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How to Have Success in Mathematics Class!
- Attend all class sessions on time. You cannot know exactly what goes on in class unless you are there. Missing class and then expecting to find out what went on from someone else is not the same as being there yourself.
- Read the book. It is best to read the section that will be covered in class beforehand. Reading in advance, even if you do not understand everything you read, is still better than going to class with no idea of what will be discussed.
- Work problems every day and check your answers. The key to success in mathematics is working problems. The more problems you work, the better you will become at working them. The answers to the odd-numbered problems are given in the back of the book. When you have finished an assignment, be sure to compare your answers with the ones in the book. If you made a mistake, look at your work to find what it was. If you get stuck on an even-numbered problem, look at a consecutive odd-numbered problem and try to work it out using the answer in the back of the book. This may help with your current problem.
- Do it on your own. Don’t be misled into thinking someone else’s work is your own. The instructor knows if you are doing your own work, and anyway, it comes back to “bite” you when you take the test. Having someone else look at your work and find your mistake is acceptable, but copying someone else’s work is not! It’s ok to get help when you get stuck, but get the “right kind of help”!
- Review every day. After you have finished the problems your instructor has assigned, take a few moments to review your notes and the section explanations. It will help to clarify things in your head. The more you review, the longer you will retain the material you have learned.
- Don’t expect to understand every new topic the first time you see it. Sometimes you will understand everything you are doing, and sometimes you won’t. That’s just the way things are in mathematics! Expecting to understand each new topic the first time you see it will lead to disappointment and frustration. Your instructor didn’t understand everything he first encountered, but through asking questions, reading the book, being patient with himself, and not giving up, he has developed a mastery of the skills being taught. Remember, sometimes we learn by making mistakes!
- Spend as much time as it takes for you to master the material. No set formula exists for the exact amount of time you need to spend in order to master the topics being introduced. You will find out as you go what is or is not enough time for you. If you end up spending two or more hours on a section to understand and finish it, then that’s how long it takes! If you get done sooner, then great! Just make sure that you allow yourself enough time, whatever amount that is. And remember, don’t quit when you get frustrated. It’s ok(and very normal); just do something else for a while and then come back to it! Perhaps even skip that problem and go on. Mark it with a question mark and ask your instructor in the morning.