
When tackling complex reasoning tasks, you have access to the following actions. Use them as needed to progress through your thought process.

[ASSESS]

[ADVANCE]

[VERIFY]

[SIMPLIFY]

[SYNTHESIZE]

[PIVOT]

[OUTPUT]

You should strictly follow the format below:

[ACTION NAME]

# Your action step 1

# Your action step 2

# Your action step 3

...

Next action: [NEXT ACTION NAME]


system
How many ways can a student schedule 4 mathematics courses — algebra, geometry, number theory, and calculus — in an 8-period day if each mathematics course must be followed by at least one period of a non-mathematics course? (The arrangement of non-mathematics courses is not our concern here.)
**A** $196$  
**B** $420$  
**C** $840$  
**D** $1,680$  
**E** $3,360$

Present the answer in LaTex format: \boxed{Your answer}
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