I just got an A in calculus after hundreds of hours of studying. What helped me immensely was making sure I understood the trig circle, trig identities and everything related to Pythagoras. Also make sure you know all your basic derivation/integration, most of the problems in calc build on the mentioned concepts.
I think what makes calculus so hard is actually the pre calculus lmao. Also, you have a lot of stuff to know by hearth: trig circle, Derivatives,Integration formulas, sommations formulas,trig ids, limit indeterminations, etc...
@@simko5314 Practice, but also need to get feedback when you cannot solve. Work with peer groups or go to your university's tutor help or see the professor.
Here is the summary: 1. do all of the homework problems (bare minimum). 2. go over your handwritten notes from class, make sure you understand everything step by step (just watching videos is not enough), do the examples in class by yourself. 3. keep redoing homework problems and example problems (pick a random problem and just do it). Make sure you can do them comfortably. 4. pay attention to the topic list. 5. study for speed, make sure you can do problems quickly. 6. reach the "nirvana". Study so much, that you can relax before the test. As a calc student, this video is exactly what I needed, thank you so much!!! the 5th point really resonated with me, Im also more of a "slow steady types" and I get a lot of enjoyment out of just really elegant solution and thinking about other ways you could do the problem. And I always had problems with time in test, its like I never had enough time. Do you have any tips on how exactly one should work on speed? I mean it comes naturally to you but maybe you have some ideas?
I think part of the "nirvana" stage is developing deeper insights and real intuition into the principles underlying the material. Eventually we have to go deeper than turning the crank on the black box and having the answer spit out the other side.
For speed be able to do the homework the second or 3rd time with out having to refer to your notes. Know your theorems and formulas by hears so you don't have to derive them during the test. Quickly read through the test before doing any of the problems. First do the problems that are the easiest for you then go after the next difficult problems. Do the most difficult last. As part of your study routine, take a problem from material that you are familiar with but one you haven't done before and set an alarm for 2, 5 7,or 10 minutes. Practice pressing yourself, not when you are learning but when you are practicing. Can you think of other techniques for increasing speed?
I knew a Russian at university, who became a physicist to not have to go to the red army. He wasn't good at math so his strategy was to learn a lot of basic math. He learned with every Algebra, Arithmetics, pre-calculus books he was able to get a grip on (even school books) and was then doing tons of simple problems. He always said that the major mistake students do is working on topics before they are ready for it, without building a really strong foundation, getting bad grades, and become frustrated. In his Ph.D. he worked on the Navier-Stokes differential equations and even found a special solution for a problem, which now carries his name. He now works on fluid dynamics and simulations at a university somewhere and is maybe a professor. IDK, sadly I forgot his name. I think he did exactly what you said, he was overdoing it, that is, in the meaning of dwelling on topics and doing exercises even when he already understood how it worked. Repetition makes permanent.
@@channelsixtysix066 agreed ss. Math and all skills to be properly understood need a firm foundation before moving forward. If we run before learning how to walk, we will fall.
Foundational math is insane to becoming an efficient and well-prepared mathematician. So many times errors are encountered from a lack of the solid foundations, and usually that's what it boils down to. Complex concepts broken down into multiple elementary components.
Great advice. After being out of math studies for ~ 25 years, I got a B in a real analysis last semester precisely because I was not prepared enough for the timed exams. Starting early, rereading notes SOON after class ends, possibly rewriting notes, and doing and redoing all homework problems will give a student at any age the best chance at the best grades with no regrets later. I blew the A because I was not ready for the final exam. I have regrets because the A was there for the taking. Next semester starts next week, and I intend to follow this advice. Thanks for this important video. It came at a nice time.
I struggled in calculus because I never had a real world example of calculus. In my opinion, find an example which has meaning to you, study the example enough to get familiar with it. Understanding the application of calculus will help you understand the value of the mathematics and motivate you to learn.
I got A's in calc 1 and 2. So much hard work! I had sheets of memory items I went over again and again. Sometimes I did homework problems twice, and then practiced them _again_ before a test. I also made flash cards. Hard work made up for my being a slower learner. Good luck!
I don't understand why this didn't work for me. How can we do similar things and get such different results. I failed miserably and you passed with a A. Maybe I'm just dumb that's probably it.
@@centipedekid9824 Let me start by saying: You are *_not_* dumb. It may be that you need more practice, and help from a tutor. As much as possible, I did not leave any "stone unturned". Does your school or college have a tutoring center? I practically lived in the tutoring center!
@@sharonsolana I am dumb. I spent everyday in the tutoring center getting help and still failed. I lived there ate there slept there I was there so much that if I wasn't it was considered weird. I went home and studied more for about 4 hours more if I had the time. My life was consumed by it ruined by it I sacrificed everything for math and failed. My brain cant keep up.
@@centipedekid9824 You are *not* dumb. Did you take precalc: college algebra and trig? If a someone tries to run a marathon without being sufficiently trained and prepared, they will probably injure themselves and fail.
I don’t know so much about algebra or trig and in 15 days I’ll start my engineering study in college as a freshman and I’ll be taking calculus 1 in the 1st semester, any advice on how can I pass? I’m really scared
Tip: watch the Math Sorcerer’s Calculus 1 review or any of his reviews! I bombed my mid term last semester (59). I watched over his videos and some others for my final and I got a 90! I almost pulled my grade to an A! Very helpful videos that actually helped me calm down and learn/refresh the material. You seem to be an awesome teacher/professor. I’ll be watching during Calculus 2 this semester. Thank you!
These are such SUPER-AWESOME videos that you produce and post, Math Sorcerer!!! Even though I'm a 53-year-old unemployed, autistic male and no longer in school or in any manner of a classroom situation (and haven't been since 2007), I still enjoy math a whole lot to the extent that I not only have a popular/pure math library in the main room/lobby of my two-room apartment unit, I also have in that same lobby a bookcase for my MATH HISTORY books that I had built and installed for me this week. Now, Math Sorcerer, your anecdotes and tips for learning the language of advanced mathematics are pretty awesome to say the least. So getting notified about your latest videos AND watching them are, for me, very much like what a child experiences while opening up presents on birthdays and during the holiday season!!! #Autism
Something that helped me a lot was asking tons and tons of questions from my professors. Speaking as someone who managed to get straight A's in all of Calc 1 through Calc 3, I don't think I would have done nearly as well if I wasn't constantly asking questions in class and emailing my professors with my confusions/my thoughts about a particular concept. I think one of the problems some people in calculus classes have is just being too damn shy. Your professors are really the best resources you have in college, and as long as it is obvious you have thought on and worked on a concept, they usually won't mind you asking a question about anything.
In a textbook most paragraphs contain only one knowledge item that the author wants to transfer. I use to highlight them. After each section I write a section summary. These are the facts I need to learn. After each chapter I write a chapter summary which ties together the section summaries. These create overview and help bind together the knowledge.
