Collegian Online Edition

Math different, advisers report

In Subtract Fear, Multiply Confidence, two academic advisers stressed how different math is from other subjects.

“ What you use in the first step, you use all the way up,” Richard Vela, NE adviser, said.

“ You cannot skim through the chapters in math; you must read and do all homework,” he said. “If you don’t use math everyday, you will lose it.”

The biggest mistake that high school students make is not taking math their senior year, Vela said.

Carolina Saleh told students that attitude toward math can also change the way they perform in the subject.

“ Math feelings can be carried from grade school all the way up to college,” she said.

“ Do not be afraid of math,” she added.

Students need I Can and I Will attitudes when taking math, Saleh said.

“ It is good to talk to yourself, because you hear yourself,” she said.

The seminar also covered some tips for studying math.

Vela and Saleh advised students to keep up, review all notes before and after class, take good notes by putting everything from the board on paper, read the entire test before starting it and get a study friend.

“ If you don’t understand something, ask for help,” she said.

Vela said preparing for math tests can also be very stressful.

“ Do the homework when it is assigned. You cannot hope to cram three to four weeks’ worth of learning into a couple of days of study,” he said.

The advisers suggested asking the instructor questions as they arise and not waiting until a day or two before a test.

“ The questions students ask right before a test should be to clear up minor details,” Saleh said.

Vela added, “Math is like a marathon runner. You need to practice.”