Free Advice from 2006-2007 Students

Free advice from last year's class:

Do your portfolio each chapter before the chapter exam; it will really help you to understand the info better. Plus you will have a lot less stress when it comes time to turn in your portfolio. Do the homework. Know your parent functions and what they look like. Know the unit circle by heart. Know how to do the problems with yams in them because you will see very similar ones on the tests. Have a good attitude, it will definitely be a difficult cours but you will neet to be positive in order to be successful.

Learn the material before the test. Don't use the tests as a way to figure out problems for the first time. Time is of the essence in this class. Know your stuff and use the tests to show it off. Ask the questions you need to ask to make sure you get it. Don't worry about sounding too dumb or too smart. From questions comes learning. As you will hear Mr. May say, "Make it your own."

Read the section in the book the night before. It truly does help. Review stuff you don't know very well every night. When you get tests back correct you mistakes while going over it. Then review your tests for future tests. Calculus is difficult but not impossible. Survive until second semester! Don't give up. Don't wait until the night before it is due to do your portfolio.

READ. Life is so much easier when you read and get it all down the first time around. Take notes. Going back and looking at the examples he gives you could be the difference between understanding the material and remaining lost. Don't wait until the night before the portfolio is due to do them. You won't have time!!

Do your homework every day you get it.

Ask questions out loud during class. If you are in a team, use your team. If you do not like math take another class.

Relax! You learn better if you just calm down. No noe will get their head chopped off. You need to do the homework. It is a must to be successful. If you don't get something, ask questions. You'll find that being shy is a bad thing.

KNOW THE UNIT CIRCLE!!! Portfolios ar meant to help you out -- it is worth the effort come the end of April. It really isn't as bad as people make it out to be.

When you are doing your homework, if there's a problem you don't understand, take the time to work it out. Try to go to sleep early in order to wake up early and get extra help from Mr. Mayo on anything you couldn't figure out. Work on the portfolio ahead of time. It is doable the night before, but then you probably won't get a chance to sleep at all that night. Good luck!

Always do your Calculus homework first. It is much easier to concentrate at 4:00 than it is at 10:00. If you do not understand a problem, go in for help in the morning. Mr. Mayo will not eat you, I promise. Know the unit circle - seriously. Do not get behind on your portfolio. It is way too much to do the night before. Keep everything: notes, tests, hand outs, worksheets, etc. You will want them come AP time. When you are in groups, talk to each other! It is much easier to learn that way. Making flash cards for equations/Taylor Series/whatever really helps. Read the chapter the night before the test. The true/false questions at the end are quite useful.

If you have never had to study for a previous math course, don't think it will be the same for Calculus. Even if you understand everything in the chapter, don't take it as "I don't need to study. I got this." You will get burned if you don't take just a little bit of time to review. And don't cram the night before or the day of the test -- start reviewing at least a coupld of days before. Do the Calc portfolio as you go along. It took me a couple of all-nighters before I finally learned this valuable information. Never say, "I don't know," which means do your homework. Read the section the night before. Bad grades on those little 6-poing quizzes will be hard to make up as the end of the 6-weeks approaches.