Great advice. I just did as many math problems (unassigned ones too) as I could for this week's Calculus class. Some were pretty tough, edge-case problems too but I crushed it. Knowing even the tough problems as I get ready for the exam will make a big difference. Thank you!
I work out 20 questions per section per week. All chapters vary in terms of sections. This is all I have time for. I also take the test at the end of each chapter. Passing grade before moving into a new chapter is 70%. If I score less than 70%, I repeat the chapter in full.
I have friends who had to drop their other courses for calculus or take only calculus for the next sem after failing it. They had poured their heart and soul into it, in order to pass, and pass they did. Every sinlge piece of advice given in the video is absulotely true. However, its important for people to know how much course load they are able to handle. You don't want to be stressed out about other classes while doing your calculus HW, it really messes with your ability to learn. Thank you for this video, I love your content.
I've not a lot to say, except that I completely agree with this. Complex analysis was one of the two times in my undergrad that I came close to achieving nirvana - and it was thanks to repeatedly going over the homework and the exercises from two text books. More importantly, I did the work throughout the course (normally I would get close to zero for tutorials/assignments and only put work in a couple of weeks before the exams). I try to have few regrets, but the fact I didn't do this for more courses in my undergrad is one.
I give my students the same advice as well. The only new things here that I did not consider was speed of the "nirvana" that you speak of. I will use this video as part of my syllabus assignment when Spring semester begins. You nail all the key aspects of success.
Long hair must means Jeff Bezos is *TOO BUSY* to visit his barber or hairdresser. I self-cut my hair rather than spend money on hairdressing. I cut mine at shoulder length and layer it. I had learned self-cutting tutorials in RUclips. Besides, most hairdressers don't understand my difficult hair. I have glass hair syndrome. My hair looks like barbed wires.
Christian Ramirez, I just now realise you are comparing Jeff Bezos's hair to Math Sorcerer's. I can't believe I was slow on that. 😮 This kind of thing always happens to me.
Im definitely a note taker! Also i find that although understanding proofs and concepts is crucial....nothing cements tye maths in my mind more than doing lots of questions and examples! Especially being a self study student.
Great advice. I would also add that a student should try to get information(video, reading, online, etc) before taking the class on what is calculus and why is it so important to learn.
I went to school with one of those "deep thinker" dudes and it was amazing what he would do with computer science programming assignments. We would have some seriously complex assignment that the teacher gave us three weeks to complete. My man would not touch a keyboard, open a book or even write down a single note for two and a half weeks; all he did was just think about it. Then he would crank out the entire assignment in basically one or two days of straight coding work.
8:15 Speed might be my main weakness to work on. I'm self-studying, and I love not having to worry about deadlines and tests. But I need to work through my books faster so that I get benefit from more books on more topics. I think that learning quickly and slowly both have their place, so we should master doing both, and then master the next skill of cycling between high, medium and low levels of speed.
I was mostly caught in the limbo between showing all the steps - and running out of time - and speeding through test problems by not writing down steps, skipping those I felt were obvious. Results: On the one hand I ran out of time and didn't finish the test, so marks off the score for that, and on the other, marks off for not showing enough work. Never did get a handle on what was considered the right amount of "shown work." So I accepted that there was a fair chance of not finishing any particular test. So I did (and re-did) all the graded homework to hand in and all extra-credit problems that were given and had a crack at any projects offered, almost all of which could be done in my own time. I also learned straight away to visit the Mathematics offices. I found almost all of the professors willing to help explain things, if they had the time, even some of the senior professors that taught courses that I had no clue what the courses even were. It was a fun time, working on problems that sometimes puzzled us all, a few students and a few professors around the table. All that said, I did get good grades because I tried and tried and never gave up, just like The Math Sorcerer says. There were a few profs I avoided since, as a "non-traditional student" I had a low tolerance for unnecessary BS and, on occasion, said so. . .
My classmates in College Algebra ask me all the time how I get A's on exams. Its pretty simple. I do as many exercises as I can from each chapter section. I dont wait for the professor to lecture something before I study it. I study it and then listen for anything new or enlightening in the lecture. Thats it. I do the hard work at home so when I sit an exam I dont have to struggle.
This is probably the best study advice for Engineering in general. Cause everything is problem solving and this can be applied to most subjects in Engineering. Thank you for the Video. 
My tip I would give for calc is to mess around with graphs in tools like Geogebra or any equivalent. Seeing the function and how they work together with some real like examples boosted my understanding of derivatives and integrals X100
I will be honest. In Brazil, when we are very close to someone, a person that we really respect and admire, it is common to joke with that person. So if I were a true friend of Locke, I would say: During the vector calculus course, you went back to dating a sexy doll. However, as I don't know Locke, I'll just say: Congratulations and Success!
There's a lot of good advice here, I'd like to add just a few things I've noticed when I've gotten a really good grade in a class, (especially, but not limited to, math and math heavy subjects): Aim to get every answer right by double checking your work. When you do your homework, if there's a problem you can't figure out don't stop until you get the right answer, and know why you made a mistake. Your teacher may not grade your homework, just give you credit for doing it, but if you don't get the right answer, the homework has actually reinforced the wrong answer. Knowing yourself, your weaknesses, is valuable. Going fast: if you are able to finish a test quickly enough that you have the time to go back and double check your work, then you're probably fast enough. I consider it a warning sign that I'm not keeping up, if I run out of time before having double checked all my answers. Sometimes I end up finishing before a big portion of the class, but I'm never the first to finish a test in math class. Prior planning and preparation prevents p*ss-poor performance - the 7 "p"s come from a saying in the USMC, to my knowledge and there's a lot of truth to this; if you put out the effort to prepare completely, there will be no surprises on test days. This will be easier for some than others, and it often means sacrificing a lot of personal time. I second the note-taking. Also, don't buy study aides - make your own. The act of making flash cards, study guides, etc, is more instructive to me than referring to pre-made ones. I hardly ever refer back to my notes, usually having taken them is enough; I can do the homework with little difficulty. Re-doing homework never helped me - I have a tendency to remember the answer and not learn anything the second time around. But I usually do a few other problems in the book, the ones that weren't required for homework, and represent one of each of the types of problems I'm likely to see on the test, since often tests are cumulative in math. So I guess in a way I'm redo-ing the homework, but not all of it. That being said, I have a bit of a sixth sense about what's going to be on a test and I know if I'm solid or struggling, and if I feel like I'm struggling, I put more work in. A lot of this seems obvious, but let me tell you, I have had classmates that do the homework just to get credit. I've had classmates who should have known they weren't fast enough: the instructor would tell us "there will be ten question on the test and you get two hours" and the student would be doing their homework a rate of one or two problems an hour. I've seen student who triage their way through school; "if I cut down on my study time I can get a passing grade and still hang out with my friends all weekend" and basically ruin any chance they had of going to grad school, or worse, having no room for error, they make some mistake and end up failing a class altogether. Those are like the people with engineering degrees who can't really do the engineering job and end up making half the money a real engineer makes because they got stuck in a supervisor position on a factory floor where people who never even went to college make more money than them (welders, toolmakers, some other skilled trades can be more difficult to replace than even a good supervisor). And for the record, I'm currently taking Calc I, so my typical workload may very well go uip, and I may have to become more reliatnt on notes, do more extra problems on my own, etc, to continue to get the kind of grades that I want.
