How do successful students study for calculus?

[amar314]

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Hi everyone. I've been having a pretty rough time with calculus this semester. It's my first time taking it and I don't understand why I've been doing so poorly. We've had two exams, I've gotten a 59% and a 63%, in a few days we have the third and I really need at least a C.

The thing is that I truly think I'm studying efficiently...I do all the homework, practice old exams, ask questions, watch lectures from different universities online. I don't just do work mechanically however, I'm really understanding all I'm doing, I help my friends with it and even though it seem that they don't understand they end up doing way better than me in the exams even though I understand everything better.
I try to relax the most I can for the tests but always end up doing poorly. However, when I take practice tests from last semester's class I get 90%+???

I don't know what to do anymore 🙁

Thank you

 

[Lucca]

It sounds like you need to do more mechanical work. A high practice and low real exam grade probably means test anxiety or nervous errors. You can eliminate these through rote (but boring) practice of problems.

How are your algebraic skills? Those can only be honed through tons of practice and most calculus mistakes are algebraic.

 

[deleted407021]

I agree with Lucca. If your algebra skills aren't sharp, then that may be the source of your problems.

 

[Ismet]

Practice, practice, practice.

Can you look at your past exams or meet with the instructor to see where you're going wrong?

 

[FlatFour]

I think the problem is that you know what you know, the secret is knowing what you DON'T know and working on studying that. If you're taking a practice test and notice a problem you've seen before and think, "Oh, I know how to do that, I'll just skip it", try to actually do it. Don't look at the answer key until you've honestly, genuinely, 100% struggled with the problem. In fact, instead of looking at the answer key try to find a similar example in your book to see if you can figure it out. Also, don't just practice the easy problems, look in the back of your book for challenging stuff instead. That's the only way for you to find out whether or not you understand the material. Finally, watching lectures for any math-based course is a waste of time (at least from my personal experience). Find practice problems and do them until your hand cramps in agony. Good luck.

 

[Theafoni]

I struggled with related rates and optimization in calc. Identify your weaknesses and go from there.

 

[IncognitoGuy]

Again: practice, practice, practice. Math is a skill, and the more you practice a skill the better you get.

 

[moisne]

Well ... Here is how I studied:

I bought the answer keys to my textbook, and I looked at them to see how the problem was solved. I then copied my friends homework (worksheets - don't worry, homework was not graded. It was only tests). I looked at HOW they arrived at their answers (corrected them if need be). And in class, I attempt to solve all the practice problem before the professor could. If I did it correctly, i would remember it. If I was wrong, being corrected made me solidify that knowledge even more. I hardly solved any math problems outside of that. However, keep in mind that everyone learns math differently...

 

[feli_owl]

I really like using Khan Academy and patrickJMT on Youtube. I like the fact that I can pause the videos and think about what the tutors just did before continuing (because you can't do that in class with a fast professor!). Ask the professor if your school has a free tutoring center, or go to his/her office hours. Read the textbook before class so that you have a general idea of what is going to be taught in class. Good luck 🙂

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

Hi everyone. I've been having a pretty rough time with calculus this semester. It's my first time taking it and I don't understand why I've been doing so poorly. We've had two exams, I've gotten a 59% and a 63%, in a few days we have the third and I really need at least a C.

The thing is that I truly think I'm studying efficiently...I do all the homework, practice old exams, ask questions, watch lectures from different universities online. I don't just do work mechanically however, I'm really understanding all I'm doing, I help my friends with it and even though it seem that they don't understand they end up doing way better than me in the exams even though I understand everything better.
I try to relax the most I can for the tests but always end up doing poorly. However, when I take practice tests from last semester's class I get 90%+???

I don't know what to do anymore 🙁

Thank you

I took calculus many years ago, but the way I got A+ in both semesters of physics when I took them for medical school was 1) watching relevant Khan Academy videos or other YouTube videos after lecture until I understood the material. Then, 2) doing the assigned practice problems. 3) Using Schaum's outline for additional practice problems of increasing difficulty.

