By Eric Dubrow
Elm Staff Writer
Math may not be every student’s strong suit, but the Math Center, located in the back of Miller Library’s main floor, ensures that even the most math-phobic students pass their exams. As a supplementary service to many core math classes, the Center offers students both walk-ins and scheduled appointments to help them with their problems.
Most of the students who come to get help are not math majors and are generally are there to work through their distribution requirements or prerequisites. As such, Match Center Director Reid Cohn and his team of tutors often work on students’ work in introductory courses, like calculus, statistics, and finite math.
Even so, the Center still gets a fair share of students from upper level courses.
tudents are not required to come to the Math Center, though they are encouraged to go by their professors. According to Cohn, the students’ attitudes about the work are fairly positive.
“Most of them are repeat customers, so that is a good indication that they take something from it,” he said.
However, “it’s hard to find people who are interested in math,” Cohn added, though those that do find the Math Center to be a good study spot for them.
Cohn does not tutor students alone. He has a team of student tutors, all of whom either major in mathematics or study something related. One of these tutors, junior Emily Hordesky, had some advice for potential clients of the center.
“Come with questions that don’t include ‘how do you do this’ without trying. It makes it much easier to help,” she said.
Cohn agreed, suggesting that students, “bring something that they’ve tried to do first.”
The Math Center is open for drop-in tutoring from Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., though on Thursdays, its closing hours are moved back to 4 p.m. On Tuesday and Wednesdays, the Center also has hours from 8-9:30 p.m. Students may come individually or with groups and they may make specific appointments as well.
March 11, 2011
Volume LXXXI Issue 18