Lucie Mingla | Section OL85 | Semester: Fall 2020

Discussion: Introductions & Mathography

Your first OpenLab Discussion assignment is to introduce yourself to your classmates.  This assignment is due Sunday,  August 30, at the start of class. Late submissions will receive partial credit.

Assignment. Add a comment in reply to this post introducing yourself to the class.  Your comment should be at least 2 paragraphs in length.  In the first paragraph, introduce yourself in whatever way you wish. You could include your academic interests, why you chose your major, what you enjoy reading, listening to, watching, and doing in your spare time, or anything else you want to share (include your pronouns, if you wish).  In the second paragraph, choose ONE of the following two topics and write a response. Don’t forget to tell us which topic you chose.

Topics (choose ONE).

  1. Was math ever your favorite subject? If so, when was it? What about math made it your favorite? If math has never been your favorite subject, what about it do you not like?
  2. Sometimes people can recognize a time when their opinion of math dramatically changed either for the better or the worse. Tell us about it.

Extra Credit. Get to know your classmates! For extra credit, write a response to one of your classmates’ comments. Do you feel the same? Did you learn anything? Do you have any advice? Be kind.

52 Comments

  1. Aleudys Jose Diaz

    Good Day, I’m Aleudys Jose Diaz, you guys could call me AL. I moved to the united states almost four years ago, and I could say it has been a fantastic experience. I’m the first in my family to get a college degree in UnitedStates. I’m 29 years old, and I’m trying to explore myself the best I can. I’m currently a Junior at City tech after I transferred from BMCC with my Associate’s Degree, and I’m currently pursuing a bachelor’s in a computer information system.I’m presently working at Apple. I found myself very fortunate that I work in such a fantastic company and have allowed me not to worry about job security during this pandemic. I have always lived with five-year expectations, but not this time in my life. I can tell you that in the next three years, I will be finishing a master’s program and moving to the Dominican Republic to take some time off the system to develop other parts of my life that I feel are very important. However, I will be probably be living in Texas in 5 years.

    I honestly feel that curriculum activities like calculus, differential calculus, and heavy-duty academic engineering math do not prepare you for real-life situations when counting money in your hands. But I could honestly say that having an excellent fundamental could allow you to excel in any job due to the problem-solving skills. When I moved to the United States, I got employment with a statistic agency, and it was to the fast way I was able to calculate in my head, and even though it was a temporary job, I learned a lot with them. And how math could be used to make a lot of money.

    • Julio Wang Liao

      Hey Al,
      It seems that we are on the same Bachelor Degree right now. And same as you, I come from a Latin-american country as well. It is great that you have your career path and future plan out. I will like to live in Texas as well since the weather is closer to what it is at home and there is no snow.
      I do agree with you that in having a excellent fundamental of math can improve your problem-solving skills.

      • Lucie Mingla

        Great Julio! You are mentioning one of the most important things that math helps us in our lives with”problem-solving skills’

    • Eli

      “having an excellent fundamental could allow you to excel in any job due to the problem-solving skills”

      I agree with you, math is a really important skill to have, not just regular calculations but also a skill to understand formulas and making unfamiliar things familiar.

      • Lucie Mingla

        We always feel unfamiliar with something new. But once we practice and get used to it, it becomes easier and better.

    • Joel

      Hello AL, I agree with you that pre calc cannot be used in everyday life but rather as a viable tool when working or attempting to land a job. That’s cool that you landed a job at Apple by the way.

      • Lucie Mingla

        I will show you that Pre-calc is used everywhere in our lives.
        Stay tuned!

    • al jose diaz

      well no one reply to me , and I want the extra credit so, I hope everyone enjoys the semester . good luck

    • Tamia Pitts

      I agree Aleudys, so far I’ve noticed if it’s not school work related, the most you really use math for is taxes, gratuity, counting money, and finding your sale price.

      • Lucie Mingla

        Tamia, it seems that there was no much of the connection of mathematics applications in real life on your plate while learning math. I hope I will make it clear to you that there is almost nothing in life that doesn’t involve mathematics.

