Page 8 - ASC Highlights 2023

8

Spotlight on

Faculty Series

Madeleine Al-Tahan
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
College of Arts and Science, Abu Dhabi University
Email: madeleine.altahan@adu.ac.ae
Hello. Its Madeleine Al-Tahan, an assistant professor of Mathematics at ADU CAS. I have 16 years teaching and
research experience in Mathematics, a subject that is considered as ghost for many of you. The more days, months,
years passing in my life, I feel that I am still a student who is learning from her own faults/achievements, from
her students, and from every single person I meet.

As an undergraduate student, I focused (only) on getting my Bachelor degree with the best understanding of
the subject accompanied with the highest grades. Reflecting back on that part of my life, I realized that I missed
many important things that I could do without affecting my purpose. The real thing that I missed was enjoying
my university life. This was one of the things I wished I knew at that time: “University life goes beyond earning
a certificate. It is the skills we gain from participating in activities and interacting with colleagues and instructors.”

For our students, I would like to share things I realized their importance for happiness, success, and for
being a long-life learner.

The learning process never ends with earned certificates. No matter what and how many they are. Enjoy every
step of the journey.

Be clever when dealing with feedback. Not everyone is qualified to provide feedback. Analyze the feedback and
construct your improvement accordingly.

Be patient when deciding to master a new skill. The “willing to” is the base, small steps will complete the job.
Remember “The beauty of Burj Khalifa is not the result of a single day’s work”.

Take advantage of every single activity/competition that is done inside (or outside) the university. It is not
necessary to get a reward. The real reward that matters with time, is your involvement.

Train yourself on positivity. It is contagious.

There are no bad experiences. They are our best lessons that improve our growth. “My best lessons were from
the worse people I met. Learning just not to be like them is a skill.”

Most importantly, be kind. Kindness starts with a smile and remember that “There are no taxes on smile. So, think
financially and cheer up!”

There is no A-student or an F-student. We are not evaluated by grades. Remember that “A grade doesn’t evaluate
us as a person. It evaluates a very specific task that we did. It rates our achievement for the learning outcome of this
specific task.” The role of the Academic Success Center is to provide an opportunity for our students to practice
more, view the question from different angles, and get back on track. Therefore, don’t hesitate to ask them for
help as they are always ready to assist you!

Abu Dhabi University | ASC Highlights 2023 Spring 22-23