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The Student Success Commons at York County Community College: Math

Welcome to the Math Section

Welcome to the SSC's Mathematics Section

Here you can find dozens of resources to help you get through your math class. We have a collection of general math resources on this page, as well as pages dedicated to quantitative reasoning, statistics, and trigonometry.

 

Welcome to the SSC's math section

Math Resources

Order of Operations: GEMDAS When evaluating mathematical expressions, be sure to follow the order of operations:

1) G: Groupings. These include parentheses, brackets, and braces.
2) E: Exponents. This includes roots and radicals.
3) M and D: Multiplication or Division. These both have the same "weight" so when you get to this step do whichever operation comes first when working from left to right.
4) A and S: Addition or Subtraction. These both have the same "weight" so when you get to this step do whichever operation comes first when working from left to right.

According to an experiment run by Dr. Peter Price of the Classroom Professor website, about 75% of students get the wrong answer by not using the order of operations. In his experiment Dr. Price posted the following brainteaser:

7 - 1 × 0 + 3 ÷ 3 = ?

Out of the 6,000 respondents, only 26% arrived at the right answer. Try out this problem for yourself and see what you get.
. . . . . . . . .
Did you get 8? If so, congrats, you're using the order of operations! If you got a different answer check out Order of Operations 101, an article from the Calculator Site linked below for a complete explanation about GEMDAS (also known as PEMDAS).

 Order of Operations 101

 You can also visit Khan Academy if you'd like more review and practice with the order of operations. 

Math Anxiety

Types of numbers (and their symbols)

The main types of numbers are:

  • Natural Numbers (N), (also called positive integers, counting numbers, or natural numbers); They are the numbers {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, …}
  • Whole Numbers (W). This is the set of  natural numbers, plus zero, i.e., {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, …}.
  • Integers (Z). This is the set of all whole numbers plus all the negatives (or opposites) of the natural numbers, i.e., {… , ⁻2, ⁻1, 0, 1, 2, …}
  • Rational numbers (Q). This is all the fractions where the top and bottom numbers are integers; e.g., 1/2, 3/4, 7/2, ⁻4/3, 4/1 [Note: The denominator cannot be 0, but the numerator can be].
  • Real numbers (R), (also called measuring numbers or measurement numbers). This includes all numbers that can be written as a decimal. This includes fractions written in decimal form e.g., 0.5, 0.75 2.35, ⁻0.073, 0.3333, or 2.142857. It also includes all the irrational numbers such as π, √2 etc. Every real number corresponds to a point on the number line.

Accessing Your E-book!

About Math Drop-in Tutoring

Drop-in tutoring allows all students currently enrolled in a math class at YCCC to work at their own pace with a tutor in any MAT class. It doesn't matter if you're 2 sections behind or a section ahead; it doesn't matter if it takes 30 minutes to work on one problem. We're here to help you at your level.

You do not need to make an appointment for drop in tutoring. If you'd like to let a tutor know when you plan to arrive feel free to do so, but it is not required.

Please keep in mind that there may only be one or two tutors available at any given time. We cannot guarantee one-on-one time but we do our best to give all students equal attention. With that goal in mind, we always encourage students to let us know when they would like our assistance. 

 

*Please be aware that math tutoring covers any MAT course (MAT 118, MAT 126, etc.). Classes coded as ACC, BUS, and FIN are not covered under Student Success Commons math tutoring. Though we will always try to help you find the resources you need, tutoring for these and other non-MAT classes may not be fully available from the Student Success Commons math tutors. For more information please feel free to reach out to studentsuccesscommons@yccc.edu and/or your instructor.

What Can a Math Tutor Do?

It's important that your math grade reflects your personal effort and abilities, which can sometimes be more difficult when all your homework, tests, and quizzes are online. Student Success Commons tutors are here to help you, but in a way that ensures your work is your own. If you seek help from a SSC math tutor, please first understand what you can and can't expect.

 

What can a math tutor do?
We can... We cannot...
Help you understand and interpret questions Give you solutions for a problem
Show you how to take and use good notes Teach you the material from scratch (you must attend class, watch instructional videos, and read your textbook!)
Provide support and encouragement Sit with you through every quiz, test, or other assignment
Work with you on examples to help you understand the steps and concepts Work with you on examples while you're taking an exam
Help you review past quizzes and make notes that will assist you for future assignments Walk you through step-by-step calculations for quizzes or tests
Show you how to use your calculator effectively Tell you if an answer to a quiz or test question is right or wrong before it's submitted

Contact Us

 

Have a Question?

Contact us now and tell us how the Student Success Commons can help you:

 

 

 

 

Student Success Commons at York County Community College

112 College Drive Wells, ME 04090
studentsuccesscommons@yccc.edu
207-216-4386


 


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