    • Aleudys jose Diaz

      Tamia Pitts :nice meeting you im not able to reply tp you directly until the discounting gets approve .

    • Lucie Mingla

      Comment (Private): (show)(hide)
      Hi Al,
      That is a great introduction. I see that you are looking forward to challenge yourself in math for multiple reason.
      Good Luck!

      NOTE: Private response is visible only to instructors and to the post’s author.

    • Itmamul

      I hope you the best of luck for your future. And I totally understand where you’re coming from. I moved to U.S 5 years ago. and I hope you keep doing your best.

  2. Julio Wang Liao

    Hello Class, My name is Julio Wang Liao. As you can see from my Spanish first name, I am originally from Panama and moved to the States approximately 9 years ago. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor in Computer Information System.

    Math have never been my favorite subject since high school but I do think that I do fine with it. But I do understand that Math is an important subject as it is the basis from what a lot of different fields stem from. A good understanding of math can boost our problem solving skills and make it easier to understand different subjects as well.

    • Lucie Mingla

      Julio,
      You are mentioning one of the most important things that mathematics help within our lives”problem-solving skills”.

  3. Shane

    My name is Shane Hall. I am in my second year of City tech. My major is computer engineering technology. The reason why I chose this major is that it targets my career job (computer hardware engineer). One of my main goals is to make my own gaming Pc. Some of my hobbies consent of watching Youtube, anime, listening to music, working out, and gaming. I mostly listen to Hip Hop/Rap, R&B, and occasionally Rock music.

    Math was always my favorite subject. Ever since I was young I liked playing with numbers. I wanted to see how high or how low I can make them. When I was in elementary and middle school I will always get 100s or A’s on all my test and quizzes. I was always a fast learner when it comes to math. All I needed was two or three examples then I would understand the whole process. Two of my favorite mathematics are statistics and algebra. Statistics (in my eyes) prove numbers don’t lie. Statistics now a day is helpful for TV series, anime, apps, and even music. Spotify does a great job at this. They show you how long you used the app, your top artist every year, and your favorite genre.

    • Lucie Mingla

      You will learn much more mathematics in the precalc course.
      Stay tuned!

  4. Eli

    My name is Eli Zavlunov, people best know me as Eli Zav for short, I was born in Moscow, moved to New York around 6 years ago, I am currently on the path to receive my Bachelors in cyber security. I have numerous hobbies that I do, I am a gem cutter, car mechanic, translator, and a computer builder. Growing up, I went to an international school, and I have seen many different careers in person, I also have experienced numerous options myself, some I have favored, some I have not. But I have made my decision to stick with cyber security. 

    Math is an interesting field that i was first interested in because every formula made sense, it is just like cutting a gem, there are different approaches and techniques to understand proper calculations to get the correct outcome, when i first started taking mathematical courses in college my prospective has changed, i was not prepared for this approach that was necessary to understand mathematical equations, i began taking classes and felt more like a researcher and a writer rather then someone who can solve equations given the proper structure. this semester in particularly i took a couple of classes out in order to really grasp my understanding in math and find more interest in math, hence it is the way of thinking, just like chess.

    I am looking forward to learn and advance my approach to different equations this semester, and give math another opportunity since i will need it in my career.

    • Lucie Mingla

      I am glad that you are mentioning that you became a “researcher and a writer rather than someone who can solve equations given the proper structure”. It is important that you understand what you are looking for in a course.
      Your mindset is very important for your success. If you set up clear expectations, objectives, and long term goals that for sure would lead to a successful career. Study habits are very important as well.

  5. Joel

    Hello my name is Joel, Math has always been my favorite subject since elementary school. What made math stand out to me was the skills that can be used in my everyday life and it’s a very interesting subject once I understood it properly.

    • Lucie Mingla

      Great Joel! Good Luck in the journey of math challenges!

  6. Ifathsarul

    I’m Ifathsarul Hoque, you guys could call me Rafsan and this is my nickname. I am Freshman in City Tech. My major is Electrical Engineering Technology. I like to play Video games.

