Show The Math j- j Program helps f A hopeless T lamara Tamara M. M 1 Wright Campus Reporter Picture this you are a senior at the U of U. U You have two majors majors majors ma ma- jors and you have done doneall doneall all your course work I have all of your generals generals gener gener- genera a als and credits for your majors and have done the course work for a aI I minor in philosophy but you cant can't graduate because you cant can't get past Algebra 1010 You have taken it three times and you have withdrawn I twice when you realized it was too much and andI I the last time you failed Finally when you have just about done all you can d do but you are running out of student loans you realize that it itis itis is time to go back to the very beginning and learn it at community college You are a traditional non-traditional student When you first started in the be beginning inning 1 n n n n onno on w w to get your feet wet wet you you were in your late thirties you started at Salt Lake Community College but because all you had to do was transfer and not test out to the U of ofU U to move on to the classes more suited to tOI your maj major you fell into the cracks When you come back to you test out with a junior high school level math ability This is just one story my story but it happens to many other people out Ut Working in my own field of Psychology Psychology Psychology I can be hired because I have eight years of college and all the credits but math In talking to mental health care professionals profession profession- als social workers and caseworkers in related fields I find that many have had problems in the same area Some even avoid going to the University University University Uni Uni- of Utah and other programs and are going to other colleges because because because be be- cause they are trying to avoid the math required to graduate with a BS atthe atthe at atthe the University of Utah Most of this stems from the fear of math because people have had hada a rough time in school trying to learn it People People People Peo Peo- eventually just give up taking consumer math as seniors in high school learning how to write checks and balance balance balance bal bal- ance a checkbook for math credits to ate For adult students with jobs and families math homework is challenging challenging challenging chal chal- to complete For people like myself it is even more challenging ing as well as ing However the last two semesters n I tried n something different The MATH math class is the last developmental developmental developmental develop develop- mental class you take before moving into College College College Col Col- lege Algebra 1010 It is considered the hump class This semester I have hYt managed to even eveni i get get As A's X s 's on on n some of r my tests I am finally starting to understand math Much of it had to do with the instructor tor Nancy Nancy is originally from New York State and has been teaching math s since nce 1969 She loves teaching math and she is one of the only teachers that I have ever met that cared enough to say if you ever have havea a problem you can call me at home if you dont don't understand a math problem or section in inthe inthe inthe the book The way that Nancy teaches comes from years of experience and she understands the people she is teaching Prim Primarily rily this consists of older folks that have to come to class at night because they have a aday aday aday day time job Also she knows that the people she is teaching are adults that have always have problems with math for formost formost formost most of their lives Nancy Nancy Nancy Nan Nan- cy teaches evenings at atthe atthe atthe the South City Campus Along with having Nancy who was a godsend godsend godsend god god- send the Focused Tutoring Tutoring Tutoring Tu Tu- Program run by Jennifer Fasy who coordinates coordinates coordinates co co- ordinates the program is very helpful to people struggling with algebra The program sets you up with a free tutor who you youcan youcan youcan can meet once a week to discuss problems you may have with your math for two u. u hours u. u This is a wonderful asset assetto to students and it costs nothing which helps most impoverished stu stu- dents You just have to take an orientation class and fill out an application application tion and get it to Jennifer Fasy Dont Don't let the math demons get you down if you find yourself in tears because you just dont don't understand your math problems there is help out there and it makes all the difference difference difference differ differ- ence in the world programs can help you to understand and not fear math anymore |