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Before beginning their maiden semester at Pomona, 117 incoming first-year students are getting what one professor calls “a dry run of college” this summer—and learning some math along the way.

While completely virtual, 1-2-1 Math gives Pomona students-to-be “the chance to connect with each other, connect with professors and some upper class students before the rush of orientation,” says Shahriar Shahriari, William Polk Russell Professor of Mathematics and Statistics.

“We think of it as an opportunity to get a head start on seeing what life at Pomona is like.”

With as many new out-of-state, international and first-generation students as the College welcomes each fall, Shahriari and fellow Math Professor Ghassan Sarkis had the idea years ago to provide newcomers a sort of dress rehearsal ahead of the first day of school.

1-2-1 Math officially launched in 2020 and ran successive summers before taking 2023 off.

Eliza Grisanti ’23 has been a 1-2-1 math teaching assistant coordinator every year, scheduling programming and working with the TA team to facilitate cohorts of 1-2-1 scholars. TAs lead math discussions, but they also lend advice and wisdom to incoming first-years anxious about beginning a new school year in a new place.

“For a lot of students,” Grisanti says, the program “eases a lot of fears, academic fears. It also gives them touchpoints in terms of knowing more faces. Even students that aren’t super anxious get something out of it. They’re getting to jump in early on the stuff they’re excited about—making friends, starting group chats.”

“Some students are there for the math,” Grisanti adds, “but there’s programming 24/7. There’s something for everyone.”

In six weeks, 1-2-1 scholars learn about resources and programs at the College; meet department heads and faculty members; attend virtual office hours; and become comfortable working collaboratively.

While the voluntary program doesn’t assign grades, students receive math assignments as they would in a college class. These assignments, Shahriari says, are customized according to a student's background and can be completed leisurely. All tasks focus on problem solving, logical and critical thinking, and collaborative learning, and many of the topics foreshadow areas the students may see in Pomona STEM or economics classes.

We think of [1-2-1 Math] as an opportunity to get a head start on seeing what life at Pomona is like.

— Math Professor Shahriar Shahriari

Reading also is assigned by assorted Pomona faculty, who lead subsequent discussions with students. Additionally, this summer has featured philosophy, history, Chicana/o-Latina/o studies and English roundtables. Slack channels keep everyone connected.

On top of academic conversations, scholars meet with TAs to broach various first-year curiosities: dorm life, dining, selecting classes, finding extracurriculars. Social activities are scheduled throughout the summer.

“All this is done online,” Shahriari says, “but it’s all interactive.”

Between settling into a dorm, making friends, choosing classes and navigating campus, the first few weeks of school can be quite hectic.

At its core, Shahriari says, 1-2-1 Math is meant to provide new students “a longer, slower, easier” introduction to the College so they can make informed and thoughtful decisions when they arrive on campus in August.

“I really love the program,” Grisanti says, “and I think there’s potential for it to keep growing.”