    Honestly I would say that is true, “Sometimes people can recognize a time when their opinion of math dramatically changed either for the better or the worse.” Because in my 7th grade I really had a bad grade in math which made me feel like math is the worst subject I have ever taken. But again in 8th grade when I started to focus on math and getting better marks in the test and my thoughts about math changed.

    • Lucie Mingla

      Go for an “A” here! Good Luck!

  7. Paul Cruz

    Hello everyone! My name is Paul Cruz. I’m 19 from Ecuador. Some interesting facts about me is that I know 3 languages which are Spanish , Sign language and English which is my second language still learning it. In my spare time I like to exercise and play some sports as well. My current major is Computer System which is a career I’m interested in since technology is something I have always been passionate about. I believe that getting this degree could actually open different doors into the big world of technology out there as well to keep learning new things to improve myself better to move on into a different path as I continue learning and figuring out life as well. I also like to get to know more cultures because it is very interesting getting to know the different types of culture out there and fulfill myself with new experiences ,foods and different perspectives of life.
    Math has never been my favorite subject but it is very important. The reason why I mention this is because knowing the base and the fundamentals can help you in real life when it comes to money , business and many others. Personally I don’t dislike math but I just have a hard time learning it and memorizing it as it has many rules and equations to follow that is something that makes it harder for me because any error can have a negative effect when doing math.

    • Lucie Mingla

      Your major needs knowing math. So, stay tuned!

  8. Tamia Pitts

    Hello, my name is Tamia Pitts and I am a computer engineering major at City Tech. I am currently working on my second degree. I am a health care worker. I enjoy doing many things, one of these things are traveling. In my spare time I am either working or hanging out with family, friends or acquaintances.
    Growing up I was never too fond of math. However, when my interest in engineering sparked in High School and I realized there’s no running from it at all, I began to gain an interest towards it.

    • Lucie Mingla

      Tamia, you can never learn how computers work without knowing mathematics concepts.
      So, here you go. You just admitted that “there’s no running from it at all”.

  9. sajid

    Hi, My name is Sajid Hossain. I,m a freshmen in city tech and I am majoring on Computer Systems Technology. I enjoy playing video games and exploring new places, especially haunted places. I like to play Basketball and Football. My dream vacation is Dubai and Bora Bora, French Polynesia.

    My Favorite subject is Math since i started to going to school. I seem to understand it and find it easy. All those numbers and calculations and formulas made me like it and for some reasons i was just good at it and like it better than any subject. Math was always fun for me and it always taught me new things and new ways to solve things. Every class boring to me since i started going to school except Math. Lets see how this semester goes for me this year.

    • Lucie Mingla

      Great that you are sharing your excitement about math Sajid.
      Good Luck!

  10. Anthony Romero

    Hello my name is Anthony Romero and I’m from Queens, New York. I am a freshman in City Tech and still not sure on what I wanna do here yet. I’m more of a night owl and like to either do my work or have fun during the nighttime. I’ve been trying to sleep earlier since if i don’t get enough sleep my would start to burn and unable to open, which would be bad since i have to stare at a screen for more than an hour. I like watching anime or other shows in my spare time. I used to like skateboarding but my time outside of the house has been limited ever since Covid.

    Topic 2
    My opinion on math changed for the better when I was in 8th grade and I was enrolled in a honor class which I did not fit in at all. I was never confident in my grades in math at all and was falling behind. During every lunch period my teacher would call up the kids up who weren’t doing well in her class and it was always embarrassing. She always tutored us and I never enjoyed since it made me feel dumb.The regents exam came and I was so sure that I would get a 70 or below but I had an 86. That may sound like an ok grade but to me at that time I felt proud. I then started to get more involved and started to enjoy math a little bit more.

    • Lucie Mingla

      The most important thing in your story is that you should believe by now that you can learn mathematics, and you can do well. Stay tuned!

  11. mohina

    Hello everyone,My name is Mohina Asadova, I joined this class a bit late, but I am really excited for this semester to learn about Preclaculus with you all!! I am currently a junior in CityTech and majoring in Accounting. In my spare time I like to read fiction or go out to the park to play tennis. I love going out and exploring the city with my family and friends. I also love drawing but i decided to pursue in Accounting for now and plan to do art on the side in the future.

