Tips & Tricks
Feeling like you "aren't a math person?"
This is a destructive myth that is so popular among students. Dr. Jo Boaler, Proffesor of Mathematics at Stanford, runs a video channel discussing many common math myths, and offers encouragement for students.
Tips for Finals Prep:
REVIEW THE SYLLABUS. The syllabus of a course is like the roadmap for the entire course. When preparing to study, look over the syllabus and try to explain each of the concepts briefly to yourself. If you find yourself struggling, mark that subject down for more review, and move on. This can help you pinpoint what areas may need the most work (or the least), and help you save time in studying.
RECOMMENDED : 1-2 WEEKS BEFORE THE FINAL.
REVIEW YOUR NOTES, PAST HOMEWORKS, AND PAST TESTS. Ideally, your notes and homework assignments will have everything you need to know, but sometimes, there is room for more information to be added. Feel free to rewrite your notes if you find yourself having issues with concepts. Looking over things in a new light with more experience than the day you wrote them will both refresh your memory and show you where you might need improvements on.
RECOMMENDED : 1 WEEK BEFORE FINAL.
ATTEND OFFICE HOURS. Now is a good time to ask your professor about any last questions you may have. Do not wait for consulting days; do it now, so that you may schedule further appointments to work through things if needed. If not, it is always good to strengthen your understanding, or ask about things that may be on the final. Even if you do not get a concrete answer, your professor may still provide you insight on where to focus.
RECOMMENDED : 1-2 WEEKS BEFORE THE FINAL.
SEEK OUTSIDE SOURCES. Your professor is not the only place you can go to for help. Look online or ask friends and others who have taken the course previously for their personal advice on the course (if needed), or help mastering a concept that you can't seem to get. There is no shame in having trouble with math - everyone does. You might be surprised how many people have struggled with the same thing.
RECOMMENDED : -1 WEEK BEFORE THE FINAL.
TAKE BREAKS. Studying for hours and hours will not get you the results you think. Burnout is a very real thing, and it can and will creep up faster than you know. Remember to portion out study time, but study consistently (a few good methods are the Pomodoro method, or studying for the length of a movie, music album, etc). Treat yourself to self-care for your accomplishments. And remember that the state you study in is the state that you will take the test on, so relax yourself. You know more than you think.
RECOMMENDED : -1 WEEK BEFORE THE FINAL.
Tips for success:
GO TO CLASS. Attendance in your class might not be mandatory but it can't hurt you to go. You are already paying for college so you might as well get what you are paying for.
ASK QUESTIONS in class. This tip holds especially true in math classes; there is no such thing as a dumb question. If you do not understand a topic you need to ask as many questions as you need to in order to understand that topic. Math classes build on each other, so you need to understand from the beginning in order to be as successful as possible. Houses built on weak foundations are bound to have issues.
GET HELP. Look to supplemental learning. If you need extra help come to the learning center, all of the math tutors are able to help you. If you cannot make it when the learning center is open, look at Khan Academy (more on this below) or Youtube videos on how to do the problem type you aren't understanding.
CREATE STUDY GROUPS. If you are having trouble have a fellow student explain it to you, they might explain the topic just right for it to "click" in your head. If you are that student who is asked to explain a topic to someone, do it. You only further your own understanding of a topic by explaining it to others.
DON'T GIVE UP. If you are stuck on a certain problem set or don't understand something, take a break and come back to it. Just don't give up, the second you give up you fall behind.
COME TO TUTORING! Take advantage of the free resources in the Learning Center. We are here to help YOU succeed!
Try to preapre a formula sheet! Try to preapre a formula sheet where you have all formulas in one sheet so you can go over it every day. Keep it handy always
Khan Academy
Paul's Online Notes
There are many good youtube videos out there, but at times you can click one video and then another by a different creator and there is a loss of cohesion/fluidity in the material according to who made the video. Sometimes you may prefer to read about the material but you want a much more clear explanation of the material than your complicated textbook and that is where Paul's Online Notes comes in! It is very clear, offers many examples with solutions, and even offers practice quizzes. Better yet it is well organized and fluid. One of the best ways to learn is to do practice problems and attempting them with the added security that you can look afterwards to clarify your ideas with detailed solutions can devleop your skills without the anxiety and fear of whether you are indeed doing things the "right way". PON covers calc I, II, and III as well as differential equations.
The link below will take you to the calculus II homepage, but you can navigate to the other subjects if you need to.
https://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/CalcII/CalcII.aspx
Youtube channels
The Organic Chemistry Tutor (link coming soon)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjF_yQ2N638 - This statistics video tutorial provides a basic introduction into standard normal distributions. It explains how to find the Z-score given a value of x as well as the mean and standard deviation. It explains how to determine the probability by finding the area under the curve represented by f(x) - the probability density function using the empirical rule and the Z-tables. This video contains plenty of examples and practice problems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiCojsAWRj0&list=PL0o_zxa4K1BWYThyV4T2Allw6zY0jEumv - Calculus 1 Review videos
Other recommendations coming soon