Members of our society who come from minority groups are asking that we tell them about the achievements of those in their ancestral culture, and not pretend that all worthy achievements have been made by Western culture. One derivative advantage of studying the mathematics of other cultures is that it is necessary also to study the cultures themselves, and to learn some attendant history and geography. Considering how little some contemporary students know of history, geography, or non-Western cultures, I believe this study is an important contribution to their overall education. In short, I believe this course will be a very rich experience for students who are required to fulfill a requirement in mathematics even though their main interests lie elsewhere. It has an enormous cultural content, while at the same time dealing with important mathematical ideas.
Homework is an integral part of any mathematics class.
It provides the framework for a student to truly master the material. Often a subject will be introduced in class, but it is by studying the text and working out the problems that students master the material. Your textbook is an integral part of your mathematics course and you must read the material which proceeds an exercise section. Feel free to come and ask the instructor for help or go to a tutor. If you are still stuck, just go to a different type of problem.