How-To-Study Miniseries: MATH 277
Some study tips to "integrate" into your midterm prep
Multivariable Calculus is a highly abstract course that requires visualization and practical mathematical calculations. This exam is also unique as it shares the same format as in-class quizzes, being both online and open book. In this mini-article, we'll share some effective study tips to help you succeed from a 277 PASS leader.
Reminder: The 277 PASS Midterm Review Session will take place from 5:00 - 8:00 PM on Friday March 3rd in ENA 201; the worksheet will be available on D2L but not all answers will be posted.
Exam Date: March 8th 7:00 - 9:00 pm
🧮 How do you Study for Multivariable Calculus?
How did you prepare for this exam in first-year?
The first thing I would do is make a "summary sheet" of everything that would be covered on the exam - this includes any important concepts and equations - and try to put concepts in my own words when possible.
Then use this sheet as a reference when working through practice problems. I do questions from all topics, but focus on the areas I struggled with.
It also helped me to talk through my solution to the problems (e.g. the steps I would take) instead of getting caught up in all the math.How did you approach memorization and retention of information?
The way that worked best for me was to tackle practice problems immediately and get used to putting different concepts into practice. This forced me to look through my notes and use the theories in practice. The best way of remembering was by actually doing it and puzzling out each step, and only looking at solutions if I was completely stuck - even then, it's always more beneficial to only look up to a part where you got stuck and then try to solve the rest from there.How did you manage your time and stay motivated when studying? Was procrastination a challenge?
My biggest challenge while studying was staying motivated to do all of the math calculations (which can definitely get grueling). To break up the pace of my studying, I would only do a few questions at a time from each section, instead of trying to work through 10 at once, and then move on to the next section.
If the calculations were too much, I would just start the problems, set up the equations but then not plug in all the numbers. This made it easier to tackle all the practice without getting overwhelmed.Is there a study technique you recommend NOT using for this course?
Do not reread the notes or look through the solutions before trying questionsAre there any major tips or strategies you would recommend to students struggling with this subject?
Practice! It can be beneficial to find some help in groups, such as asking a friend if they could show you how they did something or how they started a problem. Puzzling the solution out together helps everyone voice their ideas and get to the right answer.
📚 Valuable Resources for Calculus:
Extra practice questions: Paul's Online Notes
Khan Academy for understanding difficult concepts
Lecture notes and videos on D2L
Old ALS worksheets, D2L quizzes and midterm review sheet!
📎Last Minute Exam Tips:
Ensure that you know what will be covered in the exam!
Recorded Lectures of Week 1 to Week 8.
Class Notes : All of Section I & Section II ( Page 03 - 86)
Active Learning Work Sheets 1 - 6.
Ensure you have the fundamentals down, this could be reviewing how to take derivatives, integrals, plane equations, 211 notes etc.
Summarize all important formulas/ shapes in a single sheet for reference; get comfortable rearranging equations into a more familiar form
You don’t need to do all the practice problems, just make sure you can identify the type of question, and set up the relevant equations
Verify whether the plane for the question is in 2D or 3D; and double check your units!
Show your work, its easier to go back and identify any potential calculation errors if you write out some steps when solving problems.
As, always don’t forget to breathe. You got this :)
Thank you so much for reading, we hope you found this this article to be informative and enjoyable. Wishing you the best of luck with your exams!
- T.T.E Team