November 7, 2017 | UHCL Staff
If the mere mention of the word “calculus” automatically gives you an overwhelming fear response, you’re not alone. But if you’re majoring in engineering, science, or business management, you’ll have to conquer calculus. Fortunately, the Math Center at University of Houston-Clear Lake offers a Supplemental Instruction program in calculus and tutor Evan Howington, a math/physics double major, is one of the tutors ready to help.
“I took Calculus I last spring and came to the Math Center because I thought it would be fun,” said Howington, who describes his academic standing as “somewhere between a sophomore and a junior.”
Coming to Supplemental Instruction, or SI sessions at the Math Center, he said, helped him gauge his level of ability. “I got some examples in class that were difficult, but coming to SI gave me different kinds of problems to work, so it was a never-ending challenge.”
In a classroom, Howington explained, the material has to be structured for the entire class to learn. “When I came to SI, I just wanted to challenge myself.”
He said he did very well in his calculus class last spring. But as a tutor in the Math Center, Howington can see that not everyone is having the same experience. “I started as a tutor this semester and in order to help the students, I go and sit in their classes during the week so that when they come in for SI, I automatically know what they’re doing and can work the problem in a manner reflecting what the professor is doing,” he said.
Students enter the Math Center for a number of reasons. “A lot of times, students will come in and say they don’t understand anything,” Howington said. “I start with a problem and start working it together, and they’ll tell me where they get lost. That’s the biggest hurdle — finding out where they’re struggling and start from there.”
Many times the problem isn’t calculus-related at all, he said. “The most difficult thing isn’t the calculus steps, it’s the algebra within the calculus. Usually the problems can be solved with a simple nudge in the right direction. Pretty soon, people feel better about it.”
Howington said that he does not lecture, he does not give private tutoring sessions, and he does not give answers. “There’s a lot of fear in not knowing the material, but I think math anxiety is worse with calculus because it has such a stigma of being so hard,” he said.
“I get anxiety sometimes before a test, because I don’t know what’s on it and there’s no way to know if my preparation covered everything till it’s over. Understanding math is about repetition and familiarity,” he said.
“If you only do your homework and nothing else, and then go to the test, it’s hard to get better. If you watch the prof do it and never do it again till the test, what are the chances you’ll do well? You have to train. We do it till it’s familiar and when that happens, a lot of the anxiety about it is gone.”
Looking towards the future, Howington said he’s very happy that UHCL is expanding on its history of excellence in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math with the construction of the new STEM building. “I’m excited about this new building that’s under construction because to me, this reinforces UHCL’s commitment to the hard sciences, which are fundamentally rooted in mathematics,” he said. “I hope this deep connection between the STEM fields and mathematics will lead to a new Math Center in the new building. After all, “mathematics” is literally part of its name.”
For more information about the Math Center visit www.uhcl.edu/math-center/services.
