Reflection Essay

When I first got accepted into Stuyvesant High School, I heard countless of rumors stating: “Oh the workload is terrible”, “The competition is so fierce” or “Out of schoolwork, extracurriculars, or sleep: you can only pick two.” I found it hard to let it faze me, since I graduated from one of the most prestigious middle schools. However, the rumors transformed into reality when I stepped into Mr. Nieves’ Freshman Composition Class. The workload at the beginning of the year was brutal, coupled with assignments from other core classes that seem unaware of the workload of other teachers. Reading assignments were a regular, and there were journal entries and occasional quizzes to keep us in line. What made it bearable was the friends I made in that class; everyone had their own opinion about the topic we were talking about, and listening to other perspectives really broadened my horizon and enriched my learning experience in Stuy. Another thing that this class has taught me is the importance of time management, a skill that I will carry on for the rest of my high school career and life. When I choose to sign up for Mr. Nieves’ AP American Literature class in my Junior Year, I was hoping to relive the discussion-based lesson plans and meet more outstanding peers. I was not disappointed, to say the least, reflecting through all the experiences at the end of the course. The lesson plans he laid out for us were an interesting mix between small lectures and class output, and what I

When I was a child, I wasn’t very proficient in math. It wasn’t until junior high, that I was finally getting the hang of doing all these math problems every day. A factor that helped me achieve good grades was my dedication

It is crucial to develop in children the ability to tackle problems with initiative and confidence…mathematics has changed from careful rehearsal of standard procedures to a focus on mathematical thinking and communication to prepare them for the world of tomorrow (Anghileri, 2006, p.2).

My passion for mathematics was fixed at the age of ten, on the morning that my mathematics teacher told I would be sitting the Junior Maths Challenge, 'as practice for when you are older'. As I nervously started to answer the questions, a whole world began to open before me. I revelled in the problem solving, answering questions of a nature I had not seen before. My teachers were delighted when I emerged from the exam hungry for more. Since then I have consistently demonstrated my aptitude, achieving gold awards through to senior level, and scoring highly in the European Kangaroo.

UM’s department of mathematics, a leader in mathematical research and mathematical instruction innovation, has a wide variety of programs, among which the

This excerpt from the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts’ (LSA) mission statement, “…provides students with adaptive skills to solve problems,” supports my objective of hopefully using mathematics as a nexus to solve some of the country’s inexcusable societal shortcomings. And as an aspiring pure mathematics major, this excerpt from the Department of Mathematics’ mission statement, “…to further the field of mathematics and bring its power to bear in the solution of problems for the good of mankind,” completely aligns with my passionate commitment to my objective. Feeling supported and having the same operational intents of the College and Department to which I hope to transfer and study lays the foundation for my attraction to LSA.

The primary goal of this project was to examine the math bowl and try to improve upon it. After three years of being a member of the Montana tech math club I was given the opportunity to run it. So, with the resources available to the math club, I attempted to organize and promote another math bowl completions. Through running this event I hoped to gain insight on short coming that the math club faced. One of these was the lack of participation from the math club members.

You have selected a course unlike any other math course. The purpose of this Summer Assignment is to:

Prior to Math 2414, my knowledge of mathematics consisted primarily of the math courses that I completed at Salesian High, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, and Alvin Community College during the fall, spring and summer semesters. During my four years at Salesian High, I completed three math courses, which included Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry. My education began with Algebra I, which focused primarily on linear equations and eventually taught me the basics of solving quadratic equations. Upon completion of Algebra I, I proceeded to Geometry, which centered on the basic elements of geometry and taught me how to use the Pythagorean Theorem. The highest level math class that I completed in high school was Algebra II. The Algebra II course further

This year, in MA103 I hope to greater develop my problem solving and mathematical skills. In order for this to happen, I have a few expectations for the course. On top of course expectations, I also have expectations for the instructor and myself that I hope will be met throughout the semester.

The benefits and opportunities to embrace engineering far outweigh the difficulties in the process, but despite this, my pure love for mathematics has been the major contributor to my ambitions. From a young age, I found math incredibly enjoyable. The order and consistency found through something as simple as the order of operations served as a driving force to my curiosity and dedication to the subject. As the mathematical concepts intensified, I was able to adequately keep up and enjoy the journey along the way. While signing up for my senior year classes, the decision to take calculus was made easily. While speaking with the instructor, Yvonne Sebastian, I discovered that her love for math was derived from similar feelings. In an interview with Sebastian, she stated, “Math is a beautiful thing. Numbers are incredibly simple, but they can be used to calculate very complex scenarios. No matter how difficult a problem may seem, there is always a solution, an answer that can be found and understood through the power of math” (Y. Sebastian, personal communication, February 14, 2017). Interacting with a teacher who understood to a great level of degree my similar feelings regarding math has been an incredible motivator in my desire to pursue a career which incorporates mathematics frequently. For any individual to be happy with their occupation, I would argue that they must experience a desire to progress

Geometry and Algebra are so crucial to the development of the world it is taught to every public high school in the United States, around 14.8 million teenagers each year (National Center for Education Statistics). Mathematics is the engine powering our world; our stocks, economy, technology, and science are all based off from math. Math is our universal and definite language “I was especially delighted with the mathematics, on account of the certitude and evidence of their reasonings.” (Rene Descartes, 1637).

Formulas, factoring, derivatives: math topics make many people cringe and are viewed difficult to endure when learning these boring concepts. On the other hand,

Since my school days, I have been interested in Mathematics because the challenge of thinking and the process of logic always attracted me to Mathematical problems. With my

Mathematics is the one of the most important subjects in our daily life and in most human activities the knowledge of mathematics is important. In the rapidly changing world and in the era of technology, mathematics plays an essential role. To understand the mechanized world and match with the newly developing information technology knowledge in mathematics is vital. Mathematics is the mother of all sciences. Without the knowledge of mathematics, nothing is possible in the world. The world cannot progress without mathematics. Mathematics fulfills most of the human needs related to diverse aspects of everyday life. Mathematics has been accepted as significant element of formal education from ancient period to the present day. Mathematics has a very important role in the classroom not only because of the relevance of the syllabus material, but because of the reasoning processes the student can develop.