Study Skills …. Or, how to do the best you possibly can without going crazy!!!!! Use your resources!! Your book Your instructor Your friends (that know math) The Math Center tutors On-line tutorials Oodles and gobs of people and places that want to help you! What’s in your book??? Proper Study Skills Have a positive attitude Prepare for and Attend Class Read the Text Do the Homework Study for Class How to…have a positive attitude!!!!!!!! You must be willing to give this course, and yourself, a chance Don’t continue to say “I Hate Math!” – that won’t help… Believe in yourself! Prepare for and Attend Class You should plan to attend every class You need to do your homework completely Write down questions you may have While in class pay attention to what the instructor is saying Take careful, organized, and legible notes Read the Book Math books aren’t meant to be read like a novel, or a magazine, or a comic book Read them slowly & carefully, word by word. If you don’t understand it, re-read it… Make note of anything you read that you don’t understand & ask your instructor Pay attention to the “Avoiding Common Errors” and “Helpful Hints” boxes in your book Do the Homework! Do the assignments as soon as possible, so the material will be fresh in your mind. It is through doing homework that you TRULY learn the material Check your answers in the back of the book & if you can’t figure out how to get the correct answer, ASK! Test questions are usually very similar to homework problems – so pay attention! Study for Class Know your own study habits. Study in a place & at a time that is best for you to focus & not be interrupted. Don’t try to study math for too long at a time – take breaks to let your mind re-energize. Be sure you know WHY a problem is worked a particular way, not just HOW! What’s else is in your book??? How to Prepare for and Take Exams (p4-6) Prepare for an exam Take an Exam Prepare for an Exam Study a little bit each day You shouldn’t cram the night before an exam (this usually doesn’t help)!! Read & RE-READ your class notes Review your homework assignments Study formulas, definitions, and procedures RE-READ “Avoiding Common Errors” and “Helpful Hint” boxes Prepare for an Exam… continued Read the summary at the end of each chapter Work the Chapter Review Exercises at the end of each chapter Work Mid-Chapter and Chapter Practice Tests Rework any quizzes previously given ASK ABOUT ANYTHING YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND AS YOU GO ALONG! Prepare to SUCCESSFULLY Take an Exam!!! Get a good nights sleep Don’t rush into class without time to relax before the test is handed out Eat some brain food (peppermint is good for increasing oxygen supply)! When you get the exam/test… Write down any formulas or ideas you need to remember Look quickly over the entire test to see how long it is, etc. Read instructions carefully. If something doesn’t make sense, ASK! As you take the exam/test… Show all your work – can’t earn partial credit any other way!! Work the questions you know best first Don’t spend too much time on any one problem Plan to spend more time on the problems worth more points. As you take the exam/test… Attempt each problem – never leave a problem blank! Work carefully, double checking signs, numbers, and variables Write so that your instructor can read your work IF YOU HAVE TIME check your work – but don’t secondguess yourself! As you take the exam/test… Don’t worry if others finish before you – you have the time, so use it! Stay calm. Take deep breaths. Think about what you know, not what you don’t know! Trust yourself! When you get back the exam/test… See what problems you missed Find out why you missed them Make note of what you missed and why you missed them You will probably need that information for future coursework!!!!! Is there more??? Learn to Manage Time Plan ahead Be organized When allowed – use calculator for tedious calculations Use a book mark Don’t take on more than you can handle; prioritize. Use supplements Seek HELP Plan Ahead… Expect to spend at least 2 hours studying and doing homework for every hour of class… Plan when and where you will study… Don’t schedule other activities during that time… If allowed, use calculators for the “hard calculations” Prioritize… Be organized… Keep what you need where you know where it is so you don’t have to waste time looking for it… Use bookmarks to keep track of where you are… Use your time wisely… Try not to take on more responsibilities… Math courses take a lot of time and energy, so don’t overburden yourself with too many courses… You must set your priorities… Use supplements… NO, NOT STEROIDS… You can buy the Student’s Solutions manual – or use the one in the Math Center You can use the DVD in the Math Center to see how some problems are worked out You can access powerful online tutorials on InteractMath.com Seek