In my calculus 1 class, our professor requires a journal. In the journal we have to explain how and what we learned and why, also provide examples for context and ask questions. It’s suppose to be like a customized autobiography about learning calculus. Also we should highlight what are common problems that can happen and compare to very similar problems. Pretty genius I think. I never thought about a journal for learning. It’s like 10 % of our grade too haha
Good advice! I actually had discovered the "work on speed" concept on the last class I did not finish: I knew most of the concepts but had a hard time finishing thing on the allotted time. I try all of these when I re-take said class. Thank you!
I was a messy math problem solver. I tended to write things down inconsistently. For one problem, I might write down the provided details in a column or at the top or on the right or left side of the page without being consistent. When I met with one tutor (very rare for me), she showed me her work. It was neat, consistent, clear, and easy to read. Every problem was fully copied down and presented clearly. And she was consistent, repeating the process each time. My problem-solving skills improved when I started being consistent, and clear by repeating the homework writing process each time so that I built a problem-solving routine. This also improved my speed. It did slow me down at first.
I don't know if anyone will see this, but rn I have a D in Calculus 1 rn and I failed the first two tests because I thought just watching videos would help me study, but I finally realized the real code to pass the class with an A. I would have to literally get like 98's and 99's on the tests in order for me to get a 91% in the class since we have 3 tests left, and the final replaces our lowest test score. I'm really nervous but I've been studying a lot often and I think I will definitely take your advice and redo all the homework I've done, doing multiple practice problems especially with doing math problems because I usually take my time on questions and sometimes when I encounter math problems, I don't know what to do. But now that I know what to do and now that I've slowly started building a really strong foundation in Pre-Calculus and Calculus 1, I feel more confident but I know I have a lot to learn.
I think for most students, the goal is to merely survive that first calculus class, and I think there are two or three keys to success. First, keep your eyes on the prize...generally speaking, the primary tasks of that first calculus class is finding slopes (derivatives) and areas (integrals). That's it. Second, draw the functions out. Graphing calculators are helpful, but I would suggest using pencil and paper. Get a feel for the shapes of these functions. Pay attention to singular points...where the functions "blow up". Three, spend time reviewing algebra and (especially) trigonometry. Review concepts like partial fractions and completing the square. Review trig identities...you should have dreams about the unit circle. Before you can get an A, first you have to be passing...and a significant number of students...students who have mathematical aptitude and interest...fail that first calculus on the first attempt. And the second attempt. And abandon STEM fields altogether because they can't get past that first calculus class.
A good idea might be meeting with your teacher/prof before the test/exam and talking with them about what you can do comfortably in regards to what could be on the test. You should then ask your teacher what you are missing so that you can study for it. This enables you to be able to walk in on test day and be ready to solve any question put in front of you.
He creado un servidor de Discord para aquellos que les guste el rollo de "self-study"! Muchas gracias Math Sorcerer, me has motivado a buscar más gente ♥
Wish I would've found your channel before the start of my first semester at uni.. I'm way behind in cal-1 and suffering with other subjects as well.. :(
Attend the Office Hours of your TA and Professor; show up with some good questions, and attempt the homework first. Organize "Problem Set Parties" with a few classmates. Discussing lecture material and problem sets with your peers is very helpful, and fun way to socialize while getting work done.
Yeah, SPEED. Yes, my Professors would deduct points for not labeling everything and not using all the notation, but the deductions were always small. You could get the lions share of the points for the problem just using bare slap dash as long as the work showed you weren't cheating and the answer was basically there. SO that is how I would do each problem, and if there was time after I I finished the test like that I would go back and fill in the labeling and the notations, you know, wait until the end to dot all the i's and cross all the t's.
Hey Sorcerer, the “studying for speed” things not weird at all. I’m going through Calc 1 right now (one more week, baby!). I used to put on sad, slow country music and just have a slow, deliberate pace in studying. Try to really take in what I’m doing, you know? Well, on quizzes and exams I ALWAYS run out of time before finishing. So, I decided to mix it up some by also putting on some hard driving Synthwave bangers (“Unicorn”, by Gunship is the real deal) and just tear through Algebra, differentiation, and antiderivative/def. int practice sheets. Last week I straight killed it on my exam. I finished it and only got dinged a bit for forgetting the C in an anti derivative. Being able to just have those derivative properties ready on command and not wasting anytime thinking about it is HUGE.
"To use mathematics effectively in applications, you need not just knowledge but *skill* . Skill can only be obtained through practice.", Mary Boas in "To The Student" of her "Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences". This is true for both applied (computational-oriented) and pure (theorem-proof oriented) courses. I always had to work through the derivations, examples and do all of the homework.
@@TheMathSorcerer hey, do u think there is a huge overlap between calc2 and 3? What are some key concepts that I should be able to handle before going into calc3? Thanks in advance:)
When it comes to tests, I always like to do a sort of "iterative deepening". I do a first pass where I get everything done as quickly as I can, just so I'm never in a situation where the time limit has passed but I have unfinished problems. Then I'll do a 2nd pass where I think things through a little more thoroughly, just to make sure I didn't do any mistakes. I keep doing multiple passes until either the time limit has been reached, or until I do a pass where I don't change any of my answers.
Do all the homework 3 times with notes, reconstruct the notes right after class with comments and questions review the notes just before the next class, read ahead, slow is smooth, smooth is fast. the tests usually do not test what you can figgure out but what you know and know in a way you won't forget. If one can run one won't forget how to walk.
Please do a comparative review of the following books: 1. An Intuitive and Physical Approach To Calculus By Morris Kline 2. Elementary Calculus: An Infinitesimal Approach By Howard Jerome Keisler 3. Differential and Integral Calculus By N. Piskunov 4. Calculus By L.V. Tarasov.
I'm currently failing my Calc 1 course. These videos are really giving me the value and guidance I need. I will update this comment by mid to end of may and let you all know if I passed.
Yep this is absolutely right .when any person watching any video related study ,so after the finish the video .Every person should wright notes or brain mapping ....🙋🙋🙋🙋🙋🙋🙋💆
Just start a small collection a couple of books at a time, used. You can usually get them fairly cheap online. Lol you will be surprised how fast it will grow. 😄
Visit profs during office hours! Not only is it basically a free tutoring session, profs will really appreciate face to face/video to video contact with students as they'll know how hardworking of a student you are. This is assuming the prof actually cares about their students of course.
