TRANSCRIPT: How To Succeed In Math

Speaker: Annie Unger

How To Succeed In Math

My name is Annie Unger, and I’m a college math instructor and math tutoring specialist in Rhode Island. What we’re going to do today is discuss how to become successful or continue to be successful and achieve your goals in mathematics.

When we think about a college-level math course, this is very different from other courses because here you’re learning by doing. So it’s not just about memorization, but memorization and comprehension. So, compared to a high school math class, you’re going to be doing a lot of practice outside of class; in fact, about twice as much as you have done in the past.

This workshop is going to focus on strategies and tips needed to achieve that success and do very well in your college math classes.

Overview

Our topics for discussion today are going to include what you should do before class begins, what strategies you need to keep in mind to make class time effective, and what must be done outside of class to continue to be successful. This includes time management, how to properly work on your homework, how to prepare for tests, and also online classes.

Before Class Begins

Gaining success in mathematics actually happens before the class begins. One, be picky. Choose a time and section of a math class that’s going to work best for you. Your best bet is to stick with the classes that meet several times per week. This way the material is spread out and you can practice in between learning new concepts. Also, it’s important to get the book before class begins. If you’re going to order a book online, make sure that you give yourself about four weeks to do so. That way, if there’s any unexpected roadblocks in shipment, you’re prepared. If you’re going to buy a used book from the school store, make sure that you look through that book, see if there are any markings or anything on that book that might be distracting to you. Make sure the book is nice and clean. Now once you get the book, what you want to do is focus on the review chapters that are in that book. Chapters Zero and One are usually review, and what they offer you is a chance to practice and prepare before the class even begins. It’s also an indicator as to what you should know to be prepared for this course.

In addition, you must know all the resources that are available to you on campus. Most importantly, does the college have a math tutoring lab, and where is it? What are the hours and location? Don’t guess. Find the math lab before you start class. That way, if you run into a situation where you have a question and you don’t have a lot of time, you don’t have to go searching. You can get that question answered immediately.

Making Class Time Effective: First Day Of Class

Now let’s discuss how to make class time effective, and we’re going to start with Day One. What you want to do on Day One is arrive to class about ten to 15 minutes early. The reason for this is you’re prepared in case there’s an unexpected schedule change or a room change. When you get to class early, this also gives you the opportunity to pick your seat. I think a math specialist and math expert at Bryant University says it best. Sit front and center. This allows you to get full access of the board at all times and doesn’t obstruct your view at all.

Obstructing your view can be very detrimental because missing even a small piece of the lecture can really have a domino effect.

Keep in mind that you need to listen carefully to the course intro, and don’t expect that the instructor is going to put everything on the syllabus. When the information is being introduced to you, make sure that you’re taking notes and focusing especially on what is expected of you in this course. If you have the opportunity to do so, introduce yourself to the professor. This is a great first impression and gives you an opportunity to communicate any concerns or fears you might have.

Making Class Time Effective: Attend Every Class

It’s important to make class time effective every day. What's important is to make sure you attend every class, because even missing one class can have a negative, adverse effect on your performance in this course. However, reality states that circumstances come along that are outside of our control. So if you must miss a class, here are some strategies that will help you move forward in a positive light.

First, make sure that you contact your professor. Let he or she know that you will not be there. Make sure that you get yourself a clear copy of the notes and handouts that were administered during that class. And that's not just enough, you need to review them. You also need to take out the book and compare the relevant chapter sections to what you see in those notes.

In addition, you need to make sure to complete the homework. Now you may feel a little more confused because the teacher didn't teach this to you. Well if that's the case, you need to take the proper strategies to keep moving forward. Contact him or her during office hours so you can get a one-on-one question answer session. Or contact your tutorial lab, stop by to get those questions clarified.

Making Class Time Effective: Every Day

Let’s talk about making class time effective every day. Now we're in the class and we're attending. Well, be prepared before class even begins. Arrive on time and have your things out, have any questions and homework out so you’re prepared for the lecture. Even just missing a few moments of the lecture can really set you behind in the course. Arriving late can really make you look bad in front of the instruction and can give them a bad opinion about you.