HELP… Don’t be afraid to ask for help!! Don’t wait to ask for help!! If you get behind, it is VERY difficult to catch up!!!! There are many sources of help that I will talk about here… Teacher Friends Math Center Tutors How can your instructor help? Silly question…. Honestly, though….. Teachers are here to help you… Remember, the classroom experience is not meant to be a one-to-one tutoring session See the instructor outside of class for that Getting help from your instructor… Know how to contact your instructor Mrs. Rigdon prefers you contact her by email ksrigdon@mccneb.edu Know your instructor’s availability Mrs. Rigdon is the Math Center Specialist, so she can be found there (Room 207), except when she’s in class, of course: Mondays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays 9am – 6:30 pm Tuesdays 9am – 6 pm Fridays 9am – 4 pm Getting help from your instructor… Know what you need help with Don’t expect your instructor to re-teach the entire lesson There’s probably 1 or 2 things that you missed, or don’t understand, and getting those will probably help you through the difficulty you’re experiencing Getting help from your instructor… Your instructor may teach the material differently than other people, so she/he really should be the first person you go to for help….. But, your instructor should understand that you “getting” the material is the important part and that if you want to get help elsewhere, that’s fine as well! How can your friends help? Ever hear of study groups??? Make sure someone in the group knows what they’re doing… Remember the study group time isn’t party time… Stay on task… Helping someone else learn the material is one of the most effective ways to learn it yourself!!!!! How can the Math Center help? Excellent question…. The Math Center is open… Monday – Thursday 9am – 9pm Friday 9am – 4pm Saturday 10am – 3pm Math Center personnel know their stuff…… We are trained to help with Math Courses all the way up through Calculus How else can the Math Center help? Textbooks & Student Solutions Manuals If you’ve not purchased your textbook yet, you can use ours in the center If you need help figuring out a homework problem (odds only), you can look in the solutions manual for a hint and explanation If you want to check the answer to an even-numbered problem, you can look at the printout of even-numbered answers How else can the Math Center help? DVDs of Sample Problems The publisher has produced these DVDs to provide you additional instruction on sample problems Headphones The Math Center has headphones you can use in the center to listen to the DVDs Or, you can bring your own How else can the Math Center help? Calculators We have calculators you can borrow to use in the center Quiet Study Area If you just want someplace to do your homework If you have a question, you can just ask one of us How else can the Math Center help? Additional resources We have lists of additional websites that might be helpful We have informational bookmarks that might be helpful We have handouts on being a good math student This is a place your study group could use as your meeting place… Complete with people to help you!!! How can on-line tutorials help? InteractMath.com is set up to help you learn various Mathematical topics, including what’s in your book Have a Math Center staff member show you how access it, then… Select the Chapter & Section you want to work on You can select specific objectives to work on… You can work through sample problems Some problems have videos showing an instructor working out a similar problem Some problems have similar problems worked out step by step for you to see All problems have similar problems that you can work out step by step (it will check each step for you), so you can learn the processes How can anybody or anything help you???? First of all, realize that anyone in the education field wants you to learn the material, so that you will be successful in the course…. And in life!!! Who can help me??? Your instructor The Math Center tutors Your study group AND…… Who can help me??? The Academic Resource Center can set you up with your own personal tutor that will work one-on-one with you. Don’t expect them to replace going to class and getting instruction from your teacher Do expect them to help you understand the material!!! By the way, this is also FREE!!! What else can you use to help you understand??? You can use other on-line sources: http://www.purplemath.com/ http://www.math.com/ http://www.mathgoodies.com/lessons/ http://www.saab.org/mathdrills/ http://www.mathpower.com/ http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/sets/high_alg_toc.ht ml Other outside help… You can always hire your own tutor They won’t be free They won’t know how Metro’s classes are set up Can you say $$$$$$$$ ??? Bottom Line… Don’t give up! You CAN do it! There is help if you need it!