1. Study Tips for College Algebra
Attitude is Everything
Take ownership of your learning process. Do what it takes to understand the material.
Use every resource available to you—the book, online materials, instructor, and classmates.
Ask the instructor for clarification on what he or she expects of you regarding assignments, discussions, and study habits.
Communicate
Instructors are here to ensure your success, not just grade your assignments. Ask specific questions when you’re having trouble.
Pick a practice problem from your textbook and ask your instructor for steps on how to work through the problem.
Get help from classmates—send or post in the student lounge. You may want to find a study partner (or two) who you can work out problems with to help you both understand.
Assignments
Take advantage of preview dates. This is basically a way of getting a second chance on your assignment grade.
If you get a previewed assignment back and you have questions about the instructor’s comments, ask for clarification.
Write out each step. This way, if you answer incorrectly, the instructor can tell you at which point you got lost.
Practice Quizzes
Take the practice quiz to gauge your understanding of the topic.
Taking the practice quiz will help you determine how successful you will be on the graded quiz.
If you get an answer wrong, look at the correct answer and try to work the problem backwards.
Ask the instructor for specific questions on problems that you got wrong. (i.e., I am not understanding a step in between these two steps. What happened here?)
Try Teaching It
When you are able to effectively explain a concept to someone else, then you know you have mastered the material.
When others ask you questions that you cannot answer, it shows you what you don’t know or what need to review.