Advice For Succeeding in Any Math Course

Are you prepared enough?

The following are huge indicators that you are not prepared for your course in mathematics. It is important to note that I have significant amounts of data to back this up.

You received a C in your prerequisite course.
It has been over a year since your last math course.
You have constantly sought out the "easy" teachers.
Your last instructor gave only multiple choice exams.
Your last instructor is highly rated on Rate My Professors and every comment is something like, "easiest A I ever got" or "just show up and you'll pass."
You didn't have the prerequisite and the only way you got in was through a counselor's permission

If you received a C in the prerequisite course, then you will likely not pass your current course unless you drastically change your approach to learning. Unfortunately, a vast majority of students think that they can continue their old study habits because "it worked last time."

If the only way you got into your course is through a counselor's permission slip, I have bad news: in the years I have been collecting data, only two students with slips from counselors as prerequisites have ever passed my courses. The counselors have no clue what it takes to enter our courses - do not rely on them to tell you that you are prepared. It is a much better idea to ask your instructor if your background is sufficient enough.

Read the textbook

This should be your primary learning source whether it is a physical textbook or an e-book. Reading the textbook will be a huge help in your math course.

Attend lectures (or watch the video lectures if you are in an online class)

This is another primary learning source and should not be skipped unless your leg falls off or you just won the lottery and decided to go on a quick trip to Japan. Seriously - there are very few valid excuses for not attending lecture (or watching the online video lectures if you are in an online class). By the way, if you have to miss lecture, do not expect to show up to your instructor's office hours to get a review of what happened - that is rude and disrespectful. It is much better to get the notes from someone else in the class.

Write clean class notes

While reading the textbook, attending lectures, or watching the online video lectures (if you are in a course that has those available), take notes on concepts that are unfamiliar to you. Work through examples given in the textbook and the lectures.

Do your homework

Doing your homework is a key part in any mathematics course. Keep your work clean and organized (even if you are not being asked to turn it in). When studying for quizzes and exams, refer to your homework.

Please note that doing homework is often not enough to guarantee that you understand the concepts in the course. Students often mistake a high homework grade with a high level of understanding. While this perception is understandable, the truth is that most students tend to memorize how to "solve" specific problems when doing homework rather than understand how to solve general problems. For example, the following is a common exercise in an algebra course:

"Person A takes x hours to do some task and person B takes y hours to do the same task. How long will it take them to do the task if they work together?"

Most students memorize how to do this type of problem because it is easier to store it in short-term memory than to truly understand what is going on; however, a vast majority of students who rely on this type of memorization fall apart when asked a slightly modified, but still easily understood, version of this problem:

"Person A takes x hours to make 173 potstickers and person B takes y hours to make the same number of potstickers. How long will it take them to make one potsticker if they work together?"

Participate in the forums

If your course has an online forum available, then it is likely there for students to help each other. In the courses that I teach, each section will have its own forum and I encourage students to ask and answer questions. This is a great resource when you are stuck on a homework question. All I ask is, if you are responding to someone's question, do not just give that student the answer. Instead, try to "teach" them how to solve the problem.

Take advantage of office hours

This is your final resource when reading the textbook, attending the lectures (or watching the video lectures, if available), discussing with fellow students, and asking in the forums fail. Refer to your syllabus for the time and location of office hours. Your instructor is there to help you and you should not be shy about asking for help. Office hours are not meant to be a lecture hour. Be prepared with questions when you arrive to your instructor's office hour. Do not expect him/her to "teach" an entire topic. I often think of office hours as a tutoring session rather than a teaching session.

Study with a group

This is one of the greatest study tools known to students, but it is also one of the most underused. At the very least, use the forums as a sort of online study group. You will quickly learn who is online during the hours you are normally online and developing study relationships with these individuals can be an enormous help.

Be positive

Negative thinking and indifference are self-defeating and stand in the way of accomplishment. Always say to yourself that you can do this!

Keep up

Do math every single day! This is the easiest way to pass a math course. A college course in mathematics requires at least two hours of work outside of class for each hour spent in class (for the "average" student). If you are taking an online course, assume that you have about 15 - 20 hours of work each week. Do not do all of this studying on one, two, or even three days! Instead, study math each day (yes, even for a brief time on the weekend). Doing this will help you better understand the material and allow it to stick in your brain much longer than if you cram.

Practice, practice, practice

Don't just rely on the homework for exercises to do. You should explore the textbook that your instructor chose. That textbook was selected for several reasons and one of those reasons is likely the strength of the exercises. Always identify your weak areas and do extra problems from the textbook focusing on those weaknesses.

Pay attention to your mistakes

If you get a wrong answer, think of it as an opportunity to learn something. Fix mistakes on homework, quizzes, and exams as soon as possible.

Be organized

Keep your notes, homework, quizzes, tests, and class work in a binder and write clearly!!!

Put it in your own words

This is why I am a mathematician. I have a knack of restructuring what people tell me into simple, easy to understand statements. I use a lot of analogies when trying to understand something. I put things in a context I am familiar with and build from there. When you come to a new definition or idea, phrase it in your own words and create analogies that build on hobbies you have.

Be serious

Slacking is out of the question. If you're not going to shoot for an A, drop the course now.

"A" students don't ask how, they ask why

Don't ask your instructor how to do something. Instead, ask why we do it. Better yet, ask yourself why we do it.