I'm a high school sophomore and I'm taking AP Calculus BC right now, and I'm failing. My first test I got a 79%, 10 points total taken off because of little concepts I didn't fully understand but felt like I understood before the test. I finished that test and I really thought I did well. Last week I just took the unit 2/3 test and today I got my grade back and I was honestly flabbergasted. 76%, worst than the first one. But I really studied hard, I always write down everything in class, did all the problems, even read the textbook and did all the problems here. And I thought the test was pretty easy, I haven't gotten my test back yet so I don't know if it was just another rerun of the first test. I tried hard to understand every concept and I felt I understand it, I'm just not seeing that reflected in my test scores.
Personal advice, although I am only a 2nd grade math student, when you are reading a proof or a theoretical problem you will often tell yourself that you understand it if you can read 100% of it and make total sense. In my opinion however you will understand it way more if you also question why the proof/solution unfolded in such a way, it will increase perception and understanding. SO yeah do not only ask of yourself to check the correctness and logic of steps but also the meaning behind each step, the "why".
Fun fact: the whole reason I am interested in math is because of calculus. If it weren't for me seeing integrals and the nabla operator 2 years ago I wouldn't be here. Either way, even though most of the time when I saw something in calculus I could understand it, I still took notes so I can go back to them later. Who know, I may never go back but better safe than sorry.
I don't usually take notes but it has nothing to do with having photographic memory, to me the reason is so as to be paying more attention to the class while the professor speaks. The only reason I can do this is because when I study for my exams I use the books, and so I get the opportunity to read an transcribe to my notebook what seems I believe it's important. I believe this method of taking notes is superior because you are taking notes with some information about the topics so you can make notes that are of much higher quality. This does have a downside though, it takes a lot more time to go through the entire book again, probably taking notes and only going to the book for maybe parts you don't understand is a much more efficient technique.
im currently enrolled in a psychology degree. Totally different to math but man, i love your enthusiasm to help people learn. This stuff gets me inspired to learn. yer brother yewww
Some instructors or programs require the student to memorize theorems. The catch is that you have to memorize every if, and, or, but, which are crucial to the proper meaning. Of course, there is no substitution for genuine understanding. If you understand the subject you can practically derive the theorems from scratch.
I shall add my proverbial 2¢ by suggesting the following. There are three types of Calculus classes dependinhg upon where one is taking the class and who is teaching. First, there is the working mathematician at a top tier university. Their exams tend being more abstract and test conceptional understanding and definitions rather computational abilities. For the example, the homework will always be routine exercises assigned and found in every calculus class but the problems on the exam will not ask taking derivate or evaluate an integral of simple functions, and not necessarily be a proof problem, e.g. what is the derivative a some given discontinuous function? Second, there is the third tier college instructor or community college teacher whose exams echo assigned homework exercises. The challenge here is straight up testing of computational ability and SPEED. Then the third type is your physicists or engineer trained instructor who knows what calculus one needs knowing for practical utility. Their exams will be problems that are more complex versions of the assigned homework problems. Pay attention to the point value of homework vs exams. Say a class has final exam worth 60% of grade, two midterms worth 15% each, leaving homework, spot quizzes, and class participation worth total of 10%, then clearly homework is not as important as how you perform on exams. Unless homework for the class is worth at least 30% or more of the total grade NEVER stress over doing homework. Do homework but don't stress like high school. You can at the very least, submit a problem set with set-up of each problem even if without solutions. Spend the time directly proportional to the points value. For every 100 minutes studying math, spend only % doing homework equal to % homework is worth. If the class is more computational based then practice, practice, practice as if preparing for the AP calculus exam. Memorization of formulae and SPEED is what is being tested.
One problem I have is I forget what I have been studying when the test is put in front of me. Our class is at the half way point and I know that I am going to have to retake this class. I freeze and forget what to do when I see e, lnx, any fraction, sin, cos, tan, csc, sec, cot, or square roots. The derivatives make sense to me until the listed above are added. I don't think the precalculus class I have had previously taught us what we needed fundamentally. I am currently taking a free course online to learn trig again.
For a mathematician it is not the Nirvana but the Fifth dimension. I am just guessing. Speed is important as well and needs to be improved whenever it is possible. The good thing is that you do not find or see any red traffic light blinking anywhere ahead on your road and no police patrol can fine you with a ticket for speed either. Thanks for sharing your thoughts online. A big like.
I just got an A in calculus after hundreds of hours of studying. What helped me immensely was making sure I understood the trig circle, trig identities and everything related to Pythagoras. Also make sure you know all your basic derivation/integration, most of the problems in calc build on the mentioned concepts.
Nice!!
Can you be my teacher?
Absolutely. Unit circle and other things.
I think what makes calculus so hard is actually the pre calculus lmao. Also, you have a lot of stuff to know by hearth: trig circle, Derivatives,Integration formulas, sommations formulas,trig ids, limit indeterminations, etc...
Yeah I slowly learned it’s a lot of trig, which is unfortunate because I absolutely suck at trig lol.
So many times I'm like "yeah, that makes sense", I understand what is going on. Then I try to do exercises and I don't have a clue on how to start
PRACTICE!
Polya
@@simko5314 Practice, but also need to get feedback when you cannot solve. Work with peer groups or go to your university's tutor help or see the professor.
Here is the summary:
1. do all of the homework problems (bare minimum).
2. go over your handwritten notes from class, make sure you understand everything step by step (just watching videos is not enough), do the examples in class by yourself.
3. keep redoing homework problems and example problems (pick a random problem and just do it). Make sure you can do them comfortably.
4. pay attention to the topic list.
5. study for speed, make sure you can do problems quickly.
6. reach the "nirvana". Study so much, that you can relax before the test.
As a calc student, this video is exactly what I needed, thank you so much!!!
the 5th point really resonated with me, Im also more of a "slow steady types" and I get a lot of enjoyment out of just really elegant solution and thinking about other ways you could do the problem. And I always had problems with time in test, its like I never had enough time. Do you have any tips on how exactly one should work on speed? I mean it comes naturally to you but maybe you have some ideas?
These tips can be applied to many of my classes not just calculus
@@AungGamer lmao yo i thought the same thing. i was like this sounds like my chemistry classes
I think part of the "nirvana" stage is developing deeper insights and real intuition into the principles underlying the material. Eventually we have to go deeper than turning the crank on the black box and having the answer spit out the other side.
For speed be able to do the homework the second or 3rd time with out having to refer to your notes. Know your theorems and formulas by hears so you don't have to derive them during the test. Quickly read through the test before doing any of the problems. First do the problems that are the easiest for you then go after the next difficult problems. Do the most difficult last. As part of your study routine, take a problem from material that you are familiar with but one you haven't done before and set an alarm for 2, 5 7,or 10 minutes. Practice pressing yourself, not when you are learning but when you are practicing. Can you think of other techniques for increasing speed?
