Shane’s Success Story

In my early years of school, I wasn't afraid of math, and I also didn't lack confidence in my ability to do math.   Then came high school.  Not only did I fail Prealgebra once, but I failed it a second time!  I was bored.  I didn’t complete any of my assignments, and the teachers did nothing to motivate me.  One teacher even told me to just “give up” because I would never understand algebra!  Math was a burden.  I wasn’t willing to commit the time required to understand the concepts and apply them correctly.  I dropped out of high school and got my GED.  Fortunately, my scores on the GED exams were high enough that my local community college offered me a scholarship.  I decided to for go for it.

Avoiding taking math credits was no longer possible, since nearly any type of degree requires math credits. The math classes that I should have taken in high school now had to be taken in college.  Fortunately for me, my first two math classes, Basic and Intermediate Algebra, were taught using an excellent textbook that I could actually understand.  The problem solving techniques presented in this textbook were clear, concise, and logical.  Suddenly, math became a possibility again!  The combination of a readable textbook and a professor with excellent communication skills gave me a wonderful foundation for future math classes.  My success in these courses reminded me of the success I enjoyed in my earlier years.  It helped restore my confidence and motivated me to take the required math courses for my major.

I am now completing my second year of college with a major in chemical engineering.  I completed Calculus, University Physics, and Advanced Calculus never receiving less than an “A” in any of my math courses since enrolling in college.  Currently I am employed by the college as a math tutor, where I use the math skills and methods that I learned in my lower levels of math to assist students who are having difficulty understanding mathematical concepts.  I am so grateful that I was able to get me back on track and lay a solid foundation to enable me to succeed in the higher math and science courses.

Now that I have taken several college level math courses, I have learned some practical ways to simplify the learning process.  First of all be sure to read all of the text and example problems in the chapter before attempting to complete the homework problems.  In the past, I frequently ignored this suggestion and wasted a considerable amount of time trying to solve the problems. A few minutes of reading and studying could have cleared everything up.  Second, while in class, give your complete attention to your instructor!  While this may sound obvious, one of the biggest mistakes I made was attempting to complete my homework during class time.  Consequently, I would miss the explanations of new material, and ultimately I would fall behind in the class.  If taken seriously, these tips can be very helpful to you. You should still expect to spend a considerable amount of time on your homework.  No one is born understanding algebra.  We gain our understanding through hard work and commitment to the course.

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