Tips for Success in Math
by Robert Kwong
A printer friendly
version is also availalbe.
- Skim through the chapter
before class and pay special attention to highlighted or boxed formulas,
axioms or theorems.
- Take notes using only one
side of paper. Begin your lecture
notes on the second sheet in your notebook. Copy down all example problems from the board neatly.
- Use the blank pages in your
notebook for elaboration, or to outline the steps to solve a particular
problem type. Also use this
elaboration page to add any material from your textbook that helps you
understand your notes.
- When reading your textbook
for the second time, read slowly.
Work out example problems in the text as your are reading.
- Meet with at least one other
classmate to compare your notes.
If you are missing important information, add it to your
elaboration page.
- Make notecards for vocabulary
words, concepts, formulas and the steps to solving a specific problem
type.
- Schedule at least 1 hour a
day, everyday to practice your problems.
On alternating days you might want to consider 2 hours of homework
practice. Be sure to practice previous
material as well. Refer to your
notes as much as necessary to refresh your memory.
- You should use the study time
to practice additional problems that were not assigned, or to take the
chapter quizzes or tests.
- Use your notecards to review
the concepts, e.g. when to use a quadratic equation or synthetic
division. You may also want to
consider using websites suggested by the textbook for additional study
aides, practice problems and practice quizzes/tests.
- Make tables or charts to
summarize and organize large amounts of information, especially topics
that have many formulas, e.g. trigonometric functions, rules of
integration.
- For word or story problems,
read carefully and write down important information, such as a list of
givens and what you need to solve for.
Underline key operational terms.
Decide what concept is being applied and select the appropriate
formula or equation.
- Learn the formulas. Use notecards to help your memorize the
formulas and to write down when the formulas should be used.
- Consider group study on a
weekly basis with no more than 4 people.
Spend about an hour comparing notes and quizzing each other using
your note cards.
- MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL WHEN
DOING YOUR HOMEWORK, ALWAYS SHOW ALL THE STEPS. YOU SHOULD DO THIS ON YOUR EXAMS AND QUIZZES. PROOFREAD YOUR WORK TO AVOID CARELESS
MISTAKES.
- One week before the exam,
schedule about 2 hours of review everyday.
by Robert Kwong, M.S. Learning Assistance Center,
Loyola University Chicago
Revised Friday, May 1, 2009. E-mail corrections, suggestions to mmaltenfort@ccc.edu