- Introduction
- MLC Hours
- Problem and Exam Review Sessions
- The Neighborhood Centers
- MLC Surveys and Results
- Statistics Help Room
- Contact Us
- Become A Tutor
Introduction
Get free help for any 1825, 100-level and 200-level math class! (Limited assistance is available for 300-level classes).
Ask questions in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere! With the help of experienced staff in the MLC, you will come to better understand the concepts covered in your math class.
Why You Should Come Soon: Surveys show that students do significantly better if they regularly keep up with their homework and seek help early. MLC tutors do not do homework for you. Instead they help you understand concepts and put you on the right track quickly to help you succeed when you are in class, on your own.
Location: The MLC check-in station is located on the first floor of the A-Wing of Wells Hall. In addition, there are several MLC satellite operations in the Neighborhood Centers (Brody, East and South). All you need is your student ID.
Hours: MLC hours change each semester. (Click here for the current schedule.)
Tutors: The MLC is staffed primarily by teaching assistants who are currently teaching the courses in which they are providing assistance. The high quality of this staff is verified by their ratings from student evaluations of the classes they teach. Surveys of those who use the center show they rate our staff to be very friendly and very knowledgeable. The MLC maintains an average ratio of 3 or 4 to 1 (students to tutors) so that students get appropriate assistance. Of course, near exam and assignment times, it will be busier.
Effectiveness: Almost all students surveyed indicate that the MLC has helped increase their math grades by anywhere from .5 to 1.5 on the standard 4.0 scale.
Other Services: In addition to tutoring services, the MLC also sponsors Problem Sessions, as well as Exam Review Sessions before each exam in many large uniform courses. (Click the link for the current schedule.)
Special Courses: Please note that upper-level courses, and special courses such as MTH 112, MTH 201 and MTH 202 have restricted tutoring hours available. (Click the link for current information.)
Contacts: If you have any questions and/or comments about the MLC, please email mlc@math.msu.edu.
Hours
The Mathematics Learning Center will open for business for spring Semester 2012 on Thursday, January 12, 2012. The weekly hours are:
- Sunday: 5:10 pm - 8:40 pm
- Monday: 11:20 am - 4:00 pm and 6:20 pm - 9:50 pm
- Tuesday: 11:20 am - 4:00 pm and 6:20 pm - 9:50 pm
- Wednesday: 11:20 am - 4:00 pm and 6:20 pm - 9:50 pm
- Thursday: 11:20 am - 4:00 pm and 6:20 pm - 9:50 pm
- Friday: 11:20 am - 2:50 pm
MLC Sponsored Problem and Review Sessions
The MLC sponsors review sessions before each exam in MTH 1825, MTH 103, MTH 110, MTH 112, MTH 114, MTH 116, MTH 124, MTH 132, MTH 133, MTH 234 and MTH 235. An experienced teaching assistant will conduct the sessions and students will be notified via e-mail of the time and location of Exam Review Sessions.
Problem Sessions are conducted for the historically challenging material in some classes. E-mails will be sent to students enrolled in these classes to announce the times and locations of the sessions in advance.
MTH 1825 Supplemental Sessions
Twice weekly sessions will be offered in two locations on campus for students who want an extra classroom-like experience to supplement their MTH 1825 course. An experienced instructor will go over examples of the hardest problems and present strategies for how to identify and solve such problems.
Students enrolled in MTH 1825 will be notified of topics to be presented in a weekly e-mail. The sessions will start during the second week of classes, and the schedule and locations will be sent to MTH 1825 students in advance. Please check your student e-mail for updates.
The MLC Neighborhood Centers
Welcom to the MLC Neighborhood Center Web Page. Our goal is to provide free and friendly mathematics tutoring near you. Our helpful staff is now available in Brody, Hubbard and Holden residence halls at the following times:
Brody Neighborhood: The MLC MathSquare
138 Brody Hall
Monday through Thursday
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
East Neighborhood: The MLC MathHub
129 Hubbard Hall
Monday through Thursday
6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
South Neighborhood: The MLC MathDen
134 Holden Hall
Monday through Thursday
5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Please join us if you need any help with your math classes. We offer tutoring for most undergraduate math courses from MTH 1825 through MTH 235. In addition we will hold Problem and Exam Review Sessions for MTH 1825, MTH 103, and MTH 114 and Supplemental Sessions for MTH 1825 (click links for more information).
We look forward to helping you succeed!
Click here for general information about MSU Neighborhoods.
