‘Heaps of resources to support you’: Maths Mentors can help you ace your final assessments
How confident do you feel when tackling maths in your coursework?
While it’s normal to feel a little nervous ahead of finishing your final assessments, if you’re struggling to make sense of mathematical concepts in a unit or maths just induces a general sense of dread – it’s OK! Deakin’s Maths Mentors have heard it all before and are trained to help you understand your unit materials.
Read on for their advice about how to complete your final T1 assessments, or attend an online session to receive help from one of our friendly Maths Mentors! Our Maths Mentors will be available until the end of the Trimester 1 study period.
Worried about your maths assessments?
Know you’re not alone! Don’t feel embarrassed if you don’t know the solution to a problem or you’re lacking in confidence. You’d be surprised how many students feel intimidated by maths subjects, and sometimes you might not even realise just how close you are to reaching the right answer to a problem before assuming it’s beyond your understanding.
‘The most common problems students have are confidence issues,’ says Senior Maths Mentor Daniel C.
‘A lot of students… will have a very good idea of what they are meant to be doing, but they 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 online drop-in sessions and talk it over with a Maths Mentor as they will understand your concerns.
Test yourself with our Foundation Maths Program
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 Viv says: ‘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.
‘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,’ adds fellow Maths Mentor Noah.
What should you do if you get stuck with maths?
‘Get started early,’ advises Daniel K. ‘Whether it’s assignments 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.’
Looking at other resources out there can also help.
‘Watch YouTube videos on the same topic/similar type of question,’ says Viv. ‘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.’
Want extra help? Talk to a Maths Mentor today!
If you’re deep in the throes of maths revision for an upcoming end-of-unit assessment or exam and something’s not making sense, don’t stress – Maths Mentors are available until the end of Week 12 (first week of the end-of-the-trimester study period).
Attend one of our online drop-in interactive sessions with a Maths Mentor today. You don’t need an appointment, just bring along any maths questions for personalised help. 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 Support Resource Centre at any time.