Meet Your First Year Instructor: Adam Martens

Welcome first-year students!

We are delighted to introduce you to Adam Martens who will be leading the MATH 100B (Differential Calculus with Applications) course this September.

Adam sat down to answer some of our questions so that you could get to know him better.

Q: Who are you and what will you be teaching in the fall?

A: I'm Adam Martens (please, call me Adam) and I'll be teaching one of the sections of flavour 'B' (section 1B2).

Q: What is your favourite part about teaching first-year students?

A: I particularly enjoy teaching first years because I find that they come into class with an open mind and willingness to learn!

Q: What will students learn in your Math 100 class?

A: Obviously we're going to learn some differential calculus! But more importantly, our hope is that MATH 100 will teach you the importance of problem solving and formal communication of ideas - skills which are critical in any field you will pursue.

Q: What can students do if they feel they are struggling in their first-year math classes?

A: There is lots of help available. including the calculus common room, Piazza, Math Learning Center, and endless online material. For first year courses in general, my advice is always to seek help in office hours (OH); often OH are under-attended (especially TA office hour if applicable). Also, form a study group! Bouncing ideas off of several people can very helpful.

Most importantly though, I urge students to study early and study often. It is easy to fall behind by procrastinating. I often find that the most successful students are those who complete their assignments a long time before they are due.