Tips and Tricks for higher math. Trig and Calc

[bds0688 10+ year member]

Title says it all. I can understand theories just fine, and can remember the majority of parts to an equation. What I have trouble with is the memorization of small steps in the middle, or completely forget how to do a step of a problem.

What I am asking for is a website, or a book people here may use. I do my homework, and study for the tests by doing other unassigned problems. I always come up short.

It doesn't help I have the worst teacher ever. A problem will have at least four steps to it, and I know I am not completely incompetant with the subject. I get a quiz back and the problem just has (-2) or (-3) in red. Nothing is circled, underlined, no arrows. I have absolutely no feedback on where I am going astray.

I understand it's college and teachers are less personal, but isn't part of teaching telling someone where they messed up?

If anyone has any tips, tricks, ways to apply these steps to real world, tangible things, let me know. I need to get stronger in math. Thanks.

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[dleccord 5,000+ posts]

I regret the high school years of math compared to college math in general.

To become stronger in math, you would have to do it everyday I guess. You continue to work with problems from previous chapters that were covered and do a little of this and that. Not sure if that helps but that's what I do since all my math teachers ****.

 

[mattf 5,000+ posts]

Talk to the teacher. If you are having trouble with something, get help. That is what has helped me the most in college.

 

[AllStar1500bd 5,000+ posts]

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[envengineer 10+ year member]

In calc and differential equations the problems are more about knowing what tools to use than the computations themselves.

Memorization is huge. If you don't know all of the basic derivatives by heart you are going to be in trouble.

See if there are any tutors available or you can do what I did, audit the class before taking it for a grade. It not only saves your GPA but it makes **** sure you know the material.

I hate to say it, but the only way you are going to get better is to do the work over and over again. Do all the practice problems, buy guides, etc. Practice makes perfect in high level math.

p.s. wait until laplace transforms, they actually make life easier

 

[bds0688 10+ year member]

*sigh*

Explain the auditng thing. I'm going for engineering, which seems silly given my difficulty in math. I guess I do well enough, if I made it this far with no problems. It's just all this new material is a blindside in memorization I've never had to do before. I've never memorized for tests, I could just remember stuff. Not the case here. I guess I just need work on memorizing a formula, and seeing that formula in a question, albeit in a different order.