Yousef Taqi: Colorado, Kuwait, Leiden—Math!
For student Yousef Taqi, a calculus course proved that math was his true passion. He finished his mechanical engineering degree at the University of Colorado Boulder and returned to his home country of Kuwait. Once he found full-time work, he began a quest for an online math program he could fit into his professional life. The answer: IU Online’s BS in Mathematics.
Big (and small) online world
Flexibility was a huge asset for Taqi. Lecture times were based on students’ votes for evenings. Evening classes meant Taqi could interact in real time with an international crowd of students. There were students from Kuwait, and even a student from a math class Taqi took at UC Boulder. He says, “Every class I’ve taken, I’ve loved. The Mathematical Proofs class was a standout. It introduces you to higher levels of math—the concepts used in every math class that follows. Solving a long problem is fun! People think I’m insane for that. But you’re working on it, figuring it out, and in the end it clicks. It’s euphoric.”
Lively, not remote
For Taqi, the online classroom dissolves barriers. “Discussion boards are a good place to hash over ideas and problems we tackled that week. In person, people are shy about asking questions they think are stupid. In an online environment, as the saying goes, there’s no such thing as a stupid question. People bring up whatever’s on their mind. Even the professors take part. Discussion boards are perpetually engaging.”
Learning as a student and an instructor
Taqi wants to teach, because teaching is in his family. He was delighted when—after his first class—a professor offered him a position as supplemental instructor. “It was a miracle falling into my lap. I didn’t realize you could do this as an undergrad!”
The experience was profound. “I took part in the excitement of math as a teacher, a mentor, and an explorer. I worked with students of all ages, from all over the place. Some were struggling. Others were very good at the subject and wanted different perspectives on problems or concepts. Some wanted to share my passion for math. One was an 80-year-old who just liked math.”
Taqi learned how to gauge what’s going through students’ minds. “Seeing them on camera, I could watch their reactions as I explained something. I’d start with a basic introduction, go through the material, and stop every few minutes to make sure everyone’s on the same page. These reactions helped me shape the way I conduct and structure a session. And they helped with time management. The more students you have, the more questions you plan for.”
Teaching and learning were a virtuous circle of inquiry and reward, because even though he was the instructor, Taqi learned a lot of math from his students. He says, “Some of my favorite times were when students came up with different ways of tackling the same problem. I’d just sit there and think, ‘Huh. You know, that works as well. That’s awesome!’” A mechanical engineer supervisor by day, Taqi progressed toward his BS in Math and taught as an SI by night. Pragmatic days and philosophical nights, he said. “Teaching was the dessert.”
Praise for IU Online
Taqi has only good things to say about his online experience. “The professors are great, the students I worked with are great. The program was very convenient, with a wide variety of classes. Everything I wanted to take was available. I’d highly recommend IU Online, especially for anyone doing math.”
He hails his advisor’s sustained personal contact. He was in touch throughout every semester, making sure all was going well and suggesting various routes based on Taqi’s academic interests.
The connections Taqi made at IU Online still hold. A former professor invited him to help renovate some of his Canvas courses. Now they’re colleagues, collaborating on updating the kinds of courses Taqi took as an undergrad.
What’s next?
Now Taqi is at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, pursuing a master’s degree in math. He’s specializing in algebra, geometry, and number theory. He loves Leiden and its cool rainy days. “In Kuwait you can’t even go to your car without sweating. I wouldn’t mind if it rained here every day.” No longer a mechanical engineer, Taqi is a full-time student. Looking ahead, he sees research and a PhD. In the long run, his goal is to be a mathematics professor. Of IU Online, which kindled his love for math, he says, “I give it two thumbs up, for sure!”
