MCS   118, Calculus with Precalculus Review I

Fall 2006
Suggestions for Studying


Preparing for  Final Exam

The final exam will be comprehensive.  It will cover all of the material in chapters 1 - 6 and sections 7.1 and 7.2. You won't be explicitly tested on the material in chapter 0; however, you need to know this material and use it in almost all of the problems on the final. Roughly two thirds of the material will be on the material we've covered since Thanksgiving break (chapter 6 and 7).  The final is on Sat., Dec. 16, at 1:00 in NHS 105. 

Topics from calculus you should know:

• Limits  (both as x -> a number and as x-> infinity).  You should understand the epsilon-delta definition and be able to calculate limits.
  
• Definition of derivative
• Finding derivatives using rules
• Finding derivatives using graphs
• Optimization problems
• Using derivatives to find instantaneous rate of change
• Using derivatives to figure out when a graph is increasing/decreasing and concave up/down.
  

Topics from pre-calculus you should know

• Types of functions (linear, quadratic, polynomial, rational, power, etc.), what their graphs look like, what their formulas look like, etc.
• Basic algebra techniques such as factoring, solving equations, simplifying formulas, using the exponent rules, etc.
• Graphing linear functions, finding their equations, finding slope and intercepts
• Graphing polynomial functions, figuring out x-intercepts, y-intercept, long-term behavior, and whether the graph lies above or below x-axis from formula and vice versa
  
• Graphing rational functions, finding intercepts and asymptotes using the formula and vice versa

Some students have asked for blank copies of the quizzes and midterms.  Here they are in pdf form.

Advice from your peers
When asked what advice they would give a student about to take Calculus I, previous students most often responded with the following suggestions:

• Study frequently, in small doses.
• Work on calculus every night. Stay caught up with the homework.
• Read the text sections to be covered before and after class.
• Ask questions early and often. Don't just assume you'll figure it out later.

Preparing for class
These are suggestions that come from Tom LoFaro and Barbara Kaiser

• Keep a notebook so that you can easily organize your prep problems,  class notes, and homework problems.
• Prepare for class by doing the reading, writing down the material that you think is important, and writing down questions you have about the material.  Try to make these questions as precise as possible.
• Participate in class.  Ask questions (or even just look puzzled) when you don't understand something.  Listen to what other students ask and see if you can answer their questions.  Take notes.  Mark the parts of the notes that you want to go over another time.
  
• Think of your homework as a way of learning the material.  Before you start homework for a section, do a quick review of what you know from reading and from class.  As you do the problems, check and see  if you're using the material you've learned so far. After finishing  a set of related homework problems, ask yourself what did you learn by doing those problems.
• Make good use of office hours.  When you come to office hours,  bring  your questions.  Remember, too, our job is to make sure you understand the material and that you can do the problems on your own.
• Make good use of the tutors.  Remember that simply going to the tutors is not going to help you much unless you  ask questions and get them to help you learn.  Also, getting the tutors to do the problems for you ensures that the tutors will understand the material better.
  
• Remember to review previous sections frequently.