This class meets four days a week. Typically the first three meetings will be lecture-based. During these three days you should focus on (1) doing exercises to develop mechanical skills and (2) reading to understand core concepts. At the fourth meeting each week you will solve problems in groups based on the week’s lessons. It’s crucial that you exercise and read during these first three days so that by the fourth class meeting you are prepared to focus solving problems and won’t be bogged down by the basics.
To avoid exhausting yourself with mathematics, relegate the time you spend thinking about this class to the workweek, and reserve a sincere break for yourself during the weekend.
Before the Week’s Class Meetings …
Briskly read about the topics for the week: you’ll get more out of the lecture if you’re already familiar with the topics, and if you’ve already encountered any perplexing ideas and begun to form questions. If you have the time, consider starting on some exercises too.
After Each Lecture, Before the Next Class …
Reflect on the skills and concepts core to the day’s lesson. Do exercises (online or from the textbook) to practice those skills, and do some further reading to internalize those concepts. If any homework exercise has you stumped, discuss it with your peer group from the class, or visit the campus Tutorial Learning Center (TLC), or visit the instructor’s office hours.
After the Problem-Solving Session …
Read over all the problems handed out in class, and ensure (1) that you understand what each problem is asking of you, and (2) that you are confident you know how to solve each problem. It’s not crucial that you write up solutions to all the problems, but you should be able to. Again, if any problem has you stumped, discuss it with your peers or the TLC or your instructor.
Before Each Midterm Exam …
Read over the course summary and the Student Learning Outcomes in the syllabus to calibrate your focus towards what’s important. Then print out any past midterm exams from this course to use as practice. Considering setting a 50-minute timer and “taking” each exam.