Advice from Prior Students
Show up to class every day to do the exercises.
Talk to Dr. Sarah and your classmates! Don't be afraid to ask questions if you're stuck on something simple. Also, don't just assume you're right; ask to compare answers! I'm a pretty quiet person, but once I started communicating more, the math felt a lot easier to understand.
I recommend engaging with the interactive videos and quizzes first and then using the normal class meeting times to discuss struggles with peers as they will sometimes have a helpful explanation. And of course, I recommend asking questions to the professor whether it is about checking if something is right, or seeking another explanation, or wondering about a connection or application, etc.
Actually read the textbook when suggested, watch the videos and do all the assignments. You will learn.
I would suggest that they do every assignment to the best of their ability. The reading assignments were valuable because they provided a baseline for the course material learned in that module and then the video provides answers to the minor details you overlooked and explains the more complex ideas that were covered.
Putting in the effort in this class helps a lot. Read the book, watch the videos and you'll slowly but surely learn the information. Something I'd recommend is also writing down Theorems from the book as that allows for quick referral to concepts.
pay close attention to the videos that you watch outside of class because they do help a lot.
Make sure to do all the work assigned. It all helps, and the order of it is generally the optimal way to go. If you have questions, ask. Dr Sarah is very willing to help.
Make sure you fully understand the material on the video and each quiz question before moving on. Take good notes.
Take notes!! It is easy to just listen to the video presentations but you have to take notes!
The interactive videos and the quizzes really help with what is coming up the next class. If you need help then Dr. Sarah helps extremely well in office hours.
Take video and quiz practice questions seriously, they are a great no-risk way to gauge your knowledge
Don't be afraid to get stuff wrong on the quizzes, they help you understand more if you do and there are helpful hints to show where you might've messed up! and you can always retake it. This helped me the most I think.
Read the feedback you get on assignments/quizzes, it's really helpful
Start problem sets earlier.
It really helps to take advantage of all the resources available. Always review Dr. Sarah's feedback and solutions online. If you don't understand a topic, buckle down and review and ask questions until it makes sense. Quizzes and handwrites are also extremely helpful for problem sets.
Study the homework questions and study guide, they help a lot.
Just make sure to complete every assignment as every single one of them is important to linear algebra and your ability to learn it.
Learn the 1st chapter stuff real good including span/pivots/# of solutions as it will keep coming back.
Really try and get a base understanding. Everything builds off of each other.
Make sure you still stay on top of things and dedicate the necessary time.
Getting just a little ahead in the work is a great idea, and entirely feasible. And use the resources, talk to the classmates and professor, that was vital for me.
Keep up with your daily tasks and make sure to ask questions! There is so much help available.
Make sure to look back at past chapters or videos throughout the semester because they all are connected in some way. You can change the speed.
Take the time to understand the basics! and talk to Dr, Sarah when you are confused! She can help you understand anything and will save you a ton of time compared to trying to dig through the textbook for answers.
If you start falling behind, put in the extra time/work to catch up because everything builds on each other. Definitely use resources available.
Patience is key, Dr Sarah goes above and beyond to help solidify material, but some of it is rather challenging and you must be self-reliant, so dedicate a sizable amount of time
If you're going to procrastinate on the assignments, be prepared for a few hours of hard work the day that it's due. The morning deadlines appealed extremely to me, as I am a night-owl type person.
I enjoy staying up late, and I find that is the best time for me to get my work done. If you're similar to me, this may be a good way of doing your work.
Ask Dr. Sarah questions!!! Some professors are super weird and unhelpful about students asking questions about assignments, but Dr. Sarah is not only super friendly but always willing to help.
Ask for help. Dr. Sarah is one of the teachers that will do her best to explain something that you don't understand.
Don't be frightened by the structure of the class. It might feel overwhelming in the first week, but after getting into the routine of completing the homework and the classwork the course material becomes easier to work through.
This class will in due time make sense, just stick to it and you will understand.
Breathe and have fun with it! Realize that this class isn't necessarily difficult, it's just different (and cool). Keep up with your definitions! Keep asking yourself "what do we mean by span?" "what is a linear combination?" So, make sure you're constantly asking yourself how much you really know. If you know you lack some knowledge, do a little review.
Go to the Zoom hours to ask questions. Dr. Sarah is super supportive and always happy to help.