Tips From TRiO Tutors

• Accounting: BUS 221: When working through a problem, try to understand what is going on. Do not memorize the problem, but be able to explain exactly what is happening. Reviewing problems many times helps students comprehend the material. When preparing for tests, students should pay very close attention during class, since some professors give hints. Professors assign exercises and assign problems in the back of the chapter. If there are multiple assignments of exercises and corresponding problems in the syllabus, this is also a hint of what could be on the test. I also recommend students purchase study guides. They explain problems well. Also, make friends with the professor!
• Algebra 085, 103: Keep to a schedule, and do math everyday.  Don’t be afraid to study with classmates even if they are chapters ahead or behind. Get an appropriate calculator and know how to use it or at least keep the manual handy at all times.
• Students should be aware that math may be hard but it can get easier. They should also try to have a positive attitude about the class/classes that they are in. They should get rest and eat a good breakfast before they take a test. They should also try to visualize how the test will be--the problems on it and all the right answers. Math is a hard subject to study for. Study it by doing practice problems and tests.
• The key is to keep up and take tests. Since you are at your own pace, it’s hard to get yourself to do it. As far as preparing for the tests, the best thing is to do as many problems out of the book as possible.
• Preparation for Tests: Read the explanations. Do at least 10 problems from each section. Do the Chapter Review.
• Study Strategies: Do not study for more than 50 or 60 minutes per session. Study no more than two sessions per day per subject. Study every day for one hour, not five hours the day before the test.
• Test Approaches:
• Do the easy problems first! Then go back and at least guess on the hard ones. Don’t leave any problems blank.
• Keep caught up on tests. Do not get behind or procrastinate. Do lots of problems and take the practice tests before the test because they usually are the correct format the test will be given in.
• Stay on top of it. Too much practice is better than too little to do all the problems.
• Statistics 216-217: Learn the math, don’t memorize it. It will help you understand more as the course continues. Don’t expect to get an A immediately. It takes work. Be patient. Math 105 will help. Talk to your teacher and find out who prepares the tests and talk to them, also. They will help you to prepare for the test.
• General Advice on Math and Statistics classes:  Students must satisfy the prerequisites of their math classes. Read the textbook line by line, so that the student understands each line in a sentence, a paragraph, and a page. This is very important. Lots of students ask me questions already answered in the book. If he or she reads the book, they have a better understanding of the material presented in the lecture and have a better chance of doing well in the class.
• Math 160 & 170: These courses are totally different but require the same prerequisites. I found that about 75% of the time, Algebra was clouding the issue at hand. It would be wise to do a basic Algebra review before starting these courses. As far as approaching the tests in these classes, do all of the homework assigned in the class and the test should be quite passable. I would advise the student to attempt the problems outside of class and come with any questions.
• Math 170: Good Algebra skills are needed, and do not get behind. Everything builds on past sections. Study past sections and current sections for tests.
• Math 181 and 182: Most students suffer initially from weak Algebra and Precalculus skills (i.e., natural logarithms, etc.) I’ve spent lots of calculus tutoring time teaching Algebra and pre-calc.
• Math 181: Know your Algebra. Ninety-nine percent of the problems I have witnessed in Calculus are due to lack of Algebra skills.
• Biology 208: Write practice essay questions from lecture notes and attend all lectures. Attend recitations. Do homework problems and track down practice tests from past students if instructor doesn’t put them on reserve. Attend as many extra lab sections as possible. This is an extremely time-intensive course. Be prepared and take a light load.
• Biology 207: You need to have basic math (some proportion, division, multiplication.) I preferred utilizing flash cards from prof’s notes; that way if I didn’t understand a topic in lecture I forced myself to learn it myself from the book before I made a note card on the concept. Formulating simulation questions is a definite must. If students can’t generate thought provoking questions, they don’t understand the material well enough. Worry about general concepts first, details later. Put effort into homework for discussion groups and go to discussion with questions instead of just going and sitting through it.
• CS 150: When having problems with the computers, ask a USA and talk to the T.A.’s about questions you have. Don’t be afraid to "play" on the computers.
• Chem 121: Students should have their Algebra pre-requisite completed. Do all assigned homework plus additional work. Ask instructors for old tests to practice with.
• Chem 131: Early in the semester or before the course begins, review basic math and dimensional analysis (changing units of measurement) and how to use your calculator. Keep up with the assigned problems in the back of the book. It is my experience that if you can do these problems, you shouldn’t have too much trouble.
• Chem 132: As long as you have Basic Algebra, you will do well in this class if you are willing to work hard. This is a beginning Chemistry course, so you will learn an awful lot of chemistry. Keep up on the assigned homework and go to class regularly and you will do fine.
• Chem 215: You must have a good chemistry background. It is important to be able to take good notes. Students need to be able to read textbooks and notes strategically. Like math, you must do problem after problem after problem. Review notes every day or this class will be a struggle!
• Economics 101: Students may do better if they have at least Math 085 as a pre-requisite. There are some Algebra equations to do in Econ. The students don’t get to them in the math book until around Chapter 4. By then, Economics has intimidated them too much.
• Economics (general advice): Keep an open mind; there is more than one way to approach and solve a problem. Expect to be frustrated--it’s part of Economics. Seek a couple of different sources of help. Talk to the teachers--they know best what they want. Start with Econ. 101.
• EM 251: Be sure students can do Algebra well and have some basic calculus before going into EM 251. Be sure to get as far as assigned on homework before coming to a tutor session. When solving a problem, draw a picture, then write what you know, then write what you are trying to find. Then start looking at the equations available.
• Physics 205-206: Require good Algebra skills. Some trig is also important.
• Physics 211 and 212: Although most of the material in these classes is not calculus based, be sure you have taken at least up to M160. The co-requisite of Physics 211 is 181, but it might be better to take it as a prerequisite.
• General Advice: Most Physics and math classes have practice exams either at Cards n’ Copies, the library, or on the Internet. Reviewing these old quizzes and the toughest homework problems will help prepare students for tests. As a study strategy, in Physics I’ve found it helps a great deal to do the example problems in the book while reading, as seeing something done and doing it gives better results than simply seeing it.

Return to regular view	Text-only	Updated: 8/27/2008