Thanks
I knew a Russian at university, who became a physicist to not have to go to the red army. He wasn't good at math so his strategy was to learn a lot of basic math. He learned with every Algebra, Arithmetics, pre-calculus books he was able to get a grip on (even school books) and was then doing tons of simple problems. He always said that the major mistake students do is working on topics before they are ready for it, without building a really strong foundation, getting bad grades, and become frustrated. In his Ph.D. he worked on the Navier-Stokes differential equations and even found a special solution for a problem, which now carries his name. He now works on fluid dynamics and simulations at a university somewhere and is maybe a professor. IDK, sadly I forgot his name.
I think he did exactly what you said, he was overdoing it, that is, in the meaning of dwelling on topics and doing exercises even when he already understood how it worked. Repetition makes permanent.
Brilliant comment. You build your maths skills like a house. Start with the foundations, then the footings, then brick by brick.
@@channelsixtysix066 agreed ss. Math and all skills to be properly understood need a firm foundation before moving forward. If we run before learning how to walk, we will fall.
@@suurlu01 Subscribed. 😊
Foundational math is insane to becoming an efficient and well-prepared mathematician. So many times errors are encountered from a lack of the solid foundations, and usually that's what it boils down to. Complex concepts broken down into multiple elementary components.
@Hans von Zettour Oh sorry for the confusion. I meant to say insanely important.
Great advice.
After being out of math studies for ~ 25 years, I got a B in a real analysis last semester precisely because I was not prepared enough for the timed exams.
Starting early, rereading notes SOON after class ends, possibly rewriting notes, and doing and redoing all homework problems will give a student at any age the best chance at the best grades with no regrets later.
I blew the A because I was not ready for the final exam. I have regrets because the A was there for the taking.
Next semester starts next week, and I intend to follow this advice.
Thanks for this important video. It came at a nice time.
I struggled in calculus because I never had a real world example of calculus. In my opinion, find an example which has meaning to you, study the example enough to get familiar with it. Understanding the application of calculus will help you understand the value of the mathematics and motivate you to learn.
I got A's in calc 1 and 2. So much hard work!
I had sheets of memory items I went over again and again. Sometimes I did homework problems twice, and then practiced them _again_ before a test. I also made flash cards.
Hard work made up for my being a slower learner.
Good luck!
I don't understand why this didn't work for me. How can we do similar things and get such different results. I failed miserably and you passed with a A. Maybe I'm just dumb that's probably it.
@@centipedekid9824 Let me start by saying: You are *_not_* dumb. It may be that you need more practice, and help from a tutor.
As much as possible, I did not leave any "stone unturned".
Does your school or college have a tutoring center? I practically lived in the tutoring center!
@@sharonsolana I am dumb. I spent everyday in the tutoring center getting help and still failed. I lived there ate there slept there I was there so much that if I wasn't it was considered weird. I went home and studied more for about 4 hours more if I had the time. My life was consumed by it ruined by it I sacrificed everything for math and failed. My brain cant keep up.
@@centipedekid9824 You are *not* dumb.
Did you take precalc: college algebra and trig?
If a someone tries to run a marathon without being sufficiently trained and prepared, they will probably injure themselves and fail.
I don’t know so much about algebra or trig and in 15 days I’ll start my engineering study in college as a freshman and I’ll be taking calculus 1 in the 1st semester, any advice on how can I pass? I’m really scared
If you have a picture memory, upgrade also to a printer hand: take notes!
Tip: watch the Math Sorcerer’s Calculus 1 review or any of his reviews! I bombed my mid term last semester (59). I watched over his videos and some others for my final and I got a 90! I almost pulled my grade to an A! Very helpful videos that actually helped me calm down and learn/refresh the material. You seem to be an awesome teacher/professor. I’ll be watching during Calculus 2 this semester. Thank you!
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You got ninety factorial. Wow!
@@standowner6979 lol
Let's go Zack I'm right there with you in Calc 2!!!
These are such SUPER-AWESOME videos that you produce and post, Math Sorcerer!!! Even though I'm a 53-year-old unemployed, autistic male and no longer in school or in any manner of a classroom situation (and haven't been since 2007), I still enjoy math a whole lot to the extent that I not only have a popular/pure math library in the main room/lobby of my two-room apartment unit, I also have in that same lobby a bookcase for my MATH HISTORY books that I had built and installed for me this week. Now, Math Sorcerer, your anecdotes and tips for learning the language of advanced mathematics are pretty awesome to say the least. So getting notified about your latest videos AND watching them are, for me, very much like what a child experiences while opening up presents on birthdays and during the holiday season!!! #Autism
Something that helped me a lot was asking tons and tons of questions from my professors. Speaking as someone who managed to get straight A's in all of Calc 1 through Calc 3, I don't think I would have done nearly as well if I wasn't constantly asking questions in class and emailing my professors with my confusions/my thoughts about a particular concept. I think one of the problems some people in calculus classes have is just being too damn shy. Your professors are really the best resources you have in college, and as long as it is obvious you have thought on and worked on a concept, they usually won't mind you asking a question about anything.
In a textbook most paragraphs contain only one knowledge item that the author wants to transfer. I use to highlight them.
After each section I write a section summary. These are the facts I need to learn.
After each chapter I write a chapter summary which ties together the section summaries. These create overview and help bind together the knowledge.
Very nice!
Great advice. I just did as many math problems (unassigned ones too) as I could for this week's Calculus class. Some were pretty tough, edge-case problems too but I crushed it. Knowing even the tough problems as I get ready for the exam will make a big difference. Thank you!
Math Sorcerer, thank you for all your videos. I just finished the calculus 1 final exam with a half hour to spare. 94/100.
Your words are healing. Thank you!
Sir, your words motivate me and give me the strategies to go the extra mile
Thank you very much, please continue being great!❤️🙏
❤️
Calc 2 let's go! My new instructor is awesome and I'll of course still be enjoying your videos! Thanks for being my involuntary college advisor ;)
I work out 20 questions per section per week. All chapters vary in terms of sections. This is all I have time for. I also take the test at the end of each chapter. Passing grade before moving into a new chapter is 70%. If I score less than 70%, I repeat the chapter in full.
I have friends who had to drop their other courses for calculus or take only calculus for the next sem after failing it. They had poured their heart and soul into it, in order to pass, and pass they did. Every sinlge piece of advice given in the video is absulotely true. However, its important for people to know how much course load they are able to handle. You don't want to be stressed out about other classes while doing your calculus HW, it really messes with your ability to learn. Thank you for this video, I love your content.
I failed the course after giving it everything. I'm not allowed to go back anymore so I have to find a job.
Great advice as always, key points for me is to know the study topic list and to understand outlier problems from that list.
Thanks again for making these videos. It's encouraging to see real math teachers speak so freely about these things!
I've not a lot to say, except that I completely agree with this. Complex analysis was one of the two times in my undergrad that I came close to achieving nirvana - and it was thanks to repeatedly going over the homework and the exercises from two text books. More importantly, I did the work throughout the course (normally I would get close to zero for tutorials/assignments and only put work in a couple of weeks before the exams). I try to have few regrets, but the fact I didn't do this for more courses in my undergrad is one.
