Building Calculus Confidence

Iris Horng, C’24, began Penn nervous about taking college-level math courses. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I entered my math courses feeling overwhelmed. Some other students had already taken multivariable calculus at community colleges prior, and I worried I’d be behind,” she says.

Though Horng ended up majoring in mathematics and minoring in statistics and data science—and she just completed her first year as a PhD candidate in statistics and data science at Wharton—she isn’t alone in having anxiety over math. Though exact numbers are hard to come by, the American Psychological Association cites that roughly 20 to 25 percent of children have math anxiety and it continues into adulthood.

The concern Horng initially felt stuck with her, and she was compelled to prevent others from experiencing the same apprehension. The result was a summer program designed to acclimate first year college students to math at Penn—whether guiding them to choose a course or prepare for one—called Bridge to Math. It’s about to host its fourth summer session.

Building a Bridge

As a member of the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education (SCUE) during her freshman year, Horng launched a research project to create programs for incoming students to alleviate math anxiety and prepare them for college-level courses. She conducted a survey across all four of Penn’s undergraduate schools to determine which courses students would most like help with; the intro-calculus sequence of mathematics classes easily rose to the top.

In response, Horng created preparatory materials for Math 1410, multivariable calculus (where she was a teaching assistant), and connected with the professor, Robert Ghrist, Andrea Mitchell University Professor of Mathematics and Electrical & Systems Engineering, who was eager to help. “Iris is incredible and if she’s excited about something, I definitely want to be involved,” says Ghrist. “Beyond that, it kills me to see any student struggling in calculus. We can’t make the courses easier, but we definitely should do everything we can to ensure students learn well.”

The Bridge to Math Program officially launched in summer 2022 with a three-day virtual session hosted by Horng and Ghrist. The first day was a Q&A session during which incoming first years could ask any questions about the array of entry-level math courses. Days two and three focused on multivariable and single variable calculus (Math 1400).

The response was overwhelming. Approximately 300 students registered, and more than 500 individuals visited the related website Horng had created.

Growing and Expanding

Clearly, Horng had identified a need, and in fall 2022, the Bridge to Math program expanded outside of SCUE to become its own club. A student-run board was established with Horng as director and Ghrist as faculty adviser. The program grew beyond single and multivariable calculus to include three more calculus courses, and student chairs were assigned for each. That year, the group also launched study halls—including food—and a summer workshop with Janine Remillard, a professor in Penn’s Graduate School of Education, called “Explore Your Feelings About Math,” to help students foster a growth mindset and a belief in their ability to improve.

Frankly, I think Bridge to Math is one of the most high-impact student groups that I’ve seen in my time at Penn. I’d love to see it expand to other subjects, like chemistry or physics.

As the program’s popularity grew, Bridge to Math needed additional funding beyond SCUE. “The Vice Provost for Education at the time, Karen Detlefsen, was really generous, and she supported our study halls for spring 2023 while we were trying to transition to a more stable funding source,” explains Horng, who applied for Undergraduate Assembly reserve funding and was awarded a $9,000 grant. Penn First Plus, a hub for promoting the excellence of first-generation and lower-income students, currently funds the program, though it remains open to everyone.

Equipped with more money, Bridge to Math launched course registration panels during the semester and began hosting study sessions during final exams. In summer 2023, the program held its second annual program virtually, this time covering all five calculus sequence courses. The group also hosted a virtual game night to connect math students socially.

Student feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Aadam Mulla, C’28, a student in the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research, first participated in the summer session last year. “Bridge to Math was a great resource and a great transition into college-level math,” he says. “The structure, community, and mentorship helped me feel more confident going into my first semester.”

Impressed by his experience, Mulla joined the team as the executive chair for one of the courses, a role in which he helps organize and teach weekly study halls. “I know how challenging and overwhelming the jump from high school to college math can be,” Mulla adds. “Now I have the opportunity to make that transition easier for others.”

Preparing for the Future

As Horng prepared to graduate in 2024, her mind was on finding a successor for Bridge to Math who was equally passionate about the mission. She found that person in Kristina Pham, C’26, a math major who co-directed the 2023 summer program and took over in 2024.

“Kristina and I share the same work ethic, mindset, and goals for Bridge to Math,” says Horng, who hopes to become a college professor. “It was important to both of us to create a supportive community for students while also giving our teaching assistants (TAs) a chance to interact with students in meaningful ways.”

Pham and Horng met through Penn’s student-run Association for Women in Math. Pham recalls attending Bridge to Math study sessions because of Horng, who became one of her mentors. She eventually applied for a marketing position to help spread the word about the summer program and later led the creation of the Math 1400 notes, the materials teaching TAs use during the actual session.

“I was promoted to co-director last year, and this year, I continued to be on Bridge to Math's executive board while helping transition leadership,” Pham says. “But Bridge to Math means so much to me because, even as a math major, taking Ivy League math classes can feel daunting. I want everyone to feel like doing math here is possible, that there are resources to succeed, and it can be fun when you understand it.”

This year, the co-director baton passed to Jonibek Muhsinov, C’26, a biochemistry and biophysics major, and Rachel Lyn-Sue, C’27, a neuroscience major. Each say they became involved with Bridge to Math because they struggled to decide which introductory math course to take. And both say the program helped them as entering first years and instilled in them a love of teaching.

The 2024 summer program was the most content-packed yet, with coursework for some classes expanding over five weeks, mimicking the cadence of the actual classes, and other courses receiving a dedicated session for the first time. The team also launched a virtual space where users can communicate via text, voice, and video calls. “Whether you are a math major or not,” Muhsinov says, “we want students to be able to meet other people through math before coming to Penn. Sometimes, just knowing others who are going through the same struggles can really help.”

This past semester, Bridge to Math held monthly study halls with TAs on hand to assist with all intro-level calculus courses and the group launched a Canvas site on which anyone, regardless of participation in the program, can access materials. “Every time we have a study hall, there’s always a student who has some profound, impactful story to tell,” says Pham, who hopes to become an actuary. “That’s how I know the work we do is important.”

Ghrist agrees. “Frankly, I think Bridge to Math is one of the most high-impact student groups that I’ve seen in my time at Penn,” he says. “I’d love to see it expand to other subjects, like chemistry or physics.”

With the semester behind them, Muhsinov and Lyn-Sue are preparing to host the fourth Bridge to Math summer session—work that aims to help hundreds of incoming Penn students feel more confident as they tackle college-level calculus.