A day in the life

A hub for mathematics and statistics students

Like many students, Sarah Ambrose came to Dal not knowing many people in her program. But when she visited the Resource Centre to get help from a statistics tutor, she quickly met other students, including most of her current friends.

"I could come here and I could get help from the tutors or ask someone else in my class. It’s like a meeting place where everyone’s working and everyone is one the same page. I use it a lot. Everyone that I know, we’re all here together," she says.

The Learning Centre is the student hub of the Mathematics and Statistics Department, open to everyone enrolled in a mathematics or statistics class. The Learning Centre operates out of two locations: Room 119 in the Chase building during weekdays and room G40G in the learning commons in the Killam Library during the evenings. The Learning Centre is staffed by knowledgable senior undergraduate and graduate students who want to help.

Oleg Zarakhani, President of the Math and Stats society, spent a lot of time getting help from  teaching assistants during his first couple years. Now in his fifth year, he comes here to work  on problems with his friends. It keeps him connected to the department.

"A couple days before an assignment is due, you'll find people working on their assignments, so you can compare answers or if you're stuck, get some guidance," he says.

Abdullah Al-Shaghay, a 4th year honours student in mathematics, works two hours a week as a tutor. As a young undergraduate, he nearly lives here. Mathematics is a discipline that lends itself to collaboration, he says.  

“A lot of the time I work with friends on assignments, I think of doing it one way they think of doing it another. Both solutions work, and it opens you up to an interesting point of view from someone else.”

Resource Centre hours

• Room 119 Chase Building: Monday - Friday 9.00 am - 5 pm
• Room G40G Learning Commons: Monday - Thursday 7 pm - 10pm