This semester I am in three math heavy courses: Calc 1, Chem 181, and Psych Stats. And as someone who is definitely not a math brain, this has been a little daunting. Last year my study habits were extremely different. I would take notes in class and make a Quizlet based on all the information I needed to memorize, and then use the “active recall” study method (trying to write out everything you can remember without looking at notes). This was extremely helpful for classes like my language requirement, Bio 161, and the religion credit I took.Â
This semester is a whole different story. The first couple weeks I was overwhelmed because my old and familiar study habits were not going to be useful to me anymore. I knew that I needed to adjust to a whole different rhythm for this semester. Here are my tips for getting the most out of studying for math topics. Â
- First, I try to rewrite my notes to make them more organized and easier for myself to understand.
- Then, about a week in advance to a quiz or exam, I will start looking through my notes again to familiarize myself with the material.
- Next, I start to make a study guide of practice problems that were done in class, on homework assignments, or examples from the textbook. I write out all of the questions in my notebook without answering them yet. Once completed, I create a separate answer sheet so that when I go back to study, I won’t be tempted to look at the answers right in front of me.Â
- I usually scan the pages of my notebook and upload them to my iPad so I can edit them with my Apple pencil, making it very easy to redo the study guide as many times as I want. You could also scan your study guide in the library if you like to have paper copies.
- Finally I go through each practice problem, highlighting the ones I need to spend some extra time on. Going to office hours for clarification on certain questions is extremely useful as well.
This method has made studying much easier for me this semester. Being able to redo practice problems gets me familiar with the steps needed to solve any problem that might come my way. I hope this helps anyone who is struggling with study habits. Remember to be patient with yourself and take things one step at a time!