    Math was my favorite subject in middle school, I still remember how my 8th grade teacher though me math, and I loved her class. She would be so excited to teach that made the kids excited to learn. She would go over each problem with students and made the students so comfortable to talk and ask her for help if they needed it. She would also give examples of how math can be used in our daily life, and just overall made it simple and easy for the students.

    • Lucie Mingla

      Isn’t this fun and exciting? We are sharing our experiences and habits.
      It is a great place to learn and grow. So stay tuned!

    • andre pennicott

      Hello Mohina, I’m Andre,
      I agree with you; in middle school, math was great for me because of my teacher. She made it understandable and fun for the whole class.

  12. Itmamul Moaz

    Hi , name is Itmamul Moaz. I am a CST student. I love electronics, technology and gadgets, I am still kind of unsure on what to do in life or what way to go. But so far I am going for what I love doing and don’t know about the future.

    If I wanna say something about maths, I’ll have to say i have a long history with maths. I remember when I was a kid I loved maths it was my favorite subject. Until it started to become more letters and memorizing formulas than numbers. It started to become more stressful than fun and I kind of stopped enjoying it. But I hope things in college will change my outlook on maths it already started to change a little.

    • Lucie Mingla

      We will make it a fun challenge and learning.

  13. Alex Yauri

    Hello class, my name is Alex Yauri and I’m currently a freshman at City Tech. I’m born and raised in Queens and I’m majoring in computer engineering technology. I originally was going to apply to Vaughn College and study avionics but I chose this major because I believe it provides me with a sense of job security for the future. I’m not too crazy about reading or watching shows because I like to be out and about. My hobbies I would say include playing handball, photography, and anything aviation related.

    Math was favorite subject my Sophomore and Junior year in high school. I was really good at it for some reason, everything always made sense whenever my teachers would teach it. I liked the fact that for different situations/problems there’s only one way to find an answer or that there’s different formulas and methods to get an answer.

    • Lucie Mingla

      I like the fact that you are bringing the idea that “there are different formulas and methods to get an answer”.
      Always think of different approaches and ways to solve a problem. It helps you understand and make better connections to what you know and what you’re learning.

    • Iftekar Hossain

      Hey Alex, I like the way you introduced your self. One of my friend is going to Vaughn College. Also I like taking picture. I would say that you are lucky that you understand math fast. I need a long time to understand math, but once I understand I can do the work.

  14. Alex Yauri

    Hello class, my name is Alex Yauri and I’m currently a freshman at City Tech. I’m born and raised in Queens and I’m majoring in computer engineering technology. I originally was going to apply to Vaughn College and study avionics but I chose this major because I believe it provides me with a sense of job security for the future. I’m not too crazy about reading or watching shows because I like to be out and about. My hobbies I would say include playing handball, photography, and anything aviation related.

    Math was favorite subject my Sophomore and Junior year in high school. I was really good at it for some reason, everything always made sense whenever my teachers would teach it. I liked the fact that for different situations/problems there’s only one way to find an answer or that there’s different formulas and methods to get an answer.

  15. Iftekar Hossain

    Hi, my name is Iftekar Hossain, I am a freshman at City Tech. My major is Chemical Technology. I enjoy reading books that are about astronomy. I like watching anime. In my free time I pay basketball, reading book, or just watch TV.

    It is true that “Sometimes people can recognize a time when their opinion of math dramatically changed either for the better or the worse.” I think that some people’s opinion about math might change for the worse because they feel like they are giving all they have but they are not getting the result. I think will a little bit for help from a friend or a teacher can chance they opinion also motivate them to work harder. For example when I was in 9th grade I was really bad at math and for that reason I didn’t like math. But some of my friends decided to help me with my work and they changed my opinion about math.

  16. Tyrone M Moncada

    Hey, my name is Tyrone Moncada. I’m currently in my third year of as a full time college student. I was born in Brooklyn and lived in New York for the entirety of my life. I love New York and visit its iconic attractions like Central Park, Statue of Liberty or Times Square. Also I’m a huge movie fanatic as well so whenever a new movie that I’m interested in is coming out, I go on day 1. Right now, I can’t even do those things so it kinda sucks right now.

