Greg Aralar

9/13/15
College 1 12:15-1:40
Math Jam Reflection
Math Jam was an exciting experienced to be in because it introduced many people to
meet new friends and a way to transition from high school to college. Math Jam was a 1 week
course during summer vacation and it was to prepare incoming 1 st year students for their math
courses and prepare them for college. Math Jam has influenced me by showing that college is a
serious moment for every one because its either a second chance to go to the university of your
dreams or a chance to explore of what you want to be and choose a career. The reason I wanted
to go to college was because I wanted to continue my education and achieve my goal. It was to
transfer to UCLA and graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I have always wanted to
go to UCLA because the school was introduced to me by my family and friends, it had the major
I wanted to go into and I was in love with the campus and the area it was in. The reason I wanted
to become a nurse was because I had always wanted to help sick people get better and make a
difference, my mother became a nurse and I want to be able to follow in her footsteps.
Before experiencing Math Jam I thought of it as a waste of time, if I went to Math Jam
then I would be wasting the last few weeks of my summer vacation. The first day of Math Jam I
was not expecting much because I thought it would be a math professor teaching students in an
auditorium. Listening to Ms. Olympia Lepoints story about how she became a rocket scientist
and wanted to help students achieve their goals made me interested in her lectures as Math Jam
continued. When I was with my coach, Srey, during Math Jam she had helped other students
including myself understanding out math course. She wanted us to have a fun experience when

were at PCC and to take advantage of the resources that the Pathways program is giving its
students. After experiencing Math Jam I was wrong about the whole program; it was a good
experience to remember because I had met a lot of new friends and coaches who had shared their
stories of when they were in Math Jam and the Pathways program.
The resource that I have learned about including the Teaching learning Center was the
MESA program. This program is to help students prepare from math and science courses at their
time at PCC. I plan on taking advantage of both these programs throughout the year because it
will be worth it later on as the semester continues. They will help me get through the classes that
I am struggling in and help me pass with a grade I am satisfied with. Using these resources is
important as the semester gets more intense because if you are struggling in a class who will you
go to when you need help? It is always good to get help when you need it because the students
that get help from others will improve in the classroom and have a better experience in college.