1. Math 1LS3 Final Exam Information
[these slides are posted on the 1LS3 web page]
Read web page information, you will find:
link to Registrar’s for exam regulations and possible last-minute changes, or check your Mosaic
calculator policy
what happens if you feel sick before or during the exam; deferred exam information
MATH 1LS3
You MUST bring the correct calculator or they make a huge deal out of it and will take it away.
Basically, if you can manage to write your exam at the regularly scheduled time, it is in your best interest to do so.

2. material covered on the exam what to do to prepare
math help centre hours for the exam period (you can pick up your tests any time the centre is open)
additional details about the exam
checklist of things you are supposed to know
Checklist of what to study: lecture notes + examples, assignments + practice problems, previous tests, sample final exam
MC are still all or nothing out of 2 points.
You do NOT need to explain your answers for TF, just circle correctly!

3. Before the exam (preparation):
you need time to study (spread over longer time interval, do not cram)
work backward (start with integration and DTDS)
practice, to gain routine with calculations and algorithms (such as: chain rule, laws of exponents, logarithms, substitution, integration by parts, finding minimum and maximum, stability criterion)
understand the concepts we covered (all listed in the checklist on the web page)
You need time not just to cram the material in your head, but to think about it, organize it, let it settle so that during the exam, it doesn’t all flood into your head all at once. You need it to be organized in your mind so you can recall what you need, not the mess that you just crammed in your head hours before. Studying in blocks well before the exam, and resting in between, will help it to form clearer, more organized memories in your mind. Note: Facebook/internet is NOT resting your mind!! Go for a walk!! Do something physical!!
Recreate the exam experience when you are studying! It is fine to study with friends at first but when it gets closer to the exam, make sure you shut everything off (phones, facebook, etc) SERIOUSLY, and just have blank paper, questions, calculator, water, etc on your desk… wear the same clothes, chew the same gum, drink the same drink, use your lucky pencil, etc. because this can actually help cue memories when you are writing the exam). Also, do not study with solutions readily available to you… you will not have this on the exam! You need to build your confidence too… if you check solutions after every line you write, what will you do during the exam? You’ll freeze up even though you know what you are doing. If you study under the same condition and a similar environment in which you write your exam, your memories will be at your finger tips.
there are two steps to studying math… most people just do the first step… try to do as many questions as possible! But you also need to THINK about what you are doing… funny but this step is quite often skipped and it is the one that makes the difference between surface learning/memorizing and deep understanding of the material. How to do this: after you’ve studied a concept for awhile, sit back, close your notes, ask yourself “did I really understand this?” what is it I am doing, in plain english? You should be able to explain the concept in your own words and describe the procedures you will need to do to answer questions on this concept… this is the deeper understanding part.

4. don’t try to memorize things you can easily derive, such as: find x where sin x=0, or what are limits of e^x as x-> infinity and x->-infinity
do exercises on your own - do not read solutions, you are not learning much if you do
look at solutions (to sample tests and sample exam) to see how to answer questions correctly and completely

5. Important Information
Exam:
about twice as long as tests (15 pages with questions) but you have 2.5 hours to write it
can be written in pencil
Exam day:
arrive a bit early, don’t be late (be sure where you’re writing your exam!)
bring your Mac ID or if you lost it, any picture ID
bring water/drink
Take good care of yourself during the exam period. You want to study efficiently. 24 hours of cramming < 8 hours of efficient studying (music off, facebook off, iphone off (seriously)). Eat well, sleep well, imagine you are training for something.
Bring tissues, gatorade (again, no energy drinks!)

6. During the exam:
look at questions before you start, make sure your exam paper is complete; you don’t have to start at page 1
number of points and the amount of blank space are not necessarily correlated to difficulty of the question
be prepared for disturbances, noise, stress
think, do not try to match a question with something you memorized

7. Final Grade Calculation
Option 1:
Best 3 out of 4 tests (60%)
final exam (40%)
Option 2:
Best 3 out of 4 tests (10%)
final exam (90%)
Your final grade will be the maximum of these two grading options.

8. Good luck on your exams !!!