I give my students the same advice as well. The only new things here that I did not consider was speed of the "nirvana" that you speak of. I will use this video as part of my syllabus assignment when Spring semester begins. You nail all the key aspects of success.
Nice!!
This is how Jeff bezos looks w long hair 😂
Hehe
What the heck! I'm just now seeing it.
I knew he looked familiar!
Long hair must means Jeff Bezos is *TOO BUSY* to visit his barber or hairdresser. I self-cut my hair rather than spend money on hairdressing. I cut mine at shoulder length and layer it. I had learned self-cutting tutorials in RUclips. Besides, most hairdressers don't understand my difficult hair. I have glass hair syndrome. My hair looks like barbed wires.
Christian Ramirez, I just now realise you are comparing Jeff Bezos's hair to Math Sorcerer's. I can't believe I was slow on that. 😮 This kind of thing always happens to me.
dude, i was here when u had 4000 subscribers. wow, congrats,
Oh wow haha I remember that, I remember getting 100 lol,.so crazy right !!
Im definitely a note taker! Also i find that although understanding proofs and concepts is crucial....nothing cements tye maths in my mind more than doing lots of questions and examples! Especially being a self study student.
This is simply the best video. Everything you said was on point.
Great advice. I would also add that a student should try to get information(video, reading, online, etc) before taking the class on what is calculus and why is it so important to learn.
Good advice !
I went to school with one of those "deep thinker" dudes and it was amazing what he would do with computer science programming assignments. We would have some seriously complex assignment that the teacher gave us three weeks to complete. My man would not touch a keyboard, open a book or even write down a single note for two and a half weeks; all he did was just think about it. Then he would crank out the entire assignment in basically one or two days of straight coding work.
8:15 Speed might be my main weakness to work on. I'm self-studying, and I love not having to worry about deadlines and tests. But I need to work through my books faster so that I get benefit from more books on more topics.
I think that learning quickly and slowly both have their place, so we should master doing both, and then master the next skill of cycling between high, medium and low levels of speed.
I was mostly caught in the limbo between showing all the steps - and running out of time - and speeding through test problems by not writing down steps, skipping those I felt were obvious. Results: On the one hand I ran out of time and didn't finish the test, so marks off the score for that, and on the other, marks off for not showing enough work. Never did get a handle on what was considered the right amount of "shown work." So I accepted that there was a fair chance of not finishing any particular test. So I did (and re-did) all the graded homework to hand in and all extra-credit problems that were given and had a crack at any projects offered, almost all of which could be done in my own time. I also learned straight away to visit the Mathematics offices. I found almost all of the professors willing to help explain things, if they had the time, even some of the senior professors that taught courses that I had no clue what the courses even were. It was a fun time, working on problems that sometimes puzzled us all, a few students and a few professors around the table. All that said, I did get good grades because I tried and tried and never gave up, just like The Math Sorcerer says. There were a few profs I avoided since, as a "non-traditional student" I had a low tolerance for unnecessary BS and, on occasion, said so. . .
Thanks for the pep talk, it definitely helps!
Thank you so much for your videos! They help me a lot.
I can't thank you enough for this video dear, Sir. Thank You soo much!!
Didn't believe that at first, but Jänich made me change my mind (and yes, taking notes made my hand hurt for the first two months).
My classmates in College Algebra ask me all the time how I get A's on exams. Its pretty simple. I do as many exercises as I can from each chapter section. I dont wait for the professor to lecture something before I study it. I study it and then listen for anything new or enlightening in the lecture.
Thats it. I do the hard work at home so when I sit an exam I dont have to struggle.
This is probably the best study advice for Engineering in general. Cause everything is problem solving and this can be applied to most subjects in Engineering.
Thank you for the Video. 
My tip I would give for calc is to mess around with graphs in tools like Geogebra or any equivalent. Seeing the function and how they work together with some real like examples boosted my understanding of derivatives and integrals X100
"Physical class." That's a concept I feel very estranged from.
Hehe
Great tips, thank you!
Calculus I: A
Calculus II: A
calculus III: B (I was dating...)
Vector calculus: A
Listen to him!!!
Good luck future calculus students
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In the vector calculus course, did you break up?
That's my Question as well? 😏
Lmao stop dating. Date math
I will be honest. In Brazil, when we are very close to someone, a person that we really respect and admire, it is common to joke with that person. So if I were a true friend of Locke, I would say: During the vector calculus course, you went back to dating a sexy doll.
However, as I don't know Locke, I'll just say: Congratulations and Success!
There's a lot of good advice here, I'd like to add just a few things I've noticed when I've gotten a really good grade in a class, (especially, but not limited to, math and math heavy subjects):
Aim to get every answer right by double checking your work. When you do your homework, if there's a problem you can't figure out don't stop until you get the right answer, and know why you made a mistake. Your teacher may not grade your homework, just give you credit for doing it, but if you don't get the right answer, the homework has actually reinforced the wrong answer. Knowing yourself, your weaknesses, is valuable.
Going fast: if you are able to finish a test quickly enough that you have the time to go back and double check your work, then you're probably fast enough. I consider it a warning sign that I'm not keeping up, if I run out of time before having double checked all my answers. Sometimes I end up finishing before a big portion of the class, but I'm never the first to finish a test in math class.
Prior planning and preparation prevents p*ss-poor performance - the 7 "p"s come from a saying in the USMC, to my knowledge and there's a lot of truth to this; if you put out the effort to prepare completely, there will be no surprises on test days. This will be easier for some than others, and it often means sacrificing a lot of personal time.
I second the note-taking. Also, don't buy study aides - make your own. The act of making flash cards, study guides, etc, is more instructive to me than referring to pre-made ones. I hardly ever refer back to my notes, usually having taken them is enough; I can do the homework with little difficulty.
Re-doing homework never helped me - I have a tendency to remember the answer and not learn anything the second time around. But I usually do a few other problems in the book, the ones that weren't required for homework, and represent one of each of the types of problems I'm likely to see on the test, since often tests are cumulative in math. So I guess in a way I'm redo-ing the homework, but not all of it. That being said, I have a bit of a sixth sense about what's going to be on a test and I know if I'm solid or struggling, and if I feel like I'm struggling, I put more work in.
A lot of this seems obvious, but let me tell you, I have had classmates that do the homework just to get credit. I've had classmates who should have known they weren't fast enough: the instructor would tell us "there will be ten question on the test and you get two hours" and the student would be doing their homework a rate of one or two problems an hour. I've seen student who triage their way through school; "if I cut down on my study time I can get a passing grade and still hang out with my friends all weekend" and basically ruin any chance they had of going to grad school, or worse, having no room for error, they make some mistake and end up failing a class altogether. Those are like the people with engineering degrees who can't really do the engineering job and end up making half the money a real engineer makes because they got stuck in a supervisor position on a factory floor where people who never even went to college make more money than them (welders, toolmakers, some other skilled trades can be more difficult to replace than even a good supervisor).
