Four years ago, I was ready to complete my degree to get my bachelor’s and have a backup in my career.
The Joyride Of Online School
So I started an online program, initially for a bachelor’s in business administration, but took an accounting class in my second year and fell for it. And I’m not a math person, but I loved the accounting course. So I switched my major over to accounting.
The university I attend requires all business majors to take an abridged calculus course focused on derivatives, integrals, and many applied calculus problems related to business or life sciences.
In an online class, you’re often given a textbook or a link to an online book, and you’re expected to read through it on your own. And if you don’t understand it, you’re out of luck. The professor is primarily there to let you know when things are due.
As soon as class began, I was able to scan the chapters to see what topics I needed to know. I know how to read a textbook for most courses, but math doesn’t work that way for me. I get a mental block and have a hard time getting past it.
So for this course, in particular, I would need a major resource to really get me through it. I knew that I would need basically someone to take my textbook and bring it to life.
The Calcworkshop Difference
So I immediately sought out resources at the very beginning of my course.
Initially, it was watching Youtube like most students, but I never knew if the video I was watching really matched my course, and it was always felt disjointed — and I didn’t have time for that.
But that’s also where I ran across Jenn and Calcworkshop.
As soon as I opened up Calcworkshop, it was extremely straightforward, and I had no trouble finding the sections that I needed. And I could also see the videos were a reasonable length of time.
I made sure it covered all the Calculus topics I needed and noticed it had Algebra and Precalculus, too, which was great since I’d probably need to review some of those topics that I’d forgotten 15 years ago.
Once I got into the first videos, I knew that it would be a resource that I could trust.
Because she covered all the small steps that the textbook would gloss over – for example, if a textbook said “just use the conjugate,” I had to stop and Google it to find out what that meant. With Jenn, she walked you through that exact steps right there in the same video.
I was impressed by how approachable she made everything for me, and I never once felt like she was teaching to a different level. It wasn’t like she was above me, and I had to catch up. It was a level playing field, and she made it feel like anyone can learn calculus.
I used it from pretty much day one and all the way to my final.
It also surprised me just how much of it went along with my textbook. Sometimes, I thought there is no way this topic will come up, yet it would be there. With everything offered on the Calcworkshop website, I was able to get through my entire course.
My initial goal was just to pass. But the fact that I ended up getting through the class with a B was a big deal for me. Even though I would rather have gotten an A and kept that 4.0, I knew realistically how tough it would be. I had to give myself that leeway because I haven’t taken algebra for so long that it’s like you are taking three courses at the same time, and all at once in this calculus class.
Jenn’s teaching style worked for me. And I am confident that no matter what kind of learner you are, especially if you’re a non-traditional student looking to brush up on topics forgotten long ago, it would work for you as well!
I am so thankful that I found Calcworkshop. It was exactly what I needed when I needed it. And her teaching style was a much better companion to my textbook.
I can’t imagine trying to get through my course without Calcworkshop.
I know that I put in the work, but having a much better coach there to coach me through it is like this team effort that I’m really thankful for!
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