Strategies for Success

This page was updated on: August 12, 2015.

Learning math is like any other task - you are most likely to succeed when you know the right way to go about the task and you have the right set of tools.  Of course, success also requires a considerable time commitment, a lot of hard work and a positive attitude.

Consider the "Strategies for Success" to be your toolkit - 15 techniques designed to make it easier for you to learn math and help you succeed. 

1. Get off to a good start from Day One.  Doing well during the first few weeks of the course is critical to your success.
2. Set aside enough time to succeed.  Most colleges recommend that students spend two hours outside of class for every hour they spend in class (that's eight hours per week for a four credit hour course!).
3. Attend every class, arriving on time and prepared to work.  Math is sequential.  New material builds on what you have already learned.  If you miss even one class, it makes it difficult to understand the new material.
4. Read the textbook ... twice.  Reading the book before class will help you understand the classroom discussion.  You can also make a list of questions to ask during class if there is something you do not understand.  Reading the book after class will help you do the homework.
5. Take lots of notes and learn how to get the most out of them.  People tend to forget things pretty quickly, so it's important to write down as much as you can.  It's just as important to review your notes after class, to improve retention.
6. Practice by doing all of the homework assignments on time.  Math is not a spectator sport.  You learn by doing.  And you won't know whether you have really learned the material until you can do the homework problems on your own.
7. If you have questions, ask for help immediately.  Remember, math is sequential.  If you don't understand today's lesson, it will be difficult to learn tomorrow's lesson.
8. Learn - don't memorize - the underlying concepts.  There is big difference between learning and memorization.  To learn math, you need to understand the underlying concepts.  In fact, the better you understand the underlying concepts, the less there will be to memorize.
9. Expect to make mistakes ... and learn from them.  When you make mistakes on homework, quizzes and exams, make sure you understand what you did wrong to avoid repeating the same mistake.
10. Think before you write.  Ask yourself if your answers make sense.  Don't always rely on calculators or formulas to produce the right answer.
11. Show your work and write legibly.  The more clearly you write, the less likely you are to make a mistake.  Your instructor must also be able to read your work to give you credit and help you if you make a mistake.
12. Get (and stay) organized.  You'll have a lot of material to study (homework, exams, handouts, etc.).  If you keep these materials organized (e.g., in a loose-leaf binder), they will be more useful at exam time. 
13. Learn more by striving for a perfect score.  It may be tempting, especially in a pass-fail course, to do "just good enough" to get a passing grade.  But sometimes "just good enough" isn't good enough at all.
14. If you're not succeeding, commit to do something different.  Your plans must be specific.  If you keep doing the same thing, you are likely to get the same results. 
15. Think positive.  Your attitude really makes a difference.  You can succeed, even if you have had difficulty in the past.

Many people forget up to half of what they hear after only 20 minutes!  Therefore, in order to remember what we covered in class, it is important that you take good notes, even if you feel you understand the material when it is presented in class.  It is just as important to review your notes after class.  This document, excerpted from the Strategies for Success document at the top of the page, discusses some effective strategies for taking good notes.

Four ingredients for success are: (1) adequate time, (2) a positive attitude, (3) commitment and (4) self-discipline.  These four ingredients can be translated into behaviors.  Download the document below which compares typical behaviors of strong students with typical behaviors of week students.  Ask yourself: which group of behaviors describes you?

If you get anxious before an exam - especially a math exam - you are not alone.  Fortunately, "math anxiety" is a learned behavior and by using some of the techniques described here, you can unlearn the behavior, increase your confidence and reduce your level of anxiety.

College is not high school ... so what worked for you in high school may not work for you in college.  Click here for a nice table that describes key differences between college and high school so you will be well-prepared to succeed in college.

There is a wealth of information available on the internet to help you succeed in college.  Click here for links to web sites and other resources on:

• Learning math
• Overcoming math anxiety
• Note taking and general study skills
• Personal health and well-being