My Advice to a New Math 207 Student

Just a few things need to be done in order for you to successfully complete Calculus I, no matter what your mathematical level was in high school.

First, you MUST, at the very least, keep up with lectures. It is all too easy to fall behind. Way behind. It is actually better if you stay ahead a section or two. That way, you can ask any questions you may have during the first lecture on the topic. Falling behind, even the slightest bit puts you at a great disadvantage, because the lectures and the material put forth is built on the fact that you have already been exposed to the concepts behind them. Class is similar to a staircase. You have to take it one stair at a time, otherwise; you may trip over your own feet.

Second, you should do the assigned problems. These are very similar to those on quizzes and tests. If you understand all of the assigned problems, you should do great on the quiz. On the other hand, if you do not understand the problems, then you can ask your questions in class. Chances are you are not the only one who has trouble with it. This brings me to my third point.

Ask questions. You hear all the time, in any level of education, ?the only stupid question is the one that is not asked.? This is so true. If you are having problems trying to grasp a concept, or just do not understand how the professor got from one step to the next, speak up. Try not to rely on someone else asking a similar question. If you just do not get it, then ask your question. Nobody will laugh or criticize you. If you do ask a question, and you still do not get it, then there are always office hours, which is my next point.

Most professors are eager to help you. If you still cannot get a grasp on a certain concept, problem, or just cannot get one of your assigned problems to work out, then make an appointment to talk to your professor, or just drop by. Almost all of the professors on campus have their office hours (hours that they will be in their office for you to talk to them) posted on their doors, or listed on the class syllabus. Do not hesitate to talk to your professors. What happens if you cannot get in touch with your professor?

Then you can check out the tutor room, where the upperclassmen have tutoring sessions. If you do not want to do that, you can always just talk to one of your classmates outside of class. Talking to a classmate can be very rewarding because they are experiencing the same things you are, so they can relate to you better. You might be able to help them in some areas and they can help you in other areas.

College life is entirely different from high school. Here, nobody really cares if you do not show up to class. Your parents are not around to get on your case about your grades, or waking up for school. Besides all of these things, the classes get more difficult. The material in your first year is not that much different from high school, just try to imagine that everything is twice as fast. What was covered in a year of high school is covered in just one semester in college. That is an extremely hard adjustment to make. Preparing for such a drastic adjustment is virtually impossible, but just knowing about it helps to soften the blow.

Calculus. It sounds intimidating, but it is not. The most interesting thing about Calculus is that it allows you to sketch all the major parts of a graph when you are given just the function. Even really nasty functions. By using derivatives and second derivatives, you can locate maximum and minimum values and if it is concave up (bowl shaped) or concave down (open umbrella shape). It is just too cool. However, that comes later on. I recommend paying close attention to the lectures about curve sketching because it is a very long process for just one graph, and it is easy to forget steps in the process.

Just remember, it is essential that you: attend lectures and take good notes, do the assigned problems, ask questions, talk to your professors, tutors, or classmates, and although college life is different from high school, don?t be intimidated by it.

Sincerely,

Pam, Mathematics and Computer Science Double Major