Ask the Adviser

A: It's great that you recognize you need help and are ready to do something about it. It's important for you to act right away.

The first step is to talk to your instructor or go to the Undergraduate Mathematics Office, 107 Whitmore, if you are enrolled in a precalculus or freshman calculus course. Get an accurate diagnosis of your problem and discuss solutions. Make sure you are enrolled in the appropriate course; there may be alternatives you can pursue at this point in the semester.

If you decide that you need tutoring, the University offers a number of resources:

Faculty assistance: Ask your instructor if he or she offers review sessions outside of class.

The Math Center, 220 Boucke Building, 865-1841, provides free tutoring for Math 001, 002, 004, 017, 018, 021, 022, 026, 040, 041, 110, 111, 140, 140A, 141 and 200.

Private Tutors: A list of private tutors is available from the mathematics department, 107 Whitmore, 865-7528, and the Math Center.

Sperling Cohen Tutoring Program provides free tutoring in Math 140 and 141. Groups of three to five students meet twice a week with specially trained tutors to discuss any difficulties they are having with homework assignments or other aspects of the course. Tutoring is on a first-come, first-served basis; applications and information are available in 107 Whitmore. For more information contact the mathematics department.

Whichever resource or you choose, act now. There is more demand for tutoring as the term progresses. And the longer you wait, the harder it will be to understand the concepts your course is covering.

Provided by the Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), "Ask the Adviser" appears every other Wednesday on this page. E-mail your questions to DUS@psu.edu and specify that you would like them to be answered in the column. Do not address questions to The Daily Collegian.

Questions will be printed anonymously and may be edited. Because of space limitations, "Ask the Adviser" may not be able to address every question submitted. The column will answer those that are of interest to a wide audience or are particularly important for other reasons. DUS advisers will respond to other questions by E-mail.