Advice To Calculus Students,
From Former Calculus Students

10 Pieces of Advice for Future AP Calculus Students

  1. Learn to "deal with it," whatever it is.  You will not ace every test; this course is meant to be challenging.  Never lose your confidence, though.

  2. Put anything and everything in your calculator.  You may need it later on the AP exam at the end of the year and it helps on tests.

  3. The AP calculus test at the end of the year is the purpose of this class, so make sure to study for this test.  This will give you a feeling that you have accomplished something.

  4. Try to finish or at least start homework on the day it is assigned.  Although homework is not collected until the following Tuesday, the assignments can build up quickly.

  5. If at all possible, do every "Problems of the Week".  These pay off big time when your grade is borderline or sometimes even when it isn't.

  6. Don't be afraid to seek help if you feel like you're getting behind or lost.  Everything in calculus builds off the beginning principles, so if you get lost in one part, it just leads to more trouble down the road.

  7. Do not rely too much on the teacher, the answers in the back of the book, or your friends to solve the problems, because if you do, you'll be had when test day arrives.

  8. Make sure to pace yourself well on all tests you take in this class.  Most of them take the whole period, and it is easy to get caught on one problem, but skip over it and finish the rest of the test first and then return.

  9. Realize that this class is preparing you for college, so take full advantage of it and prove to yourself that you're ready for the next big step.

  10. HAVE FUN.  (I know this is hard to comprehend, but it's the only way you will make it through without hating it.)

     --Student, 2001   (4)
"I wish that at the beginning of the AP experience someone would have advised me to worry more about my understanding of the class's material rather than my grade in the class.  I often found myself working with others who better understood the concepts, and instead of having those people teach me how to do the math, I accepted their way of doing it without understanding the meaning of my actions.  This seems good enough at the time because homework grades and in-class assignments come back with high scores on them.  However, one's grade begins to suffer when the tests, which count for most of your Calculus grade, return with low scores because during a test, study cohorts are not available for help."

     --Student, 2001   (1)
"I would stress actual learning instead of worrying about the grade.  I did a lot of "now learning" where I would learn the material for the section test."

     --Student, 2001   (2)
"Great advice is to not let anything slide in calculus.  The sooner you can go home and do your homework after learning the lesson, the better off you will be.  It's very easy to feel fine about the material when it's explained in class, but then it's very hard when you get home and can't remember anything!  Keep a binder, and write your notes neatly.  Every example problem you do, you should always write down the question too, so you can review later.  Sometimes homework is hard to use to review, because you don't have the questions in front of you, only the answers."

     --Student, 2001   (5)
"I have but one thing to help next year's students survive without losing arms and legs.  Do the homework.  Do all the homework completely.  Try on every problem.  Go into calculus early and get help.  Each student will learn all the material once in the classroom, but the most important place to learn the equations and processes are at home on the homework assignments.  So, if you want to pass the class in an easier fashion than many of my classmates did, do the homework, all of it.  You'll be happy you did."

     --Student, 2001 (3)
"Extra help and assistance is available--get it!  Work harder than you want to because you have to.  When you learn a concept, do not forget it after the test.  Concentrate, study, and use your time very wisely."

     --Student, 2001   (1)
"My final advice to next year's class includes the following things:  Keep a positive attitude, complete homework and study, get help, and buy a big eraser.  A good attitude includes not getting  discouraged after the second or third F on a test.  Calculus is not an easy class like most of the math has been in the past.  It takes a while for everything to sink in.  One must not get discouraged in the beginning, for he or she won't have the strength to finish the rest of the course. 
     Secondly, no matter how much a homework pass is tempting to use, don't use it to completely exempt an assignment.  If the notes are not put into practice in the homework, then they won't be completely understood.  The notes from the very beginning of the year do not disappear.  They come back in other forms to haunt when it's least expected.  It's very imperative that all the concepts in notes are somewhat understood.  Also, it helps to review for tests.  I depended too much on my calculator and it let me down many times.  Homework helps review, but should never replace good old fashioned studying.
     Thirdly, get help when it's needed.  Another one of my problems was that I didn't want to get help because I thought I could figure everything out on my own.  Teachers are around for a reason.  Not because all students are dumb, but because they can't figure everything out on their own, especially when the word calculus is involved.
     My last part of advice is just for kicks.  Big erasers are a necessity for this class.  My eraser muscle became so big during this class it isn't funny.  Click Erasers from Wal*Mart are only $1.50."

     --Student, 2001   (2)
"I advise that next year's students actually learn the rules for integration and differentiation that they are supposed to memorize and know instead of just plugging them into their calculators.  If they actually learn them, then they will have fewer problems when it comes to applying these basic concepts later on in the year and on the AP test.  I also suggest that each student find a study partner and go to Mrs. Maite for help if they have any problems or questions.  Working out these problems early on will prevent future problems and confusion.  Lastly, I suggest that students keep up with their assignments. "

     --Student, 2001   (4)