Success is a relative thing. For some students, anything less than an A will be
a failure; for others, passing with a D will be a success. Your success depends
on your math background and on the amount of time and effort you put into your
class. Note that you are graded on your performance (skills and knowledge you
show), not on your talent and potential. If your previously acquired math
skills are weak, which usually shows early in the term, you will have to find
some time to improve them. Otherwise, you will struggle in your class. Use all
help that is available in the Tutoring Center or in my office. If you want to
succeed, you will attend the class regularly, study consistently throughout the
term, do all homework assignments on your own and with understanding, and seek
out help every time you need it.
The following hints may help you furthermore. The way I teach, I emphasize them
all the time.
This is not just about your current class. If you will take other math classes after the current one, you will need the skills learned in this class, so try to make them as permanent as possible. By the way, take all your math classes successively, without making breaks between them. Even if this is your last math class, you still may need what you will learn in it, either in some other (science) classes or in your future career.
Know how to read and write mathematics. These are the main components of math literacy. Pay attention to the way I write mathematics on the chalkboard. Take notes; when else will you write math if not in your math class? Be able to recognize different math objects and know the terminology. Here is a link to my webpage on mathematical literacy.
Know the “why” and you will know the “how.” There is no mathematics without thinking. Math is not about mechanical memorization of a large number of rules. Know the explanations of those rules and you will understand them and remember them much more easily. Try to think in general terms, recognizing types of problems and important concepts and strategies. Avoid the danger of not seeing the forest for the trees.
Learn from your mistakes. Every returned test or homework is an opportunity to learn from the mistakes made. Many students think that they can easily miss the class when a test is returned, since we won't be going over anything new. This is very wrong and not only because we may actually start a new section, but because I want to discuss your work with you and to point out the most typical mistakes. You may need the same math skills on other tests or homework assignments, so you better not repeat those mistakes. This is why I want you to come to my office to get your work back if you were not in class when it was returned.
Do the homework. As soon as we finish a section, you can start working on the assigned problems. If you have difficulties, try to get help in the Tutoring Center, see me during my office hours, or prepare your questions for homework discussions in class. If you don't have enough time to solve all assigned problems, try at least two or three from each group.
Be critical of your work. Sometimes students say that they do all the homework, understand everything in class, and follow all my guidelines, but they still fail. It may seem to them that test problems are very different from homework assignments and from what was done in class. If this is what you are experiencing, you should talk to me as soon as possible and we will try to diagnose the problem. In general, I would suspect that the quality of your studying is not good enough. Maybe you are misled by the fact that you understand everything that is done in class. This indeed is important, but is just a passive process. You have to practice solving problems actively, on your own. This is the purpose of the homework. However, don't do it mechanically. You have to understand what you are doing. Practice makes perfect, but what you need in math is a meaningful, intelligent practice. Question every mathematical step you are making: what kind of problem is this, what kind of equation, what is the strategy for solving this type of problem, is this step correct...? This is also how you should approach test problems.
It's your time and money. You have the right not to listen to my advice, and you still may be successful in your class. I've had students showing up only to take tests or turn assignments in, who passed the class with an A. However, most of those who tried to do this failed. If the reason for your absence is that you already know all the material, why not take credit by exam? It's much cheaper and takes much less time. Then you can enroll in the next math class, where you will learn something new. Many students behave like they do not want to pass. Even though it is hard to understand this, you have the right to try and fail. I can only hope that you will not exercise this right.
Best of luck!
Dr. Vulanovic