For the average math student Calculus “shouldn't necessarily be the most difficult course in the Bachelor's,” states fifth-year student Laura Kuntze. But, as she is well aware, for first-year students on other degree programs, it certainly is a potential stumbling block. As Kuntze sums it up, after a long summer vacation the high-school material that Calculus builds upon is already long forgotten, the pace at university is quite a bit faster than in pre-university education and the level of understanding asked of the student is ever increasing.

“Students can do it if they get plenty of practice, but that means investing the time,” knows the senior-year student. That's why, for example, tutoring is on offer through study association GEWIS, but in recent weeks so many applicants have been signing up that, “we simply don't have the time or the people to tutor all these students one-on-one.”

Good reason for Kuntze, Nicky van den Berg and Arno Coppelmans (all three student tutors, who supervise first-years on the course and assist the course lecturers) to try a different tack. On the morning of Thursday November 1 they are giving a three-hour workshop for anyone who still has burning questions or wants focused practice. Incidentally, Coppelmans was involved in a similar initiative last year, but the turnout was a little disappointing, recalls Kuntze.

No advertising

This has inspired the threesome to take a more thorough approach this year, and their communication is no exception. For example, they are making this a Facebook event. While the message spreads to math students pretty quickly, for example, through GEWIS, the other, say, 2500 first-years are much more difficult to reach, according to Kuntze. Moreover, as course coordinator Emiel van Berkum says, the course organizers regard the workshop as “a private initiative”, and so, “we won't be actively promoting it in lectures or the study guide. But if students come along in person to ask for tips, we can suggest it to them.”

On the other hand, Van Berkum certainly welcomes the workshop initiative by the three tutors. The team running Calculus do in fact offer various extra resources and support, he acknowledges, for anyone in need of it, “but there's only so much we can do; we can't offer every single student as much individual help as they need. So I am fully in favor of these seniors offering some extra help; and as tutors they are capable of doing that.”

For that matter, the success rates for the (previously somewhat infamous) course have been excellent in recent years, says Van Berkum. This follows a slightly difficult start for Calculus as a basic course as part of the Bachelor College in 2012, when the performance of first-years was remarkably mediocre.

These days at Calculus B - which by far the most first-year students take - the success rate for the first exam is some 60 percent. Calculus A (for students of Architecture and Industrial Design) saw less impressive results last year, he adds in all fairness, “but the resits put that largely to rights.” This round of Calculus A, B and C (the last stream is intended for math and physics students) number some 630, 1800-plus and approx. 290 students, respectively.

Not infamous

‘Infamous’ is certainly not a word Van Berkum, in view of the performance in recent years, would want to use to describe the course, “but naturally there are many students who come for the university not the math; who find it pretty difficult and are daunted by it.”

Ten of these first-years at any rate have already signed up for the workshop on November 1, tells Kuntze; the initiators are hoping ultimately for some forty participants. Should demand be unexpectedly greater than this, she says, other Calculus tutors are also ready to help out.

Participation costs ten euros; in principle first-years may walk in and out as they please; the workshop (in room 13 on floor 5 of MetaForum) certainly won't be a three-hour lecture, “we don't think that helps. Right before an exam, the most important thing is to practice”.

You can sign up (until the end of the preceding Wednesday afternoon) via email (calculus@gewis.nl). For more info also check out the Facebook event.