>> EMALINE: Mathematical Modelling 1 is a first-year engineering subject.
It's a core subject.
So everyone from every discipline completes the subject.
It's basically an extension of your HSC maths course.
It gives you the skill-sets and the problem-solving skills that you need for the rest of your
engineering degree.
>> ANTONY: I think the best part about Maths Mod 1 is that the work you do always relates
back to your course.
So in the examples that they use, they always try to use engineering examples, so that we
can see how it relates to the world around us and how we can apply it in our future work.
>> EMALINE: The best thing about this subject is that it's not overly demanding.
It actually eases you into university life.
That's really important for a first-year subject.
>> ANTONY: I don't think there's anything in Maths Mod 1 that I actually haven't used
in a later subject.
>> EMALINE: I think the challenging thing is that people normally do this subject in
your first semester of uni.
So it's just trying to adjust to the uni condition, as well as trying to adjust with the workload.
Also because you might think that maths is - this subject in particular is more - it's
easier compared to some of the other subjects.
So you tend to be a bit complacent and not practice as much.
>> ANTONY: Moving into first-year university, you have to be a little more independent and
you have to find information on your own.
But there is support there.
There are support tutorials.
There is U:PASS.
There's even the Maths Study Centre where you can get help.
>> EMALINE: In terms of understanding, it's not too much work.
Because, like I say, it's basically an extension of your HSC maths course.
However, you do need to practise a lot, because a lot of it is just skills-based rather than
knowledge-based.
>> ANTONY: I don't think it requires a lot of work.
You just have to be consistent about the work you do, maybe one or two hours a week of solid
study.
>> EMALINE: If you're having trouble with Maths Mod 1, definitely go to U:PASS sessions
because that's a great program that's run by students and for students.
So you get to hear that everyone else is on the same wavelength as you.
You're not the only one who's sort of struggling, if you are struggling.
There's a lot of support there.
Also, there's a lot of online resources nowadays.
So you could just YouTube a lot of these, any topics, and just read up on it or watch
the videos on it.
>> ANTONY: You have tutorials.
You have U:PASS sessions, which are like tutorials, but completely different in that they are
run by students who have already passed the subject.
So they understand, you know, what the difficult parts of the subject are and they can go over
it with you.
So it's more of a group study session, rather than a tutorial where you sit down and do
extra work.
The Maths Study Centre is open every day.
There's generally somewhere there who will answer your questions, maths-related questions.
>> EMALINE: When I first started with UTS, I found U:PASS the most helpful because that
really enabled me to make a lot of friends and get to know a lot of people.
Also, I got to work in teams and solve through questions that I didn't really understand
as well.
It's sometimes really intimidating asking questions in lectures with a big group of
people.
At least in U:PASS it is a smaller group and it's not so intimidating.
The advice I would give is definitely do a lot of practise questions.
So that will get your familiar with how to approach the questions and what the thought
processes are behind everything.
With maths, it's always more about understanding the technique to approach questions, rather
than memorising a set procedure.
>> ANTONY: My advice to new students would be don't choose a course that your parents
chose for you.
Choose one because you want to do it.
You will find that the more you enjoy what you're doing the less you actually have to
study for it.
>> EMALINE: My best piece of advice is to really put a lot of commitment into your work.
It does get hard sometimes and it does get demanding.
But always keep motivated and take a lot of initiative and that will get you through.