While I am sure there are those who don’t study or utilize the resources offered by the math department, this should not be used as an excuse by those in that department to justify why so many students aren’t doing well.

In every department there are going to be those who don’t see how a particular subject is going to be relevant to the rest of their lives, especially when it comes to university requirements. The fact is, between the department and student advisers, there has been a failure to help students excel in this area. I can admit that when I came into this university I knew I did not have a strong enough background in math to take the math I placed into. The person who advised me during academic orientation, not my adviser, encouraged me to try the class and if I found it to be too difficult to drop it. This person failed to tell me, however, that this would affect the money I got for school and, as a result, I not only had to keep the class, but despite the fact that I stayed after to meet with my professor almost every day and went to the help rooms, I failed the class and am still trying to get through it this year as a second-year freshman.

I am taking a lower level now and am once again failing and the only thing I can guarantee is that I won’t be taking math here ever again.

Monica Leslie
communication freshman