Study Skills That Guarantee Success

Making a Plan Make your own course plan right now! Determine the number of hours you need to spend on algebra each week. Write your plans on your calendar or some other schedule planner, and then stick to your plan.

Preparing for Class Before attending class, read the portion of the text that is to be covered. This takes a lot of self-discipline, but it pays off. By going to class prepared, you will be able to benefit much more from your instructor's presentation. Algebra, like most other technical subjects, is easier to understand the second or third time you hear it.

Attending Class Attend every class. Arrive on time with your text, a pen or pencil, paper for notes, and your calendar.

Participating in Class As you are reading the text before class, write down any questions that you have about the material. Then, ask your instructor during class.

Taking Notes Take notes in class, especially on definitions, examples, concepts, and rules. Then, as soon after class as possible, read through your notes, adding any explanations that are necessary to make your notes understandable to you. You might consider recopying your notes. It will help you to remember them.

Doing the Homework Learning algebra is like learning to play the piano or learning to play basketball. You cannot become skilled by just watching someone else do it. You must also do it yourself. A general guideline is to spend two to four hours of study outside of class for each hour in class. When working exercises, your ultimate goal is to be able to solve the problems accurately and quickly. When you start a new exercise set, however, understanding is much more important than speed.

Finding a Study Partner When you get stuck on a problem, it may help to try to work with someone else. Even if you feel you are giving more help than you are getting, you will find that an excellent way to learn is by teaching others.

Working in a Group Agree on what you have to do and make a plan. Listen to each other's ideas, and try to build on them. Ask for help when you need it; give help when asked. Finish the project together. Discuss what you did well together and what you could do differently next time.

Building a Math Library Start building a library of books that can help you with this and future math courses. You might consider using a study guide that accompanies the text. Also, since you will probably be taking other math courses after you finish this course, consider keeping the text. It will be a valuable reference book. Tutorial software and videos available with this text will also be valuable additions to your mathematics library.

Keeping Up with the Work Don't let yourself fall behind in the course. If you think that you are having trouble, seek help immediately. Ask your instructor, attend your school's tutoring services, talk with your study partner, use additional study aids such as videos or software tutorials; but do something. If you are having trouble with the material in one chapter of your algebra text, there is a good chance that you will also have trouble in later chapters.

Getting Stuck Everyone who has ever taken a math course has had this experience: You are working on a problem and cannot see how to solve it, or you have solved it but your answer does not agree with the answer given in the back of the book. People have different approaches to this sort of problem. You might ask for help, take a break to clear your thoughts, sleep on it, rework the problem, or reread the section in the text. The point is, try not to get frustrated or to spend too much time on a single problem. Consider studying at the Math Resources Center (147 CB15) where help is available.

Assessing Your Progress At the end of each chapter is Chapter Quiz. Take the quiz as you would if you were in class, then check your answers in the back of the text.

Checking Your Work One of the nice things about algebra is that you don't have to wonder whether your solution is correct. You can tell whether it is correct by checking it in the original statement of the problem. If, in addition to your "solving skills," you work on your "checking skills," you should find your test scores improving.

Preparing for Exams Cramming for algebra exams seldom works. If you have kept up with the work and followed the suggestions given here, you should be almost ready for the exam. At the end of most chapters, you will find chapter summaries, review exercises and a sample chapter test. Set aside an hour to take the sample chapter test.

Taking Exams Most instructors suggest that you do not study right up to the minute you are to begin taking a test. This tends to make people anxious. The best cure for anxiousness during a test is a good preparation. Once the test has begun, read the directions carefully, and tray to work at a reasonable pace. Hurrying tends to cause people to make careless errors. If you finish early, take a few minutes to clear your thoughts and then take time to go over your work.

Learning from mistakes When you get an exam back, be sure to go over any errors that you might have made. Don’t be too quick to pass off an error as just a “dumb” mistake. Take advantage of any mistakes by hunting for ways to continually improve your test taking abilities.