NOTES

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Helpful Hints (or, How to be Successful at Learning Mathematics):

 (1) Start the course with the proper background; make sure you have reasonable mastery of the skills and content of the prerequisite course(s).

 (2) Plan your time overall to allow time to attend all classes and do the necessary outside class work. A three-credit course will require approximately 9 hours per week for the next fifteen weeks, which may require rearranging or cutting back on some other commitments.

 (3) Get to each class on time, rested and fed so as to be alert and attentive. Bring your textbook, notebook, pencil(s), and calculator. Come to class with your homework finished, and ready with questions about any material or homework exercise you did not fully understand. Follow the presentation of new material actively; participate; take notes, planning to fill in later any omitted steps; ASK QUESTIONS about anything unclear.

 (4) Set aside a regular time every day to work on the course. Have a quiet, well-lit place to study – a desk or table where you can spread out your book, notes and paper and write comfortably. Don't study too long at one time; take an occasional break to avoid fatigue, or break up you study time into two or three blocks.

 (5) Find one or two other students in the course to work with; exchange phone numbers so that you can contact one another for help and support when you are working at home; arrange a time outside of class to meet occasionally. Talk to each other about your understanding of the concepts covered; clear up questions and share insights about the homework; pose problems to each other on the material covered.

 (6) For each new section covered in class, read through the section slowly and carefully; be clear on the details; have pencil and paper at hand and use them; follow and verify the steps in the worked-out examples. Then, try the assigned exercises; write out the solution in an orderly fashion; then check your answer in the back of the book. If you can't figure out a problem, or if you get the wrong answer, check your algebra and arithmetic, or review similar examples in the text; if you cannot figure out where to go next or what you did wrong, ask somebody about it at the earliest opportunity. Don't spend an inordinate amount of time on any one problem; if you are getting nowhere after ten or fifteen minutes, seek help, or go on to other parts of the homework.

 (7) Save your homework exercises for study and review for the quizzes and tests. Save your quizzes to help prepare for tests.

 (8) If you find yourself confused or unsure of material covered in the text or in class, or if you did not do as well as you expected on a quiz, SEE YOUR INSTRUCTOR. You are not imposing; that's why he has office hours. If you are shy about going to your instructor's office, bring a friend; groups are welcome. And don't put it off until new confusion piles on top of old.

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