One of Cal Poly’s hardest freshmen GE class is Calculus. As finals approach, Dormlife101 thought it would be nice to share some of the resources on campus to help students succeed
Cal Poly’s has a free math tutoring lab located in Building 38 Room 131.
Cal Poly Building 38 Room 131
Students often understand the mathematics, but find the memorizing aspect of it difficult, said graduate student and mathematics major Casey Kelleher who tutors at the lab.
A lot of students have trouble memorizing things and that’s becoming an impediment on how they perform on tests,” Kelleher said.
The professor only has time to convey things a few ways, but people have a lot of different ways of memorizing formulas and concepts, she said.
Student tutors look for the most effective ways to teach students who are having problems. The students who use the lab are usually freshmen or sophomores enrolled in Pre Calculus, Calculus I or Calculus II.
The pass rate varies from quarter to quarter, said Professor Don Rawlings, mathematics chair. In the fall quarter of 2011 the pass rate for Pre Calculus was 87.1 percent, Calculus I was 80.6 percent and Calculus II was 84.5 percent.
The mathematics department is not sure how having a free tutoring lab on campus influences the pass rates, he said.
Kelleher tries to help students overcome their problems by finding the perfect fit for memorization, a task which is not always easy, she said. She has students explain to her what concepts they are having trouble with or provide example problems, and then she tries different approaches until she finds one that clicks.
“It’s a lot of trial and error,” she said. “You have to come up with a lot of different ways to explain the same thing.”
However, once the tutor finds a method that works with the student, the student is usually able to grasp the concept, Kelleher said.
Matthew Gagne, senior mathematics major, who tutors is critical of the students’ study habits. Most students do not read the book, he said.
“One person came in without a book and was like, ‘I need help in calculus,’ ” he said.
Gagne usually tries to show students methods that are not in the book, in hopes that a new approach would work with them, he said
There is only one tutor per hour, but the only time that the lab is particularly crowded is around midterms, Gagne said.
Tutor Rebecca Weaver, senior mathematics major, went to the lab as a freshmen, and enjoys giving back to students and helping them, she said.
One student came into the lab after failing her first midterm, she said. After frequently going to the lab and receiving help from Weaver, she earned an A on her second midterm.
If the lab is not too crowded she usually tries to work with students one on one, unless they are in the same subject, she said. However, on days when it is more hectic, she does not get to spend as much time with students.
“Sometimes I just sit them all around me and jump around from person to person,” she said.
Julia Remnant, freshman architectural engineering major, has gone to the tutoring session a few times and was using it during dead week.
Remnant prefers the tutoring lab over office hours because the tutors are much more helpful and can answer specific questions or problems, she said.
“They really take the time to help you,” she said. “They don’t just write it out for you, they help you think of the answer.”
She also prefers the tutoring lab over mathematics websites including Cramster, that many students use, she said.
“Cramster just lays all the problems out for you,” she said. “The tutoring sessions really help you internalize the concepts.”
Hours:
Monday: 9-1 and 3-4
Tuesday: 9-12 and 3-5
Wednesday: 12-2 and 4-5
Thursday: 12-1 and 3-5
Friday: 12-1 and 3-4
Dorm Life 101 