Build confidence in your maths abilities with Maths Mentors
Not quite sure about the maths in your unit work or upcoming assessments? Join one of our Math Mentor drop-in sessions online or on campus at the available times and days with no appointment needed.
Maths Mentors will be available during the upcoming intra-trimester break until the end of the Trimester 1 Study Period.
To give you a taste, we’ve asked our Maths Mentors to share some common problems they’ve seen students encountering and offer some advice.
Overcoming common problems
‘The most common problems students have are confidence issues,’ says Daniel, ‘a lot of students… will have a very good idea of what they are meant to be doing, but will just mess up one step in a question because they are not confident about their answer. Then solving the whole problem goes wrong’.
If you’re doubting yourself or feel like you need to regain your confidence in your mathematical ability, don’t be shy about it. Attend one of our sessions and talk it over with a Maths Mentor as they will understand your concerns.
‘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.
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.
Daniel’s top tips
- Get started early. Whether it’s assessments or exam preparation, the sooner you start, the sooner you can detect the things that don’t quite make sense and still have enough time to seek help or clarification.
- Setting regular revision times throughout the week, such as 10–15 minutes every third night, is much more effective than looking at the content once after six weeks have gone by. Save yourself the trouble of having to relearn everything once exams roll around.
Practice makes perfect, as they say! Sustained repetition is a great way to start building your confidence with any subject and improving your problem-solving skills.
Maths Mentor sessions
Get in touch today!
If you want to chat to a Maths Mentor, attend one of our online drop-ins or visit us on campus at Waurn Ponds or Burwood! You don’t need an appointment, just bring your maths questions. You can also get in touch by email and access all the useful resources on the Maths Mentors website at any time.