4) Before most tests I would have my wife type up a simulated "test" made up of practice problems with solutions from Schaum's, online, or the textbook. I'd take that test in a library study room under timed conditions and then go through it to find my mistakes.

I think you have to find where your mistakes are and correct accordingly. If simple algebra in the heat of battle, then practice doing problems quickly with no aids. If you have no idea how to set up the problems, then you need to master the concepts and more practice setting up problems.

 

[CollegeGirl94]

This is what I do and so far I got As in Calculus and TA it.

First, understand the material.
Then, look at a few problems + solutions.
Then, do all assigned homework and don't resort to help/solutions unless needed.
Look at more problems + solutions.

 

[Lil Mick]

Practice problems and doing more than the assigned problems. The only way to really wrap your head around math is to do math--the more the better.

 

[Patassa]

Work as many problems as you can stand, then work some more.
This works in O-Chem as well.

 

[Dynam0]

Don't waste your time doing too many simple problems thinking it will actually help you for the test. Doing all or even most of the practice problems is a poor and extremely inefficient way to study, not to mention that you could be hurting yourself more than helping in the long run.

Stick to doing only 5-6 of the hardest problems (mainly towards the end of the sequence of problems) and that should be good enough. If you genuinely understand the material, then this sounds more of a test-taking issue that is the problem and not your current study method.

 

[CollegeGirl94]

Don't waste your time doing too many simple problems thinking it will actually help you for the test. Doing all or even most of the practice problems is a poor and extremely inefficient way to study, not to mention that you could be hurting yourself more than helping in the long run.

Stick to doing only 5-6 of the hardest problems (mainly towards the end of the sequence of problems) and that should be good enough. If you genuinely understand the material, then this sounds more of a test-taking issue that is the problem and not your current study method.

I disagree, there are lots of different ways to apply the concepts. So you must have a conceptual mind unlike me. I agree that problem working lots of problems isn't necessary the only/best way, but seeing a wide range of problems and solutions is good.

 

[circulus vitios]

Why did you get such low marks on the last exam? Were the questions similar to what was on practice exams and homework, or were they entirely different and something you've never seen before?

 

[deleted577188]

I don't do that many practice problems. However, I do the hw to actually understand it and also know why things happen, not just take it at face value that they happen. Try to get why. It's not too bad if you do these things. Also PATRICKJMT on YouTube has been a TON of help. He covers ALL OF the topics much better than most lecturers and tutor rooms. I've done all of this and got a 95 and 91 on my exams.

Now, don't begin to ask me about chemistry. I SUCK at those.

 

[487806]

Hi everyone. I've been having a pretty rough time with calculus this semester. It's my first time taking it and I don't understand why I've been doing so poorly. We've had two exams, I've gotten a 59% and a 63%, in a few days we have the third and I really need at least a C.

The thing is that I truly think I'm studying efficiently...I do all the homework, practice old exams, ask questions, watch lectures from different universities online. I don't just do work mechanically however, I'm really understanding all I'm doing, I help my friends with it and even though it seem that they don't understand they end up doing way better than me in the exams even though I understand everything better.
I try to relax the most I can for the tests but always end up doing poorly. However, when I take practice tests from last semester's class I get 90%+???

I don't know what to do anymore 🙁

Thank you

Khan Academy, Pauls Online Math Notes, tutoring (i can probably help but SDN advertising isn't allowed ), office hours, practice problems, Visual Calculus etc.

 

[amar314]

Thank you so much everybody, I really appreciate all the responses. I actually don't think algebra is my main issue as that's never really been a problem for me. Just today I decided to go back to my previous test and do all the problems I got wrong and it turns out that I knew how to do them all except one (out of 6 wrong) so I don't know anymore, the questions seemed so much more confusing during the actual exam. I'm starting to believe it's a combo of test stress/anxiety and me not knowing everything perfectly I guess.