Ask questions immediately throughout the lecture if you run into a roadblock. If there’s a concept or step you don't understand make sure to raise your hand and ask questions. You’re not just helping yourself but you're also helping others.

You find that you have an instructor who moves very quickly through the material or isn’t really willing to answer a lot of questions. If that's the case, you need to leave space in your notes so you can clarify those notes later.

In fact, some students like to use an audio recorder to help them clarify. If you are going to use an audio recorder, this can be very helpful to you to listen to the lecture after class. Make sure you ask your instructor if this is okay before doing so.

Making Class Time Effective: Taking Notes

In order to make class time effective, it’s important that you take notes. Listening to the lecture alone only allows you to retain about 10% of the material when you leave the classroom. So be organized when you’re taking your notes. What you want to do if your going to use a spiral bound notebook is separate your notebook into two parts. The first part is going to be for your notes and the second part is going to be your homework. Let’s say the instructor collects homework, now you’re not ripping out from your notes and compromising what you need to keep.

When you’re completing your notes, make sure you label the date, the title, and the concepts that are being covered each class. And leave room for clarification, if there's an area you really don't understand and you’re not getting your questions answered in class, make sure you leave space so you have space to clarify later.

Many of us are messy note-takers, and if you find yourself to be a messy note taker, what you can do to alleviate this is to use loose-leaf paper. Reinforced loose-leaf paper, that way you don't have to worry about it ripping out of a 3-ring binder. And if you are a messy note-taker, make sure you re-write your notes after class. If you like using loose-leaf paper, messy note- taker or not, this will allow you to keep your notes and homework in chronological order. So you may find using a 3-ring binder is useful to you no matter what.

Examples

Let’s take a moment to look at an example of proper note taking. When you look at this section of notes here, notice that the date is here, the concept, and in fact even the concept is highlighted. Notice that the chapter and section are included as well. This will allow us to review the book later.

Take a look down at the line that says 2x minus 3x minus 6 equals 8. Notice that the student put a question right in the notes. Unfortunately this student was not able to get the question answered but left ample space to answer the question later, and even included an additional example to help clarify.

Time Management

In order to maximize your potential outside of class, it’s important that you manage your time wisely. Avoid procrastination at all costs. One way you can do this is by creating yourself a study schedule. And when you do so, be realistic. Assign yourself enough time to study for math.

Here’s a fact for you. For every one hour you spend in a college class, expect to do about two hours of practice outside of that class. In addition, read your notes right after class. The reason for this is you can clarify your questions immediately and also look to see if there are any that need to be rewritten. And always complete your homework in between classes to have it ready for the next class. Because the longer you wait, the less you’re going to remember and the more uncomfortable you’re going to feel when completing that homework.

Make time to read the textbook. Include this as part of your homework assignments. And dedicate time to a study group if you can. The learning pyramid states to us that teaching others can actually help us to retain about 90% of the material that we learn. So working with other students and having other students help you explain things in their own words is certainly helpful here.

Sample Schedule

Take a look at the sample schedule that’s been provided by a student. Notice that this student has Calculus I that meets twice per week. If you take a look at what’s highlighted in yellow, you can see that there’s ample time that’s dedicated to math and miscellaneous homework studies. Pay special attention to Monday. Notice that the math homework is completed very close to after the class has begun and concluded. And by completing this math homework, when this student goes to the math study group, they’re going to be prepared with questions and also ready to help others.

Homework: Be Prepared & Stay Organized

Now that you’ve budgeted your time wisely, you’re ready to work on your homework. Well before you begin your homework, you need to be prepared. First, you need to read the textbook. Consider this as part of your homework assignment. Compare to class notes and also work out the relevant examples on your own. The beauty of the textbook is that you can follow that example step by step, so if you do get stuck, you can look to see how to solve the problem correctly.

Also, take time when you’re completing your homework. Make sure that you stay organized. You don’t want to just write down the answer, but instead write down the problem, show your work to show the solution, and clearly identify your answer. This will be useful for you later when it comes down to practicing or preparing for a quiz or exam.

And you want to make sure that you check your answers when you can. It’s always surprised me that students don’t use the back of the book to see if their answers are correct. And often, not only odd, but in some cases even examples and answers are given to you in the back of the book.

