Are you taking the Classroom Lecture version of your course?
Published: Wed, 01/09/13
If you are taking any of the following Math or Statistics courses by classroom lecture (as opposed to distance/online): Math 1300, Math 1310, Math 1500, Math 1520, Math 1700, Stat 1000, or Stat 2000, please let me know what the date of your midterm exam will be as soon as you find out. That will enable me to finalize my midterm exam prep seminar schedule.
Throughout the term, watch for additional tips from me to assist with your studies. I am also always happy to help with any questions that come up from class. Your question may also provide me with inspiration for additional tips to send out.
Here are a couple of important suggestions I have on how you should approach learning your course.
(1) Set yourself clear goals each week.
For example, decide what lesson in my book you are going to study and
attempt to master each week. If you have a goal, then you can devote the time to
achieve the goal. Maybe you end up thoroughly learning the lesson in
one day of study, and you can reward yourself with a few days off. If the lesson is proving difficult to learn, you can parcel it
out over a few days of study. It is better to take a break if the
information is evaporating the minute you read it because you just can't
think straight, than wasting another hour or two getting nowhere.
Often, after a rest or diversion, something makes a lot more sense than
it did initially. Inevitably, as you are learning, you may need to refer to my notes (or your prof's) to help you understand how to do a problem. In other words, you may have to do your practise "open book" at first. Never be satisfied with completing your homework "open book." Make sure you come back to that homework within the next 24 hours and attempt it again, but this time "on your own." Only when you are able to solve problems without assistance can you truly say you have learned the topic.
(2) Pick a day in the week that will be your Review Day and stick to it. On
that day, go through all of your old assignments (starting with the
most recent and working backwards) and test yourself. Do you still know
how to do the questions? Maybe even redo some of the questions if you
think they will be a good workout. Obviously, if you don't remember how
to do a question, go back and learn how. Also, re-read the summaries or go through the problems I
include at the end of each lesson in my book to remind yourself of all
the key concepts you should know at this point and, if necessary, go
back to the appropriate sections in my book to solidify your
understanding. If you review on a weekly basis, you will not have to
cram in a bunch of info a couple of days before your exam.