MCS   119, Calculus with Precalculus Review IB

Spring 2007
Suggestions for Studying



Studying for Quiz #6 This quiz covers the material from chapters 12 and 13.  In particular, you should be able to:

• Understand what an antiderivative is
• Be able to find antiderivatives, either from a formula or from a graph
• Understand what an indefinite integral is
• Know  and understand the fundamental theorem of calculus
  
• Understand how you can use an indefinite integral to find a definite integral
  
• Give a graphical interpretation of  a definite integral
  
• Understand what the definite integral is and how it differs from the actual area
  
• Find a definite integral by using the fundamental theorem
  
• Use  the properties of the  integral
• Understand the connection among Riemann sums, indefinite integrals, areas, and definite integrals

Advice from your peers
The most succinct advice on last term's evaluation form was to "do the homework - show up-take notes -ask questions."  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 (about an hour a night).
  
• 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.
• Read the chapters and try the homework first before you get help on it.
  

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

• Keep a notebook so that you can easily organize your practice 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.  You can always put questions on the notecard.
  
• 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.