    I’m a huge fan of math. I love it. In high school, I would be the top math student in my class since I always went ahead and did all the classswork and homework before it was even announced or needed. College math is really tough but I can still manage myself with it and have to approach it a different way like a math problem. There’s so many formulas and methods to approach a problem with in math. So trying to figure out a method on how to manage college math feels like a huge math problem that I try to figure out which will give me the best correct answer.

  17. Tyrone

    Hey, my name is Tyrone Moncada. I’m currently in my third year of as a full time college student. I was born in Brooklyn and lived in New York for the entirety of my life. I love New York and visit its iconic attractions like Central Park, Statue of Liberty or Times Square. Also I’m a huge movie fanatic as well so whenever a new movie that I’m interested in is coming out, I go on day 1. Right now, I can’t even do those things so it kinda sucks right now.

    I’m a huge fan of math. I love it. In high school, I would be the top math student in my class since I always went ahead and did all the classswork and homework before it was even announced or needed. College math is really tough but I can still manage myself with it and have to approach it a different way like a math problem. There’s so many formulas and methods to approach a problem with in math. So trying to figure out a method on how to manage college math feels like a huge math problem that I try to figure out which will give me the best correct answer.

  18. andre pennicott

    Hello class, my name is Andre Pennicott. I’m currently majoring in mechanical engineering. I chose this major because I’m a very hands-on person; I have a passion for building. Being a car enthusiast plays a significant role in the reason I chose to become a mechanical engineer. I love building and working on my car with my friends, going on night drives, and attending car meets. I do not have a passion for reading, but I read to learn new things from time to time. I like listening to all types of music that have a good beat behind it. My friends finally got me into watching anime around a year ago, which I enjoy very much. For my spare time, I go on my Xbox, play basketball, or work on either my car or my friend’s cars.

    Math was once my favorite subject throughout my life until college. Reason in saying that is because of the limited time you have to grasp a topic throughout elementary and high school. I was able to gain the information and tools needed to get a high grade in my math classes. However, once I started college, we only have four months to grasp a whole class load of topics while before then, it was ten months. Math was my favorite topic because I was good at it. My teachers wouldn’t even call on me because they already knew that I understood the material, which made me frustrated sometimes, so I called out the answers some time for attention.

  19. BigNigTech

    My name is Nigel Nicholson, I am currently in my 2nd year at New York City College of Technology. I was a student here in the early 90’s but I have to leave due to personal issues. After a long hiatus and 3 kids later(I didn’t birth them), at 48, I decide to return to school, this time choosing a different major which is computer engineering. I enjoy building things with my hands, especially computers. Its a hobby I acquire when the price of Apple’s desktop computers became to expensive for a decent spec one.

    I use to enjoy math, but I haven’t really use math to a greater extent during my career which I was a graphic artist. I just use basic math like factions, measurements, proportional scaling and reductions. When I first came back, my advisor recommended that I take Math 1475 which was calculus, lets just say I was a fish out of water. After 25yrs away from college I was out of my element, plus having various health issues make it somewhat difficult. My goal is to get a degree and math is an important part of achieving that. No matter how difficult it might get, I am committed to passing this class.

  20. imani

    Hi, I’m Imani Morant. i was wondering whos in group 7. Also, whos going to be the leader and what topic we are doing.

  21. imani

    Hi, I’m Imani Morant. i was wondering whos in group 7. Also, whos going to be the leader and what topic we are doing.

  22. imani

    Hi, I’m Imani Morant. i was wondering whos in group 7. Also, whos going to be the leader and what topic we are doing.

  23. imani

    Hi, I’m Imani Morant. i was wondering whos in group 7. Also, whos going to be the leader and what topic we are doing.

    • Lucie Mingla

      Imany,
      The groups and ongoing discussion in your group are on the Discussion Board on the Blackboard. You as a class chose and voted for that.
      Go to our class site on the Bb, select discussion on the drop-down menu, and you will see that groups and names will show up. You can participate there.
      If you still have a question reach out to me.

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