Taking Notes

Here are a couple of tips for taking notes in the class.

Listen in Class.

Do not just write down what you see on the board. No teacher is going to write down every word they say and sometimes the important ideas won’t get written down.

Write Down Explanatory Remarks.

Make sure you write down any explanatory remarks the teacher makes. These often won’t get written down by the instructor, but can tell you how to work a particular kind of problem or why the instructor used one formula/method over another for a given problem.

Note Important Formulas/Concepts.

If teacher emphasizes a particular formula or concept then make note of it. This probably means it’s important and important formulas and concepts are much more likely to show up on an exam.

Question Your Teacher.

If you are unclear on something ask questions.

Note Topics You Don’t Understand.

If you are having trouble understanding something being presented note that in the margin and at least write down the key words. Leave yourself a couple of lines so you can fill in the missing details later once you’ve gotten help to understand the concept.

Review/Edit Your Notes.

As soon you can after class go back over your notes. Look for any errors and/or omissions. Fill in any information you didn’t have time to write down in class.

Review Regularly.

At regular intervals sit down and review your notes so that you can learn and retain the information. Remember, that this information will probably be required down the road so it’s best to learn it as soon as possible.

How to Study Maths?

Math is Not a Spectator Sport

You cannot learn mathematics by just going to class and watching the instructor lecture and work problems. In order to learn mathematics you must be actively involved in the learning process. You’ve got to attend class and pay attention while in class. You’ve got to take a good set of notes. You’ve got to work homework problems, even if the instructor doesn’t assign any. You’ve got to study on a regular schedule, not just the night before exams. In other words you need to be involved in the learning process.

 
The reality is that most people really need to work to pass a math class, and in general they need to work harder at math classes than they do with their other classes. If all that you’re willing to do is spend a couple of hours studying before each exam then you will find that passing most math classes will be very difficult.

If you aren’t willing to be actively involved in the process of learning mathematics, both inside and outside of the class room, then you will have trouble passing any math class.  

 

Work to Understand the Principles

You can pass a history class by simply memorizing a set of dates, names and events. You will find, however, that in order to pass a math class you will need to do more than just memorize a set of formulas. While there is certainly a fair amount of memorization of formulas in a math class you need to do more. You need to understand how to USE the formulas and that is often far different from just memorizing them.

 

Some formulas have restrictions on them that you need to know in order to correctly use them. For instance, in order to use the quadratic formula you must have the quadratic in standard form first. You need to remember this or you will often get the wrong answer!
 

Other formulas are very general and require you to identify the parts in the problem that correspond to parts in the formula. If you don’t understand how the formula works and the principle behind it, it can often be very difficult to use the formula. For example, in a calculus course it’s not terribly difficult to memorize the formula for integration by parts for integrals. However, if you don’t understand how to actually use the formula and identify the appropriate parts of the integral you will find the memorized formula worthless.

 

Mathematics is Cumulative

You’ve always got to remember that mathematics courses are cumulative. Almost everything you do in a math class will depend on subjects that you’ve previously learned. This goes beyond just knowing the previous sections in your current class to needing to remember material from previous classes.  
 

You will find a college algebra class to be very difficult without the knowledge that you learned in your high school algebra class. You can’t do a calculus class without first taking an Algebra and a Trigonometry class.

 

Why do we need homework?

1. Homework has been a part of students' life from the beginning of formal school.
2. However, the practice has sometimes been accepted and other times rejected, both by educators and parents. This has happened because homework can have both positive and negative effects on children's learning and attitudes towards school.
3. Some educationists of the view that homework should not be given to students. Giving homework means creating in the child school mania in the home also.
4. Others are of the view that five hours in the school is in sufficient and it must be supplemented by some work at home. It is not the homework that is objectionable, but its nature and amount which invites criticism.
   
5. But the importance and need of homework cannot be minimized, if it is of a right nature. It utilizes the leisure time of the children, which otherwise would have been wasted. It may establish the habit of working hard and that too regularly.
   
6. We know that good assignments, completed successfully, can help children develop wholesome habits and attitudes.
7. Homework can help parents learn about their children's education and communicate both with their children and the schools. And it can encourage a lifelong love of learning. Homework can have many benefits for young children.
   
8. It can improve remembering and understanding of schoolwork. Homework can help students develop study skills that will be of value even after they leave school. It can teach them that learning takes place anywhere, not just in the classroom.
   
9. Homework can benefit children in more general ways as well. It can foster positive character traits such as independence and responsibility.
   
10. Homework can teach children how to manage time.