Something not adding up? Maths Mentor Noah shares his advice for study success
Not quite sure about the maths in your unit work and assessments?
Noah is a Maths Mentor who is studying a Bachelor of Science and would like to go into research and development for pharmaceuticals.
He says the reason he became a Maths Mentor was, ‘I wanted to help others that may struggle with mathematical concepts that I have been lucky enough to understand throughout my education. I aim to help people achieve better scores and better understand topics which I have a knowledge of. Being able to use my own knowledge to increase the confidence of others is a rewarding experience, so helping someone achieve their goals is something I look forward to every day.’
We asked Noah to share some common problems he’s seen students encountering and what advice he offers.
Learn the fundamentals
‘I often see students that find difficulty with the fundamental concepts involved in their coursework, which then makes it difficult to continue and build on these concepts later in the unit.’
Foundation Maths Program
To help, Noah recommends, ‘the Foundation Maths Program is a self-registered unit that allows access to many different mathematic concepts that will be beneficial for success in your course. The modules present in the program will ensure you have the basic foundational knowledge needed, before tackling the required coursework concepts. Working through the modules will not only give you a better ground state to work from but will also be helpful in remembering concepts and ideas that you may have not learnt or haven’t used in a while.’
One of my favourite things about mentoring is the ‘lightbulb’ moment, in which a student wraps their head around a difficult topic. That moment knowing that you were able to assist them in finding out the answer for themselves is something that I look forward to in each student.
Build your confidence
‘Another problem I find,’ Noah continues, ‘is that students have no confidence in their understanding of the topic’.
If this is something you’ve experienced, Noah suggests you try the following:
- ‘Simply talking through the topic and having the student explain it, can often trigger the student to realise that they understand the topic better than they think.’
- ‘As mentors, we see many students from the same units come in with questions about a topic. A major confidence booster for a student is reassuring them that they are not the only one struggling with a certain concept.’
- ‘Making students aware that it is natural to have doubts and questions regarding their unit content is a major factor in giving confidence to every student that we assist.’
- ‘Gaining clarity surrounding concepts that may appear difficult at first is beneficial in your overall study load, as working through weekly content becomes less intimidating. Taking the necessary steps to better your understanding of a topic is rewarding and helps you to feel better about a topic. Feeling as though you are trying to better yourself will in turn create more confidence about each concept, allowing you to apply them in a range of scenarios.’
Maths Mentor sessions
If you need help with that, ‘Students are encouraged to drop in for a Maths Mentor session for any mathematical issues they struggle with. The Maths Mentors program aims to give clarity for any unit and study level, by employing mentors from all disciplines and backgrounds. These is no specific preparation needed to drop in to a session, although bringing practice questions or problems that you are struggling with will help you to get the most out of your session with our mentors’.
Get in touch today!
If you want to chat to a Maths Mentor, like Noah, about your maths concerns, attend one of our online or on-campus drop-ins! You don’t need an appointment, just bring your maths questions. You can share your screen, talk or text with the mentor. You can also get in touch via email and access all the useful resources on the Maths Mentors website at any time.
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