutoring.
Certain math classes are taught in a regular classroom setting, however freshmen seeking to simply fulfill the CLE requirements should not expect a classroom math class.