By Kristen Jennings
Finally, there could be a solution for all those return missionaries struggling in their college-level math classes.
The College of Engineering and Technology is now offering a math refresher course one week before the fall semester starts. Open to all students, the course is to assist students who have returned from a mission or who have become rusty in their math skills.
The objective of the course is to help these students smooth their transition back to math studies. The class will recall fundamental concepts and techniques of algebra, trigonometry, differential calculus and integral calculus, essential for successful completion of math-oriented classes.
Reinhard Franz, associate professor in the College of Engineering and Technology, will teach the weeklong class.
“The class is for all those who have lost their working knowledge and need a helping hand before they enter their studies,” Franz said. “I know it is frustrating and annoying for students to be in difficult math classes to begin with, and then to not be able to recall their basic math skills.”
Sheldon Savage, a business student from West Jordan, has been home from his mission for four months now and is currently taking a statistics course.
“At the beginning of the class, it was hard to get into the swing of things,” Savage said. “A nice little refresher course would have been very helpful for the transition back to math. I would definitely take the class.”
Seth Ollerton has been home from his mission for three years. He recounted his difficult shift back into the world of math.
“I came back from my mission and immediately began taking Math 110,” Ollerton said. “I struggled with the class and didn”t do very well because I hadn”t even seen any math since high school.”
In addition, Ollerton recommends the class to all those return missionaries starting their classes in the Fall.
“A math refresher course would be a good thing for return missionaries because they haven”t even looked at math for two years,” Ollerton said.
The class is scheduled for Aug. 23-27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., but students are welcome to come at any time. The course is a zero-credit class, and all students will receive a passing grade.
The math refresher course”s Web site can be accessed through the College of Engineering and Technology”s Web site via the BYU homepage. The Web site is informative and allows interested students a chance to see the course”s schedule, topics, objectives, etc.
Registration can also be done through the course”s online registration form on the Web site, by sending an e-mail to , or by calling the College of Engineering and Technology Dean”s office by Aug. 13 at 422-4326.