Homework Strategies

When it comes to homework, try to stay away from that all-or-nothing approach. If you get stuck on a problem, continue to move on. If you find that you’re continuing to get stuck on other problems, now it’s time to address that and get your questions answered. Utilize your resources. Contact your professor and see him or her during office hours. Use the math lab so that you can continue moving forward with the material and get your questions answered.

You also have other resources you may not be aware of, such as additional textbooks that you can find in the library. When you use a textbook that isn’t one used in the class, treat it almost like a dictionary. Go to the index and reference the concept, and then go to the pages that include that concept for further clarification.

You can also use your own textbook. You may find that there are online resources that are available to you to help you practice a little bit more. The nice thing about online resources that are given through the textbook is that you get immediate feedback. If you get the answer wrong, you’ll know it right away. And a step-by-step approach will be given to you to help you solve that problem.

Homework Is Essential

Keep in mind that math is really learning by doing, so homework is an important and, frankly, an essential part of being successful in achieving your goals with mathematics. Homework is your chance to do. And remember the importance of practice. Working on your homework is going to reinforce your comprehension of the material and also help you to prepare for quizzes and exams. Think about math as being very similar to playing a sport or a musical instrument because you have to practice regularly in order to be good at it. Natural ability is not enough.

Preparing For Tests

In order to maximize your potential outside and inside of the class, it’s essential that you prepare for tests. And this actually starts Day One. What you want to do is create yourself a formula sheet. Every time a new formula is given to you, make sure that you include it on the formula sheet. In addition, create a topic sheet that includes all the relevant topics that have been discussed so far. This allows you to master every single concept before moving on because they are right in front of you.

Now, when you’re preparing for a test, it’s important that you give yourself ample time to prepare. You need about a week to really prepare. And when you are studying, make sure that you study in small blocks of time. It’s ineffective to cram. In fact, it may make you feel very frustrated and confused come test time. So one hour bits is good, with breaks in between. And use down time to your advantage. Let’s say, for instance, you need to go to the doctor’s office. Well, do you really want to sit there and do nothing or read a boring magazine for 45 minutes when you can make that time effective? Make or bring flashcards so you can be studying while you wait.

It Is Better To Overprepare

When taking a test looking over your notes and homework is just not enough. You need to re- practice your problems and pay special attention to the ones that were hard for you. And treat your chapter and test reviews as mock exams. Practice your homework and review your notes before taking these reviews so you can see how well you’ll do on the test itself. You can also ask your instructor for similar tests. He or she may have tests from prior quarters or semesters that can help you.

Now, when you’re thinking about what should be studied and what will be covered on the test, assume everything will be. It’s much better to be over prepared than under prepared to avoid that dreaded mental block.

Online Classes

Another important type of class to be considered is online classes. If you’re going to take an online class, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind. One, when taking an online class, all or at least most of the concepts that are going to be learned and the work that must be completed is going to take place outside of the classroom. And we’re talking about technology here. So in order to take an online math class, you’re going to have to be able to communicate regularly via email and obtain, copy and send documents online. In addition, you’re going to need to set up a schedule that now incorporates additional time to watch online lectures, review all online material that’s associated with the course, and read the discussion forums. And don’t just read them. Provide your own feedback and ask questions as well. And just because you may never see your instructor, doesn’t mean they can’t get a chance to know you. Communicate regularly with your instructor, and keep in mind that constant communication is going to help them understand you and your concerns.

Tips For Success

Just a few more things we need to consider here to be successful. First, treat each class as a new start. Don’t have any preconceptions when you enter that classroom. You’re going to learn different techniques and different methods to understand concepts you may have seen in the past.

Also, it’s important to remember that you need to adapt to your environment. If you do not have a good relationship with your instructor or do not enjoy his or her teaching style, don’t expect him or her to adapt to you. Instead that’s going to be your job, and you’re going to have to take the adequate steps and measures to continue to gain success in that course.

And lastly, take control of your future. Hard work and diligence pays off, so do it.

I’m going to leave you with a quote. This is a quote from Professor S. Gudder at the University of Denver, and he really says it best. The essence of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated, but to make complicated things simple. So enjoy your math course.