And for the record, I'm currently taking Calc I, so my typical workload may very well go uip, and I may have to become more reliatnt on notes, do more extra problems on my own, etc, to continue to get the kind of grades that I want.
In my calculus 1 class, our professor requires a journal. In the journal we have to explain how and what we learned and why, also provide examples for context and ask questions. It’s suppose to be like a customized autobiography about learning calculus. Also we should highlight what are common problems that can happen and compare to very similar problems. Pretty genius I think. I never thought about a journal for learning. It’s like 10 % of our grade too haha
That speed advise is awesome. Now I feel the need... The need for math speed :D
Yeah it's huge, I first heard it in grad school from this professor I had, who was soooo hard.
I love your interesting personality and look, and your insight
Good advice! I actually had discovered the "work on speed" concept on the last class I did not finish: I knew most of the concepts but had a hard time finishing thing on the allotted time. I try all of these when I re-take said class. Thank you!
I was a messy math problem solver. I tended to write things down inconsistently. For one problem, I might write down the provided details in a column or at the top or on the right or left side of the page without being consistent. When I met with one tutor (very rare for me), she showed me her work. It was neat, consistent, clear, and easy to read. Every problem was fully copied down and presented clearly. And she was consistent, repeating the process each time. My problem-solving skills improved when I started being consistent, and clear by repeating the homework writing process each time so that I built a problem-solving routine. This also improved my speed. It did slow me down at first.
You are very good professional teacher.
Would love to see a bookshelf tour
:)
Once I reach Nirvana, it's over for my classmates.
😁
To be a good mathematician, I have to become a buddha-what I took from this video
I don't know if anyone will see this, but rn I have a D in Calculus 1 rn and I failed the first two tests because I thought just watching videos would help me study, but I finally realized the real code to pass the class with an A. I would have to literally get like 98's and 99's on the tests in order for me to get a 91% in the class since we have 3 tests left, and the final replaces our lowest test score. I'm really nervous but I've been studying a lot often and I think I will definitely take your advice and redo all the homework I've done, doing multiple practice problems especially with doing math problems because I usually take my time on questions and sometimes when I encounter math problems, I don't know what to do. But now that I know what to do and now that I've slowly started building a really strong foundation in Pre-Calculus and Calculus 1, I feel more confident but I know I have a lot to learn.
I think for most students, the goal is to merely survive that first calculus class, and I think there are two or three keys to success.
First, keep your eyes on the prize...generally speaking, the primary tasks of that first calculus class is finding slopes (derivatives) and areas (integrals). That's it.
Second, draw the functions out. Graphing calculators are helpful, but I would suggest using pencil and paper. Get a feel for the shapes of these functions. Pay attention to singular points...where the functions "blow up".
Three, spend time reviewing algebra and (especially) trigonometry. Review concepts like partial fractions and completing the square. Review trig identities...you should have dreams about the unit circle.
Before you can get an A, first you have to be passing...and a significant number of students...students who have mathematical aptitude and interest...fail that first calculus on the first attempt. And the second attempt. And abandon STEM fields altogether because they can't get past that first calculus class.
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about to start calc 1 this semester, thanks for the advice
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Same here, i'm a physics undergrad going into calc 1 in a couple days. This video really helped me
Can confirm that I did get an A in calc 1, calc 2, and calc 3
I’m so excited to take Calc classes! :)
???-I took them and until this day I am still mentally scar. I Get sweaty nightmares from my Cal trauma.
Lpl
LOVED THE VIDEO !! KEEP IT UP !!!
A good idea might be meeting with your teacher/prof before the test/exam and talking with them about what you can do comfortably in regards to what could be on the test. You should then ask your teacher what you are missing so that you can study for it. This enables you to be able to walk in on test day and be ready to solve any question put in front of you.
this makes the bold assumption that the teacher is capable of speaking semi-fluent english and capable of explaining the concept properly.
He creado un servidor de Discord para aquellos que les guste el rollo de "self-study"! Muchas gracias Math Sorcerer, me has motivado a buscar más gente ♥
I dont even memorize mathematical equations since I usually in my spare time figure out what they are derived from. Best weapon in my math toolbag!
Wish I would've found your channel before the start of my first semester at uni.. I'm way behind in cal-1 and suffering with other subjects as well.. :(
Attend the Office Hours of your TA and Professor; show up with some good questions, and attempt the homework first.
Organize "Problem Set Parties" with a few classmates. Discussing lecture material and problem sets with your peers is very helpful, and fun way to socialize while getting work done.
Really like your video...very good advice...
Yeah, SPEED. Yes, my Professors would deduct points for not labeling everything and not using all the notation, but the deductions were always small. You could get the lions share of the points for the problem just using bare slap dash as long as the work showed you weren't cheating and the answer was basically there. SO that is how I would do each problem, and if there was time after I I finished the test like that I would go back and fill in the labeling and the notations, you know, wait until the end to dot all the i's and cross all the t's.
Hey Sorcerer, the “studying for speed” things not weird at all. I’m going through Calc 1 right now (one more week, baby!). I used to put on sad, slow country music and just have a slow, deliberate pace in studying. Try to really take in what I’m doing, you know? Well, on quizzes and exams I ALWAYS run out of time before finishing. So, I decided to mix it up some by also putting on some hard driving Synthwave bangers (“Unicorn”, by Gunship is the real deal) and just tear through Algebra, differentiation, and antiderivative/def. int practice sheets. Last week I straight killed it on my exam. I finished it and only got dinged a bit for forgetting the C in an anti derivative. Being able to just have those derivative properties ready on command and not wasting anytime thinking about it is HUGE.
"To use mathematics effectively in applications, you need not just knowledge but *skill* . Skill can only be obtained through practice.", Mary Boas in "To The Student" of her "Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences".
This is true for both applied (computational-oriented) and pure (theorem-proof oriented) courses. I always had to work through the derivations, examples and do all of the homework.
7. Pay attention in class and focus on understanding the key concepts being explained to you during lecture.
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Hopefully I can get an A in calc 3 with your advice:)
Yeah you definitely can!
@@TheMathSorcerer hey, do u think there is a huge overlap between calc2 and 3? What are some key concepts that I should be able to handle before going into calc3? Thanks in advance:)
No not at all, not a huge overlap, it's way easier too I think😁
Its like calc 1 in 3d, there is more than that but that's a decent generalization
Check out my calc 3 lecture playlist, it's not super complete but it has a lot of stuff
When it comes to tests, I always like to do a sort of "iterative deepening". I do a first pass where I get everything done as quickly as I can, just so I'm never in a situation where the time limit has passed but I have unfinished problems. Then I'll do a 2nd pass where I think things through a little more thoroughly, just to make sure I didn't do any mistakes. I keep doing multiple passes until either the time limit has been reached, or until I do a pass where I don't change any of my answers.
