Welcome to Spring 2016! I love this time of year because it’s a chance to start with a clean slate and begin anew. It’s time to put past experiences behind us and look to the future.
As a remedial math instructor, many of the students I see have a history of math that is filled with negative experiences. One student I had was on his fourth attempt (he made it!). Many have gaps in their understanding that go back years and are no longer motivated to put time and energy into learning a subject that seems impractical and only causes more frustration.
But, I also get to see students who overtime, overcome negative feelings about math and see how practical and necessary it is. After all, to be an intelligent consumer and a worker who can make valuable contributions, you need to understand math. You may not need to factor to receive your paycheck, but you do need some basic math competency to do your job, even your occupation doesn’t require much math, like a massage therapist or psychologist.
And there are always a few students every semester that begin to enjoy and appreciate math. I’ll never forget the day I bumped into a student at the assessment center. I had had her as a student not too many semesters ago in a remedial math course, and here she was taking a Calculus II exam. She told me that something just changed about the way she viewed math and she was hooked.
It’s important to see this new year and new semester as an opportunity for a new beginning. Remember, “today is day one.” Think about what you’d like to accomplish by the end of the semester and start working towards that today. It may require consistent hard work, and there will be days when you’ll feel overwhelmed and not able to stay on track. Keep pushing through and keep trying.
My goal is to help you see the beauty and benefit in math, and help you conquer any cynical views toward it. I also try to help minimize obstacles that are in the way of you becoming a successful student.
I wish you a wonderful semester full of learning adventures and opportunities for growth.
