What help do I need RIGHT NOW?
Think about this
Courses vary enormously in terms of their mathematical content and we suggest that you spend some time looking at your own course now. We hope that you will gain an idea of the sort of mathematical knowledge needed for your course. This should help you to plan what you might need to improve. (You may be able to find overall details in the Course Guide.) Look at the assessment that is due next for the course that you are studying. It may include a tutor marked assignment, computer marked assignment, an examinable component or an exam, depending on what stage you have reached in the course. Identify from this the parts of the assessment that require numerical skills and knowledge. You can do this by asking yourself the following questions: What are these skills? What do I have to understand before I can tackle the assessment? Where can I get help with these?
Think about this: What are these skills?
Look at the questions that the assessment asks you to answer. This should enable you to make a list of what is being assessed at this time. You can repeat this exercise on a regular basis, each time you find that you have a need to identify the mathematics involved in your work.
What do I have to understand before I can tackle the assessment?
Look at the unit or block of your course that is covered by the next piece of assessment, and try to identify what the learning outcomes of that part of the course are. For example: they may say that you will be able to understand a particular concept, that you will be able to understand and use algebra or scientific notation. Different courses will have different layouts for the outcomes. You may be able to find them at the end of units, in the Assignment Booklet, in the Course Guide or in separate block guides. Once you have found the outcomes, decide which are to do with mathematical understanding. Now make a list of the mathematics that you are being asked to learn. If you aren't sure about what is required or if numerical work is not mentioned explicitly, you might need to clarify this with your tutor.
Where can I get help with these?
Well, that will vary, depending on your course. You may find that your course has some teaching about mathematics built into it, or it may refer you to some extra materials that you can get hold of. Tutorials, regional day schools or residential schools may be helpful, if you are able to attend them. You can also contact your tutor directly. You should now have two lists, one that says what mathematics is assessed and one that says what is taught. If you aren't sure about these, then you may need to either look at the block or unit in more detail, or talk to your tutor or other students.
Decide on your priorities
Once you have made these lists, you need to decide on priorities. We suggest that you:
- Decide the areas that you need to learn
- Make a list of these areas in order of priority
- Decide to tackle the one that you need to do in the short term as the first priority, then move on to others
Think about this
Once you have made a list of those mathematical aspects you need to learn, don't be discouraged if there seems to be quite a lot that you need to do. This can be off putting, and you might feel that you want to give up, but by preparing a prioritised list you should be able to see what you need to tackle most urgently, and make a plan for that first. Then you can come back to the rest when you need to. Now have a look at further reading and sources of help so that you can get the help you need.