Learning Activities
Activity 8.1
Learning Math in College vs. High School
There are several differences between mathematics at the college and high school level. These differences are discussed on the following College of Lake County website: https://www.clcillinois.edu/programs/mth/student-success/college.
- Open the link above and use the information provided to compare differences at each level and complete the table below.
- Put a star by three items that you think might require you to change your past study habits to be successful in your college-level course.
- For stared items, include a short reflection about how you will deal with these differences.
- Add these reflections to your personal calendar or another location so that you can find and refer to them as the semester progresses.
Table 1.
Differences Between High School and College Mathematics.
Category | High School | College |
Frequency of class meetings |
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Number of weeks in a typical course |
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Time required for studying |
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How homework is used in the class |
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Frequency of tests |
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Amount of content covered in a final exam |
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Credit for participation |
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Expectations for attendance |
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Activity 8.2
Test Your Mathematics Anxiety
Many students experience some level of mathematics anxiety. It can be helpful to explore your own level of mathematics anxiety. Complete the Math Anxiety Self-Test from the www.mathpower.com website. You can access the test directly at the following website: http://www.mathpower.com/anxtest.htm. Read each question and rate your response on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 – Strongly disagree; 5 – Strongly agree).
Check Your Score
- 40-50 Your score indicates you have a high level of math anxiety.
- 30-39 You probably have moderate math anxiety
- 20-29 You have a low level of math anxiety
- 10-19 You can probably set aside any math anxiety that you feel
The following link provides more information about your score and strategies about how to improve your mathematics anxiety. There are different options to consider depending on your score. Realize that your score might change as the semester progresses and re-answering the above questions at several points this semester is a great way to identify if an adjustment might be needed in how you are approaching your math anxiety.
Activity 8.3
Mathematics Anxiety Application
Reflect on the questions below and provide a brief response to them.
- Describe a past situation that caused you to be anxious in a mathematics classroom.
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- Describe a past situation that caused you to have positive feelings in a mathematics classroom.
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After you have answered the questions above, find a peer in the class and share your answers above. Discuss how these examples might affect your mathematics anxiety. Students are encouraged to share suggestions from Learning Activity 1 that you plan to use in your mathematics class.
Activity 8.4
Avoiding Procrastination
Columbia College suggest five strategies to help you focus and avoid procrastination (Columbia College, 2020). Select 2 of the strategies below and write a reflection on how you might use them in your mathematics class this semester.
- Plan to get the work done – Setting up a schedule is an important way to plan for class activities and there are many planners available to help with this. One planning system is included later in this chapter.
- Set aside a specific time to get work done – As you plan be specific on days and the time each day that you will study or work on individual classes.
- Learn to prioritize your schedule – Arrange your activities so they occur when you are best able to accomplish them. Include time for long-term study for tests as well as keeping time available for new items that might come up on short notice.
- Stay current with your schedule – Add new items that need to be done as soon as you know about them. Along with this, removing items as they are accomplished is an encouragement as it helps you see that you can get the work done.
- Avoid anxiety and stress – These decrease motivation and discourage progress. If you stay focused on your tasks you will have less time to worry.
Activity 8.5
Learning Check
- Mathematics courses focus more on applying material than memorization. Which of the examples discussed in the section on “How Studying Mathematics is Different from Other Courses” resonated most with you and why?
- Which strategies from the lesson do you feel can best help you avoid procrastination?
- Of the note-taking methods discussed in this chapter, which do you plan to use and why? Discuss at least three reasons why you prefer this method?
- Explain why cramming the night before does not work?
- It is suggested that you read through all the test questions and work the easiest ones first. Have you tried this approach in the past? Why do you think it works (or does not work)?
- Two of the test-taking tips discussed in the chapter suggest that you attempt all questions and leave nothing blank. How can you put these suggestions into practice knowing how much time you usually have at the end of a math test? How many minutes do you think you should allow for going back and answering problems that you may have skipped?