Math 151 Study Suggestions



Resources Available for Understanding Material


Textbook:
  • Allow time to read and absorb the sections
  • Do the sample problems
  • Understand the reading before starting homework


    • Lectures/Notes:
  • Leave room to write summaries and thoughts in notes
  • Review the notes
  • Highlight or underline important ideas
  • After each class, make notecard of important ideas from lecture
  • Use your own words on notecards


    • Homework:
  • Practice what you have learned
  • Do some unassigned problems from the syllabus


    • Homework Tips:
  • Scratch paper is your friend!
  • Do your homework and workshops on scratch paper first.
  • Then polish your answers to hand in.



    • Comment on Learning Strategies
    Every student learns in a different way. Most of you are probably aware of what works for you and what does not in terms of study techniques. However, there is always room for improvement. A cool way to learn about good strategies for you in particular is to take the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire found at MSLQ . You will be asked 40 short multiple choice questions regarding your academic experiences. Then, you will receive a score for each of the following categories: Intrinsic Motivation, Interest, Test Anxiety, Elaboration, Organization, Critical Thinking, Self-Regulation, Time and Study Environment Management, and Effort. Under each category, there will be two paragraphs. You can mainly ignore the first paragraph. The second paragraph will give you useful tips for improving your study habits. I really like this questionnaire and think that it provides useful information. Give it a try!


    Comment on Algebra Skills
    Dr. David Lovelock states "I think the main reason students do poorly in Calculus I has little to do with the course itself. It has to do with poor or forgotten algebra skills. ... some of the material which they did not master in College Algebra is essential for success in Calculus I." I strongly agree with this statement. In order to remember and master the necessary algebra skills, Dr. Lovelock developed a program called "Are you ready for Calculus I?" which consists of short multiple choice quizzes that cover the necessary skills for Calculus I. Brian Hassard of the University at Buffalo has constructed web versions of these quizzes which can be found at: Are you ready for Calculus I? . You can click on the "Are You Ready for Calculus I" link to access the quizzes. If you need help during the quiz, you can click on the help button and press submit choice button. Please make sure that you understand all of the material covered on these quizzes.


    Eight Day Study Plan

    Day 8
  • Find any old available tests: For this course, there are links to previous semesters on the website http://www.math.rutgers.edu/courses/135 where you can find old exams.
  • Find out what you need to know for test
  • Divide material into 4 equal parts, A, B, C, D
  • Schedule time to study this material
  • Arrange a time to meet with study group, 2-3 days before test


    • Day 7
  • Review all materials in part A
  • Make a list of important concepts covered in sections
  • Review lecture notecards for this material
  • Review and correct old homework
  • Practice with some unassigned problems
  • Draw visual aids
  • Ask yourself questions about material, and quiz yourself
  • Come to instructor, T.A., or preceptor with remaining questions


    • Day 6
  • Repeat Day 7 for Part B


    • Day 5
  • Repeat for Part C


    • Day 4
  • Repeat for Part D


    • Day 3
  • Review parts A and B


    • Day 2
  • Review parts C and D


    • Day 1
  • Review all parts and pay special attention to problem areas
  • Think about the general way to approach each type of problem
  • Go to sleep at a reasonable time


    • Test Day
  • Go into the test confident and ready!
  • You have done all of the prep work and are now ready to do great!



    • Eight-Day Study Plan provided by University Learning Center of University of Arizona