KEEP
UP WITH THE ASSIGNMENTS! Over the years, I have found that the best
indicator of a student's success is whether they keep up with their
assignments. Students who keep up, do well - students who don't, don't.
REMEMBER
THAT THE GOAL OF AN ASSIGNMENT IS TO UNDERSTAND THE MATERIAL - NOT JUST GET THE
PROBLEMS DONE! You understand the material when you can do
the problems - and get them right - BY YOURSELF. There is absolutely nothing
wrong with asking questions or seeking help from your fellow students or me.
Everyone will need help sooner or later in this course. However, you must have
the integrity to realize that the goal of the assignment is NOT just to get the
assigned problems done! When I select problems for an assignment, I try to pick
enough representative problems to provide adequate practice for the
"average" student. There will be times when you will need more
practice than this, and you must have the courage and integrity to realize it.
TREAT
ASSIGNMENTS AS "PRACTICE TESTS". Fifty percent of your
score on the AP Exam (as well as most tests and quizzes during the year) will
be determined from your solutions to free-response questions. For these
problems, the correct answer counts for as little as twenty-five percent of the
total score. The rest of the points are awarded on the quality of your solution
to the problem. This means that if you have correct answers for all problems -
with no (or disorganized, or incomplete, or unreadable) supporting work - you
will score well. If you have a few incorrect answers, but well-organized,
complete solutions that use proper mathematical vocabulary and symbolism - you
will generally do well. Use your assignments as an opportunity to practice
presenting well-organized mathematical solutions to problems.
NEVER
ERASE. If you hit a "dead end" and want to
start over, cross out the work you don't want with a big "X" - do NOT
erase it. It might turn out later to be correct! Erasing can be a big time-waster on tests (where time is very
valuable). Material that is "X"'d out will not be graded on tests -
including the AP test.
READ
THE BOOK. This is important in every class, but in
this class the text serves as a valuable supplement to what happens in class.
It is not just a place to find the homework problems. Read the book slowly,
line-by-line, with a pencil and paper nearby. Pay particular attention to the
illustrations and examples. Study the examples carefully. Work through them
with the authors. Be sure that you know how the authors get from one step to
the next.
LEARN
THE VOCABULARY AND SYMBOLS. It is vitally important
that we can communicate in the language of mathematics. As you read or
participate in class, pay particular attention to the meaning of each new term
and symbol.
UNDERSTAND
THE USAGE OF EACH NEW FORMULA. It is crucial to your
success at just about everything that we will do this year! Having a calculator
does not mean that you don't need to know any mathematics.
REVIEW
CONSTANTLY. Lucky for you, every test and quiz is
cumulative, and we will review extensively in class; therefore review is
somewhat automatic. Don't hesitate to go back to review or seek help on
algebra, geometry, and trigonometry skills that you may not have mastered
sufficiently in earlier courses. The majority of the errors that students make
on tests and quizzes are not calculus mistakes - they are algebra, geometry,
and trigonometry mistakes.
TAKE
GOOD NOTES DURING EACH CLASS. Good notes are essential
for success in any technical field. They are essential for review - not only
for tests, but also for the problems you will work that evening.
EVERY
MINUTE OF CLASS TIME IS VALUABLE! Use the time at the
beginning of class to get ready for calculus - get out your books, assignments,
notebooks, pencils, etc.
ORGANIZE.
Your success depends on your ability to recall (or find, relearn, and
then remember) concepts and techniques that were introduced earlier. If your notes and assignments are scattered
about, folded inside the covers of your book, papering the bottom of your
locker or the floor of your car, you're sunk.
BECOME
AS SELF-SUFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE. There are many students,
and just one teacher, and time is too valuable for you to just wait - stuck in
neutral - for help. Look in your text
and your notes for sample problems that might shed some light on your
difficulty. Learn tenacity - don't just
"fold" at the first sign of difficulty! Is there another way to approach the problem? You can do it!
BECOME
PROFICIENT AT USING A GRAPHING CALCULATOR. Your calculator is a
valuable tool for visualizing and solving problems of all sorts. On parts of the AP exam, as well as on tests
and quizzes during the year, you will be required to demonstrate your mastery
of the graphing calculator as a mathematical tool. Learn to use it well. Become familiar will ALL of the ways that
your calculator can be used to solve a problem.
BECOME
PROFICIENT AT NOT USING YOUR GRAPHING CALCULATOR.
Be aware that you may not use your calculator for all parts of the AP
exam, and that some quizzes and tests will contain "No Calculator"
problems. In all cases, you will be
required to demonstrate your understanding of calculus. You will be required to provide symbolic
(often exact) solutions for many problems, and you must be able to explain your
solutions using correct mathematical symbolism and vocabulary.