Hey, can you make a video on the Putnam? Maybe one that talks about how to best prepare for it, or any auxiliaries of that
Great idea!
@@TheMathSorcerer can’t wait :)
One thing that helped me is to look ahead at the next section in the book, after completing homework on the current section.
exactly thank you and great comments others who been there
Instead of redoing the same problem that were on the homework, do unassigned problem. Sometime lazy teachers use those for exam questions
Yup, good advice
thank you for the tips
Do all the homework 3 times with notes, reconstruct the notes right after class with comments and questions review the notes just before the next class, read ahead, slow is smooth, smooth is fast. the tests usually do not test what you can figgure out but what you know and know in a way you won't forget. If one can run one won't forget how to walk.
Please do a comparative review of the following books:
1. An Intuitive and Physical Approach To Calculus By Morris Kline
2. Elementary Calculus: An Infinitesimal Approach By Howard Jerome Keisler
3. Differential and Integral Calculus By N. Piskunov
4. Calculus By L.V. Tarasov.
Thank you!!!!
@@TheMathSorcerer 🙏
I'm currently failing my Calc 1 course. These videos are really giving me the value and guidance I need. I will update this comment by mid to end of may and let you all know if I passed.
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How'd you do bro?
Tests are the best. Thank you sir for this thank you
You've got a very nice library. 👍
Yep this is absolutely right .when any person watching any video related study ,so after the finish the video .Every person should wright notes or brain mapping ....🙋🙋🙋🙋🙋🙋🙋💆
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This man is a living legend. God speed!
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so jealous of the bookshelves behind you
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Just start a small collection a couple of books at a time, used. You can usually get them fairly cheap online. Lol you will be surprised how fast it will grow. 😄
Great advice!
Thanks a lot sir.!! It helped me a lot❤️❤️😀...u look like Sir Newton 😊
Visit profs during office hours! Not only is it basically a free tutoring session, profs will really appreciate face to face/video to video contact with students as they'll know how hardworking of a student you are. This is assuming the prof actually cares about their students of course.
Every time I went to my professor’s office the door was closed and you can hear him snoring. He was very old.
@@grail9558 I should have said "majority of profs" in my original comment.
Lol
I'm a high school sophomore and I'm taking AP Calculus BC right now, and I'm failing. My first test I got a 79%, 10 points total taken off because of little concepts I didn't fully understand but felt like I understood before the test. I finished that test and I really thought I did well. Last week I just took the unit 2/3 test and today I got my grade back and I was honestly flabbergasted. 76%, worst than the first one. But I really studied hard, I always write down everything in class, did all the problems, even read the textbook and did all the problems here. And I thought the test was pretty easy, I haven't gotten my test back yet so I don't know if it was just another rerun of the first test. I tried hard to understand every concept and I felt I understand it, I'm just not seeing that reflected in my test scores.
Personal advice, although I am only a 2nd grade math student, when you are reading a proof or a theoretical problem you will often tell yourself that you understand it if you can read 100% of it and make total sense. In my opinion however you will understand it way more if you also question why the proof/solution unfolded in such a way, it will increase perception and understanding. SO yeah do not only ask of yourself to check the correctness and logic of steps but also the meaning behind each step, the "why".
Fun fact: the whole reason I am interested in math is because of calculus. If it weren't for me seeing integrals and the nabla operator 2 years ago I wouldn't be here. Either way, even though most of the time when I saw something in calculus I could understand it, I still took notes so I can go back to them later. Who know, I may never go back but better safe than sorry.
Thank you!
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I don't usually take notes but it has nothing to do with having photographic memory, to me the reason is so as to be paying more attention to the class while the professor speaks. The only reason I can do this is because when I study for my exams I use the books, and so I get the opportunity to read an transcribe to my notebook what seems I believe it's important. I believe this method of taking notes is superior because you are taking notes with some information about the topics so you can make notes that are of much higher quality. This does have a downside though, it takes a lot more time to go through the entire book again, probably taking notes and only going to the book for maybe parts you don't understand is a much more efficient technique.
Thank you so much !
Quality advice!
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im currently enrolled in a psychology degree. Totally different to math but man, i love your enthusiasm to help people learn. This stuff gets me inspired to learn. yer brother yewww
I think first requirement is needed in every subject if you want to master it
Great 👍!
Some instructors or programs require the student to memorize theorems. The catch is that you have to memorize every if, and, or, but, which are crucial to the proper meaning. Of course, there is no substitution for genuine understanding. If you understand the subject you can practically derive the theorems from scratch.
I shall add my proverbial 2¢ by suggesting the following.
There are three types of Calculus classes dependinhg upon where one is taking the class and who is teaching. First, there is the working mathematician at a top tier university. Their exams tend being more abstract and test conceptional understanding and definitions rather computational abilities. For the example, the homework will always be routine exercises assigned and found in every calculus class but the problems on the exam will not ask taking derivate or evaluate an integral of simple functions, and not necessarily be a proof problem, e.g. what is the derivative a some given discontinuous function?
Second, there is the third tier college instructor or community college teacher whose exams echo assigned homework exercises. The challenge here is straight up testing of computational ability and SPEED.
Then the third type is your physicists or engineer trained instructor who knows what calculus one needs knowing for practical utility. Their exams will be problems that are more complex versions of the assigned homework problems.
Pay attention to the point value of homework vs exams. Say a class has final exam worth 60% of grade, two midterms worth 15% each, leaving homework, spot quizzes, and class participation worth total of 10%, then clearly homework is not as important as how you perform on exams.
Unless homework for the class is worth at least 30% or more of the total grade NEVER stress over doing homework. Do homework but don't stress like high school. You can at the very least, submit a problem set with set-up of each problem even if without solutions.
Spend the time directly proportional to the points value. For every 100 minutes studying math, spend only % doing homework equal to % homework is worth.
If the class is more computational based then practice, practice, practice as if preparing for the AP calculus exam. Memorization of formulae and SPEED is what is being tested.
Thanks
I took Calc 1 last semester and earned a "B" and I will take Calc 2 and University physics this semester and earning an "A" will be the goal.
Good luck 👍
One problem I have is I forget what I have been studying when the test is put in front of me. Our class is at the half way point and I know that I am going to have to retake this class. I freeze and forget what to do when I see e, lnx, any fraction, sin, cos, tan, csc, sec, cot, or square roots. The derivatives make sense to me until the listed above are added. I don't think the precalculus class I have had previously taught us what we needed fundamentally. I am currently taking a free course online to learn trig again.
For a mathematician it is not the Nirvana but the Fifth dimension. I am just guessing. Speed is important as well and needs to be improved whenever it is possible. The good thing is that you do not find or see any red traffic light blinking anywhere ahead on your road and no police patrol can fine you with a ticket for speed either. Thanks for sharing your thoughts online. A big like.