Need help studying for college placement test?

[Tyrion101]

I will not enter college for another few months, and have basically been going over everything I might need to learn for the college placement test, which for me meant starting at arithmetic and moving on up. Is there any advice for studying for the placement exam?

 

[seaofghosts]

What was your highest level of math in HS? My suggestion is not to over-study. If you've only taken precalc I and then teach yourself enough trig to get past it on the placement exam, you'll screw yourself over when you get to calc. Only study what you've learned in HS.

 

[Tyrion101]

I don't remember what I took in high-school it was 10 years ago lol. I am however learning what I learned in high-school I think. I've gone a little past that however I think.

 

[seaofghosts]

In that case, it might benefit you to place in a lower class. I took calculus about four years ago, right after taking the pre-calc sequence and was doing great. But I had to drop calc because of work, got a liberal arts degree in the meantime, and have only now been able to take it again (at the beginning of my physics degree). Remembering all the algebra and trig and such is making calc a lot harder than it should be. I feel like I need to re-take pre-calc, lol. But it's different for everyone... if you're flying through your review then you might be fine. There's usually some room for catch-up in whatever math class you're in, but if you're planning on taking a full courseload it will likely affect your grade. Professors like to throw curveballs on exams.

 

[Tyrion101]

Should I just stop at the point I feel overwhelmed? I've been trying also to use this as trying to figure out the best way to study for me, which in the past I've not been too good at. I spend an hour or two every day either reviewing new material, or practicing old, I take small breaks when my attention begins to lag.