Doha: Qatari students to enter engineering degree programmes at Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ) are spending two weeks enhancing their maths skills this summer ahead of their first semester as university students.
TAMUQ Office of Development, Engagement and Outreach has organised the two-week course — the Pathways for Retention in Engineering Programmes (PREP) initiative. PREP began on July 31 and runs until August 11. PREP is part of the Dhia: Engineering Leaders initiative, a partnership between TAMUQ and long-time collaborator Maersk Oil Qatar that aims to help young Qataris to choose and succeed in educational pathways in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), which are critical to the success of Qatar National Vision 2030.
“The first year of college is a big transition for most students, no matter what they choose to study. Engineering can be especially challenging, and we are grateful to Maersk Oil Qatar for support and to Dr. Nite for lending her expertise in preparing the next generation of engineering leaders who will lead Qatar’s future growth and development,” said Dr. César O Malavé, Dean, TAMUQ.
The goal of the programme is to provide a solid foundation in maths, which is essential in sciences and engineering, to support academic success of Qatari engineering students.
It comprises intense instruction in topics such as functions, trigonometry, linear systems and mechanics. The students are also becoming familiar with technologies such as advanced calculators and data collection devices.
They are also participating in academic success seminars to enhance their academic skills while being introduced to campus resources.
Jowaher Al Marri, Outreach and Development Manager, TAMUQ, said many students come to university each year suffering from what is called “summer learning loss,” meaning that students lose much of the information learned the previous year.
“To prevent this, it is imperative that students continue to practice and learn throughout the summer to retain or improve knowledge. PREP helps incoming freshmen refresh and strengthen important skills and information so they will be better equipped to succeed in these foundational courses when they take them for credit during their first year at university. The programme will give Qatari students a head start to enhance important maths and science skills so that they will be able to enjoy the educational opportunities offered by TAMUQ with confidence,” Al Marri said.
The Peninsula
