The Math Tutor Lab is located in Rood Hall, 2nd floor, room 2261. The lab provides free, walk-in tutoring and is a great resource to make use of. The lab is staffed by student tutors and graduate assistants, has plenty of chalk boards for all of your mathematical doings, and provides a great atmosphere to simply study in, whether you study alone or in a group. The lab also provides a place to take placement exams and computers to use for your math homework and projects. Keep in mind, you can only get so much out of the tutoring lab according to how well prepared you are (see my pro-tips below!).
Click here to see the webpage for the lab:
Math Tutor Lab
And if that doesn't help you find information about the tutoring lab you might be looking
for, maybe the information below will!
The tutoring lab opens up during the 2nd week of the semester, and is closed on days the school is closed (such as breaks, holidays, what have you) and on the weekends. The hours listed below are for the Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 semesters.
Despite being a rather large room, the lab can be difficult to find, so maybe the following will help. The lab is located on the second floor, room 2261, on the side of Rood Hall that faces Everett Tower. The lab is down the hall from the walkway between Rood Hall and Everett Tower, and has two math offices on either side of it (rooms 2255 and 2263). There are three doors to the lab (one next to 2255, and two next to room 2263); when the lab is open these doors are wide open, so in theory, you should see lots of chalk boards and people studying when you look in! Also between the last lab door and room 2263, you'll see a metal sign that says "Mathematics Laboratory". The map below might help as well.
When using the Math Tutor Lab, you need to remember you will only have a limited amount of time with tutors, since the lab is a free, walk-in tutoring lab being used by a lot of people. So below are some tips to make the most out of your tutoring experience.
Ok, so office hours have nothing to do with the Math Tutor Lab, but the time your professors and TA's set aside to meet with you and your classmates can be invaluable. Office hours offer a way to provide great one-on-one assistance for topics from class, issues with homework problems, and other general questions you might have about the course you are taking. Then, if you can get your general big questions answered with the people who know the most about the material, you'll be able to set aside more time in the tutoring lab to get help with homework problems and therefore hopefully get your assignments done! And never be afraid to go to early office hours -- it's college, you go to it for a purpose, right?
When you enter the Math Tutor Lab, the first thing to notice are the signs hanging from the ceiling with the course numbers of the math classes. By sitting near or under these signs will give the tutors a good clue as to what materials you are studying or working on. Also, TA's will tend to hover near the signs for the courses they are a TA for or are teaching, so you'll have a better chance of finding someone who is more familiar with the material you're studying. Now you don't have to always sit near the "right sign", you can sit wherever you want. And the tutors might not always be near the "right sign" either. But don't be discouraged! If there are no tutors by your sign, the tutors will see you and be over to help!
There's a few things to keep in mind about the tutors, as listed below:
A tutor is NOT responsible for doing your homework, take home exam problems, or simply giving you the answers you need. It is NOT the tutor's job to teach you the material from classes you've missed, even if you've been sick, had an emergency, or simply decided to not go to class (see the Homework & Testing Strategies for advice on what to do in these types of situations). A tutor's responsibility is to help you understand the material or math problems giving you trouble, and help you reach a solution.
Again keep in mind you will only have so much time with tutors individually, so remember to be patient with the tutors until they are available to help you again.
To find a tutor, look for the people with a name tag around their neck. Also, what helps tutors know you need help, is raising your hand -- it is a lot easier to tell you need help that way versus you sitting there looking confused. Another thing to keep in mind, is that on either end of the lab by the doors, are sheets posted with the names of the tutors listed for each hour the lab is open, so you'll know who and how many tutors are working when you're there. So keep your hand raised, and speak up!
In order for a tutor to help you in a timely, useful manner, it is important to let them know exactly what it is that's giving you the issue. For example, there's a BIG difference between being unsure of what method to use solve a problem (such as when finding a derivative or slope and using your answer to solve a specific question about a rate of change) and not actually understanding what the problem is asking or understanding the details involved (you find yourself asking, "whoa what the heck is a derivative or a slope and what does it have to do with a rate of change?!"). Sometimes as a student it's hard to put a finger on exactly what it is you don't understand, but if you can figure out that much, that will be more time tutors can devote to helping you understand what's causing you problems. Help the tutors help you by helping yourself first by NOT saying, "I don't understand this," but rather being prepared enough to say, "There is this particular detail giving me trouble and if I understand this I think I can do my homework assignment."
Coming to the lab prepared to study is important, especially when people are taking the time to help you. Not to say you have to be absolutely prepared before you walk in -- it's ok to arrive in the lab and to take time to organize your thoughts, notes, and assignments. Being prepared before asking for help is important for the tutors to help you and as many other people as efficiently as possibly and in a timely matter. So rememer to ask yourself: do I have my notes, do I have my assignments, did I maybe have a list of topics from class I still need to go over for better understanding, is my cell phone put away so I'm not distracted while someone is helping me, and (if necessary) do I have my calculator?
For more ways to be better prepared, see my page on homework strategies .