MLC Surveys and Results
We would greatly appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to fill out a brief survey about the MLC and the MLC sponsored review sessions. It should take only a few moments to fill out. There are two different surveys. The first evaluates the MLC Tutoring Service located in the A-Wing of Wells Hall. The second evaluates the review sessions sponsored by the MLC before exams in many large uniform courses. If you have attended an MLC sponsored review session, we would appreciate that you fill out both surveys. Your answers to our survey will help us to improve the services of the Mathematics Learning Center for you and future students of your class. All of your answers will be read and considered very carefully. The MLC would appreciate your feedback after each review session. The MLC tutor survey only needs to be filled out once each semester.
As an extra resource for our students, the Department of Mathematics offers a Math Learning Center. The goal of the Center is to provide a supportive atmosphere in which serious students can learn mathematics. We offer comprehensive service to students taking MTH 1825, all 100 level math courses, MTH 234 and MTH 235. Limited help is available for other 200 level and 300 level courses. The facility is staffed primarily by teaching assistants who are currently teaching the courses in which they are providing assistance. The high quality of this staff is verified by their ratings from student evaluations of the classes they teach.
Each semester all students enrolled in 100 or 200 level math courses are asked to evaluate the MLC. In SS11, the average rating for overall performance of our tutors is 3.56 out of 4.0. We recorded about 15,000 visits by students for the Fall 2005 & Spring 2006 semester. Surveys of our tutors show that they are friendly and helpful, with average ratings of 3.8 and 3.65 respectively on a 4.0 scale.
Almost all students indicate that the Centers have helped increase their math grades by anywhere from .5 to 3.0 on the standard 4.0 scale. Those that attended the MLC frequently throughout the semester indicated the MLC improved their grade by an average of 1.2.
Below are a few quotes reported by students on the surveys:
“I am really grateful for the MLC. The tutors helped me a lot throughout the
semester and they are wonderful! I am glad this learning center is open to
students.”
“The MLC is great. I especially like the fact that I can come and do my homework
there and get instant help.”
“Just keep doing this I think it is a great asset to those trying to learn
math!”
“I love the MLC and will continue to use it in the future. It is so helpful!”
“The MLC is one of the best components of attending Michigan State University. I
am very impresses by the knowledgeable tutors. They are very helpful. I am
especially impressed by the night tutors both during the week and n the
weekend.”
“The MLC tutors were very helpful and knew what they were talking about. I
appreciated how much time they spent with me and how they were so patient.”
“I honestly feel that if there was no MLC I wouldn't be able to pass this class.
The help I have received has been great.”
“The math learning center is awesome. i don't know what I'd do without it”
“I really like the MLC I feel I can get personal attention when I don't
understand something and increase my self esteem. Some people I have
observed don't seem to know much about MLC and how good it is and how much
it can help them.”
“I love the MLC! The MLC has single-handedly saved me and my math grade this
semester. I can ask about anything anytime and the hours are very flexible. If I
have time between classes I can stop by. Or if I have some last-minute questions
before I turn in my homework they're open until 10pm. If the MLC closes down I
don't know how I will survive. “
“The MLC is the best place on campus to get help. The tutors were very
helpful and knew what they were talking about. It is a great place to come every
day and just study and do your homework. I have an instant tutor anytime I have
questions. I appreciated how patient they were and how much time they
spent with me. They never got annoyed no matter how many questions I asked. The
MLC does get busy just before exams and hard assignments, but if you come
regularly, you can get one-on-one tutoring most of the time. I cannot believe I
ever paid a private tutor. If I had known how awesome the MLC was going to be I
would have come here first. Take my advice – come often and it will save your
grade and sanity”
“I LOVE THE MLC! IT IS MY SECOND HOME! I HONESTLY TO DO NOT KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO
WITHOUT IT!”
Looking for the Statistics Help Room?
The Statistics Department has its own help room to help with STT 200, 201, 231, 315, and 351. For the hours and location of the Statistics Help Room, please see the Statistics Department's web page.
Contact Us
Daniel King
A126 Wells Hall
Department of Mathematics
Michigan State University
For questions regarding the Mathematics Learning Center services, please e-mail mlc@math.msu.edu.
Interested in Becoming a Tutor?
MLC assistants tutor other undergraduates within the Math Learning Center. Tutors should have completed MTH 235 or MTH 309, have an overall cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (preferably 3.5), and a cumulative math course GPA of at least 3.5 (preferably 4.0). Applicants with more math background can be considered to tutor students in higher level courses.
Undergraduate students may apply at MLC Undergraduate Application
Graduate students may apply at MLC Grad Application
INCOMING Advanced Track Freshman may apply at MLC Incoming Advanced Track Application