Willowz said:
The usual, going through material and doing homework. Checking youtube, how other teachers present the material, looking at how they approach a problem.
I should add that we are going through the coursework pretty fast. Each class is 3 hours long. And the class started late + something happened to the instructor and that further delayed our classes.
Is there some mindset that is better than an all or nothing approach, as in A or nothing?
For a 3hr math class, I presume that it only meets twice a week and you're on quarters? (or some other unique schedule)
If that is the case I highly suggest adjusting your efforts - spread out your load and do more of it. Math, IMO, is all about repetition and rigor. I even found that doing homework on a Friday night can be forgotten by Monday morning - I had to adjust and make time to do homework on Sunday to get through some math and physics classes just so I wouldn't atrophy concepts over a few days (it also refreshed ideas for class on Monday). Also, if your struggling to understand your instructor - I highly suggest working through the example problems in your book on your own. In any given lesson there are 2-3 concepts (usually tied to a theorem being applied) and a few situations for each concept. The examples give a shell of how to accomplish the problems in your homework with some of the explanation. Personally, I used to overlook them - but they have become invaluble for me over time.
My routine for calculus was (for a M-Th/F class): Do homework from the previous class' lesson and read through the next lesson(s) each night. It may sound like procrastination - but I wouldn't do anything on the weekend until Sunday. I found doing it too early made me loose it (and thus fail monday morning quizes!). If your class only meets two days a week (or 1?) then I highly suggest doing home work more than just near the class days. Probably doing homework for math 5-6 days a week is a good idea. You need to immerse yourself in it to be successful. I know there's the rule that every freshman gets: 'spend 2 hours out of class for every 1 hour in' - for most math classes it's more like 3-4hrs out of class for every 1 hour in (and some other classes it's less).
To prepare for exams I would first create a 'cheat sheet' by basically writing down every theorem and short-cut formula in the book (the 'cheat sheet' was never used on exams, but it's for my own good). Rewriting these equations helped to refamiliarize myself with them as it may have been a few weeks since I've encountered a particular concept. I would then set a rule and do problems out of the book. For midterms I would do problems ending in 3 and 7, for finals I'd go through everything and do problems ending in 5 (I generally skip some of the exploration problems as I probably already had dealt with the later concept anyhow). If, when doing my review problems, I came across an issue I would make sure to note it on my 'cheat sheet'. Then, the day of the exam I could use that cheat sheet to get in the mindset for the exam.
Another option is definitely a tutor. I work in my college's tutoring center and find that even if a tutor can't help you realize the problem, sometimes other students whom are in similar struggling situations can. Just don't get caught in a trap of being with a 'really smart' student and essentially parroting them - make sure you can actually apply the concepts just as well.
Finally, and this will take some self-realization: how are your math skills overall? Can you confidently solve any 1 and 2 variable equation? Can you identify graph shapes immediately? Do you know your single-digit squares and cubes? Can you factor quickly? Are you reliant on a calculator? If you're having problems with any of the techniques presented in a previous class - the concepts in calculus can be mountainous. I'd venture to say that 2/3 of the students I tutor in Calculus and College Trig (Pre-calc) have significant issues with what is considered basic algebra - much of my tutoring time is refreshing on solving equations and graphs. The remaining 1/3 with 'good algebra skills' just need an 'aha!' moment and a different perspective to get the new concept.
