Quant Bootcamp | AggieQuant

Open Sessions Core Ramp Problem Nights

Make the rest of AggieQuant easier to enter

Bootcamp is not a separate course hiding in the corner. It is the shared vocabulary for new members, the easiest way to turn events into useful reps, and the handoff into pods, interview prep, and stronger applications.

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01// HOW_TO_USE_THIS

The split is about intensity, not belonging. Open sessions help anyone get started. Core ramp adds project ownership, screening, and more direct feedback once members want a higher-commitment track.

OPEN_SESSIONS

General Body on-ramp

Use the modules to learn language, meet people, and find the work that feels real before deciding whether Core is right.

Attend the open session or read the recap.
Try the problems without worrying about perfection.
Leave with a question, a note, or a tiny artifact.

CORE_RAMP

Core Program ramp

Use the same topics as a baseline, then add pod matching, mock interviews, project feedback, and track-specific expectations.

Bring a notebook, repo, write-up, or practice log.
Turn one module into a pod contribution or interview rep.
Write down what confused you and what you tried next.

02// MODULE_SEQUENCE

Run it in order when the semester is calm. Pull individual modules into events when the calendar gets crowded. The rhythm matters more than the exact dates: concept, rep, artifact, next action.

Module 01

What quant firms do

Role map for traders, researchers, developers, market makers, hedge funds, and prop shops.

Rep: classify five firms by role mix and interview emphasis.
Output: two firms to research and one track to test.

Module 02

Expected value and probability

EV, conditional probability, Bayes intuition, and explanation quality under time pressure.

Rep: five timed probability problems plus verbal explanations.
Output: one corrected solution log.

Module 03

Market-making games

Bid, ask, spread, fair value, inventory, adverse selection, and risk language.

Rep: quote simple games and explain when your quote should move.
Output: one post-game mistake note.

Module 04

Python for market data

Load a dataset, clean dates, compute rolling stats, and make a chart that survives rerun.

Rep: reproduce a small notebook from a clean first-run path.
Output: notebook link or screenshot plus one limitation.

Module 05

Order books and microstructure

Order types, queues, liquidity, spread capture, inventory skew, and why fills can be misleading.

Rep: walk through a toy order book and predict fill outcomes.
Output: one microstructure question for a pod or speaker.

Module 06

Options and volatility

Payoffs, Greeks, implied volatility, skew, and why a model is a tool rather than a verdict.

Rep: explain one options position with payoff and Greek intuition.
Output: a one-page options note or starter notebook.

Module 07

Backtesting and research hygiene

Baselines, leakage, train/test splits, transaction costs, and honest failure notes.

Rep: critique a toy strategy before improving it.
Output: one research memo section titled "what could be wrong."

Module 08

Systems and data infrastructure

APIs, data contracts, reproducibility, runtime tradeoffs, and why reliability is a quant skill.

Rep: inspect a starter repo and identify the first fragile assumption.
Output: one README or setup improvement.

Module 09

Interview reps

Timed reasoning, coding/systems depth, role-specific stories, and how to explain unfinished work.

Rep: one mock problem and one project explanation.
Output: revised resume bullet or project talking point.

Module 10

Project demo prep

Turn scattered learning into a small artifact: notebook, memo, simulator, cleaned dataset, or talk.

Rep: present one question, one result, one failure, and one next step.
Output: pod demo draft or personal artifact outline.

03// RUN_THE_LOOP

PROBLEM_NIGHT

45 minute weekly reps

Keep the format small enough to run even when no speaker is available: five problems, timed attempts, short explanations, and one optional leaderboard.

Rotate EV, probability, market-making, estimation, and coding tasks.
Publish solutions or notes after enough members have tried.

HELP_PATH

Office hours without ceremony

The help path can be lightweight: Discord thread, officer office hour, coffee chat, or pod lead review. The important thing is that stuck members know where the next question goes.

Use one weekly thread for questions and corrected solutions.
Route deeper project questions into pods or coffee chats.

04// WHAT_MEMBERS_KEEP

Bootcamp is useful only if members leave with evidence of progress. Recaps keep the next cohort from starting from zero and help officers repeat what worked.

MEMBER_OUTPUTS

What members should keep

Corrected probability or EV solution log.
One rerunnable notebook or tiny repo.
One market, options, systems, or research memo.
One resume bullet that names the actual work.

RECAP_STANDARD

What leadership should publish

What happened in the session.
Three takeaways or common mistakes.
Resources or solution notes.
The next action before the following event.

Keep it modular, social, and easy to reuse.

Once members have shared language and a few reps, guides, pods, speaker events, and recruiting prep become much less mysterious.