I took it last semester but had to drop it because it was overwhelming me because I only took pre calculus in high school and it was my first time seeing calculus topics. Also my algebra skills were lackluster. The first few weeks I kind of slacked off and didnt do homework, after I realized how hard the class was I started doing the homework and I went to office hours for the next few weeks of the semester but my professor would`nt really help me (It felt like she was angry at me for stopping by), she made it seem like I should know this and not stop by, so I stopped going. I went to the tutoring center at Boucke and that helped for a while but I still kept doing bad on the quizzes. I think a lot of had to do with the fact that I was struggling with my algebra and didnt really have any sources of help. I bought workbooks with extra problems and solutions to problems (because the text book has very limited problems and only solutions for the odd numbers). Im thinking about also reviewing my algebra skills with factoring, absolute values, exponents, logs etc and brushing up on trig. any other tips you guys could give me?
From everything I heard, Lion Tutors is a great help. http://penn.liontutors.com/classes/math-140
Sorry it was so rough… that’s no fun. The great thing is – because you’ve identified the underlying causes, you can prevent this scenario from happening again (and maybe even grow to enjoy the class). Based on what you’ve shared, I have a few tips that might be helpful (they definitely have helped me):
- Practice problems. First, I would rework any examples your professor did in class. Next, I would do a selection of the odd-numbered problems in the book (in addition to the HWs). Depending on how comfortable you feel with a concept, you also have your additional workbook with solutions. Also, as you work through problems, I would strongly encourage you to cover up your notes/solutions. You will efficiently discover what you don't know this way, and when it comes time for a quiz/midterm, you will be really prepared. Finally, you mentioned feeling like your algebra wasn't where it needed to be, which I totally get. To study smarter, you could make a list of difficult algebraic concepts (factoring, absolute values, logarithms) that you encounter while doing limits, derivatives, etc. Then you can strengthen each of these areas on the side as needed (there are lots of great resources and accompanying practice problems online).
- Office hours and/or a tutor. Sorry your professor didn't seem super enthusiastic... Still, it can be a smart move to occasionally (or frequently, if things are going well) stop by office hours. When you go, definitely be respectful and ideally have some questions prepared (you can write these down as you study). At the same time, don't be afraid to ask "dumb" questions and interject if you're not understanding. It's totally fine! It also sounds like you had a good experience with the tutors at Bouke, in which case, keep going! But if you want a more personalized and intentional format (which could be very helpful), as japsmom mentioned, you can't go wrong with a Lion Tutors-type company. My personal favorite is Upgrade Tutoring: http://www.upgradetutoring.com/
- Hit the ground running. Stay on top of things (syllabus, assignments, quizzes, etc.) day one, and you'll be positioning yourself for a great semester. Wishing you the best for the spring, and feel free to reach out with any other questions you might have!
Source: senior in chemical engineering, math minor (FYI: I started in MATH 141 at Penn State)