Jacob and I first met during his Pre-Calculus 12 class when he was struggling to keep his grades above the 50s and 60s. His teacher had a fast-paced approach that assumed students could keep up, which made it challenging for him to grasp new concepts. I always remind my students that while teaching styles can vary, taking ownership of their own learning is key because, ultimately, their success is in their hands. Jacob embraced that mindset, and after working with me twice a week, he earned an A in Pre-Calculus 12.
But the real test came with university calculus. Fortunately, he knew exactly where to turn for support and found a UBC Math 100 tutor. Thankfully, he didn’t have to look far to find a UBC Math 100 tutor.
Math 100 at UBC, like many first-year calculus courses, is infamously difficult. It often catches students off guard because they assume their success in Calculus 12 has prepared them well. I always tell students that excelling in Calculus 12 doesn’t guarantee success in Math 100. Students need to be prepared to work hard from the very first lecture, but many don’t fully grasp this until they get their first midterm back.
After Jacob’s first midterm, he quickly realized that university calculus demanded a deeper understanding. He managed a significant turnaround, performing phenomenally well on the final exam and finishing with a mark above the class average. However, Jacob knew he needed a better approach for Math 101 to avoid the stress of having to recover from a bad midterm mark.
On our first Math 101 tutoring session, he asked for advice on how to approach studying. I turned it around and asked him what he learned from his Math 100 experience. He stressed the importance of doing all the assigned practice problems and even doing extra problems from the textbook.
As Math 101 was the only course he was taking in summer school, he was able to focus and spend more time doing practice problems. His progress was evident, and at one point, I told him that his skill at computing integrals had improved over the past few weeks. He reflected on this and noted that integrals that he had trouble with a few weeks ago were now completely doable.
Jacob was able to complete Math 101. Although his grade wasn’t as high as he hoped, he was satisfied with the outcome. He is done with all calculus courses for his Economics major.
Reflecting on his journey, Jacob expressed gratitude for the tutoring support that helped him go beyond what he thought was possible. However, much of his success was due to his own hard work and willingness to pivot when things got tough. Without his determination and countless hours of study, he wouldn’t have been able to achieve this milestone.
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