My advice to a new Math 207 Student:

I graduated as valedictorian of my class. I took college classesat UW-Oshkosh, UW-Milwaukee, and UW-Washington County. I came into this year with 23 college credits. I had AP-Calculus in high school, and I got an A in it. I tested into the highest level of math taught to college freshmen. I got a 35 on the math portion of my ACT. I thought that this semester, along with the four retro-credits for pre-calculus would be in the bag. I was very wrong.

Coming to college was a bit of a slap in the face. I had hard classes in high school, but we were babied, and I was not as ready for college work as what I thought I may be. I got too caught up in the freedom of living on my own and being able to make my own decisions. One of the best decisions that a new college student can make is to go to class. I went to every single class this entire semester, and more good (actually learning something) came from it that bad (getting up early).

When you get to college, you are responsible for yourself. You get to decide not only if you will go to class, but also if you are going to do your homework or put in some extra effort for a project or an exam. At first, I thought that all I would have to do was the assignments and I would be set for the quizzes and exams. Once again, I was very wrong. I was able to do a problem when I had the answer sitting in the back of the book and all I had to do is force some numbers to equal another, or manipulate a problem that we had worked out in class. When it came time for the actual exam; however, I did not know enough to understand the concepts behind the problems. My first test score was a real eye-opener.

I realized that my methods were not working, so I seeked further help. I turned to the tutor room (convenient, but not always as helpful as I would have liked), classmates, friends in other 207 classes, previous math teachers, my mother, and the professor's office hours. The last was the most helpful, by far. Don't be afraid to ask any of these sources for help. Most people are more than willing to help. Especially the professors--they are real people, and they will help you until you understand. They want to see you succeed. These extra efforts will begin to pay off, and you will grow more confident as your knowledge of mathematics (or whatever the subject is) grows.

One other huge change for me when coming to college was learning how to prioritize my time so that I could have time for all of my classes. At times, one subject seemed a lot more interesting than Calculus, or vice versa, and I would end up not putting the proper effort into one of my subjects. This happened most often when I did not understand a particular topic. I would procrastinate in learning what I was supposed to, and end up falling farther and farther behind. Procrastination is not a good thing. You will learn that fast.

Intimidation is not a good thing, either. Within the first few weeks of class, it becomes obvious who is and is not "good" at math. If you are one who isn't "good", it is real easy to be intimidated by the more difficult questions that those who are "good" ask. You may find yourself feeling extremely stupid and/or inferior at times, but that is okay. Just keep trying, and eventually there will be something that you are better at than them.

Before I signed up for the class, I wish I would have known that I am not as good at math as what I had thought at one time. I came in over-confident, and that proved to be a downfall. I probably would have still taken the class, though. It is a hard class, but it is fun to realize that you have actually learned a lot of difficult concepts. It makes you feel really smart. If I could start over, I would be the ultimate student, doing all of the problems and making sure that I knew and understood absolutely everything. But since I can't do it over, I will have to live with my first ever non-A in a math class.

This class was the hardest one that I had this semester, so it taught me a lot about the procrastination, intimidation, and the extra efforts that I have already talked about. In addition to these things, it has also taught me a lot about accepting responsibility and about disappointment. I will probably get a C or BC for the semester, which is in no way a failure, but it is a disappointment to know that I could have gotten an AB or B if I had tried a little harder for the entire semester. However, I didn't, and I have to take responsibility for that. I am the one who made the decisions to not do my work, or not take the initiative to learn more. I have also learned that one class, exam, paper, assignment, or proficiency quiz is not going to ruin my entire future. If I can get through the difficult parts, and learn from my mistakes, my future is going to be fine.

College is about finding yourself and finding out what you do and do not like. Taking this Calculus class does not mean that you have to be a math major. It does mean that you can appreciate a different area of study, and are attempting to be a well-rounded student. I do not like every aspect of Calculus, but it is interesting to see how it can be applied to virtually anything. I also liked how it tied in with my chemistry classes. The correlation made both subjects seem more real.

This has been a good class, even if my grade doesn't show it. I learned a lot about math and about college life. I wish all future 207 students the best of luck in classes and in their new adult lives. Keep these four things in mind as you pursue a higher education:

(1) Don't procrastinate

(2) Ask for help if you need it

(3) Have a positive attitude

(4) Take a class because you want to, not because it will look good.

Sincerely,

Leah, Nuclear Medicine Technology Major