Something not adding up? Maths Mentors Noah and Viv share their advice for study success
Not quite sure about the maths in your unit work or upcoming end-of-unit assessments or exams? Join one of our Math Mentor drop-in sessions online or on campus at the available times and days with no appointment needed.
To give you a taste, we’ve asked two of our Maths Mentors, Noah and Viv, to share some common problems they’ve seen students encountering and offer some advice.
Noah and Viv are both studying at the Deakin Waurn Ponds Campus. Noah is currently doing a Bachelor of Science, with a Chemistry Major sequence, and Viv is majoring in Sports Nutrition as part of the Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science. You’ll find them both at our Waurn Ponds campus drop-in and online.
Overcoming common problems
‘Interestingly,’ Viv says, ‘the most common obstacle I’ve come across is to do with comprehension and understanding what skills and information the maths question requires. In units such as chemistry and assessments like the LANTITE test, oftentimes the questions are presented as worded problems, and sometimes it can overwhelm you with too much information. For these questions, I take a three-step approach:
- Firstly, what is the question asking me to do? What is the end goal?
- What formula/approach can I apply to this question?
- What information/values from the question do I need, and are there any I need to calculate first?
Having a thought-process helps me feel less overwhelmed and gives me a starting point to approach the question.’
Noah adds, ‘We 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’. To help, he recommends self-registering for the Foundation Maths Program.
Foundations Maths Program
Viv explains, ‘the Foundation Maths Program is a program designed to help students cover all bases for numeracy. It’s a self-paced module that encompasses topics such as basic algebra, statistics, probability, geometry and trigonometry. The Maths Mentors have also started running sessions focused on the Foundation Maths Program, which have been really beneficial for students – especially if you haven’t done mathematics in a while’.
Furthermore, Noah says, ‘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’.
Maths Mentor top tips
We also asked our mentors to share their three top pieces of advice if you get stuck on a maths problem.
Noah’s top tips
- 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.
- 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.
Viv’s top tips
- Do practise questions! This is the best way of applying your knowledge, and usually when you do practise questions in the modules of your unit there will be feedback provided.
- Watch YouTube videos on the same topic/similar type of question. Even as a Maths Mentor, I love opening up YouTube videos and watching them with the student – you can pause/play as you need and apply the method/formula to your own question one step at a time.
- Know that there are heaps of resources to support you – you don’t have to struggle on your own. Speak to your unit chairs, tutors, drop-in to a Maths Mentor session. As a student myself, I know how hard maths can be and there’s always support if and when you need it.
Maths Mentor sessions
Get in touch today!
If you want to chat to a Maths Mentor, like Noah or Viv, 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.