AC AD EMIC ENH ANC EMENT C ENTER

Tips for Success in

Mathematics Courses
1. READ THE COURSE SYLLABUS. The syllabus is your guide to meet the expectations of the mathe-
matics courses.
2. LOOK AT THE COURSE CALENDAR. The calendar can help you plan ahead to minimize and antici-
pate unexpected events. Do not leave for tomorrow what can be done today!
3. ASK QUESTIONS. Do not hesitate to ask questions before, during and after class! Your classmates and
the instructor can help answer your questions. There are no dumb questions! Your questions may be some-
one else questions too!
4. SHOW or EXPLAIN WORK. The only way your instructor can find out if you fully understand the mate-
rial is through your work or explanations. Answers only or very short responses do not indicate your under-
standing of the material. The instructor wants to evaluate your math reasoning skills.
5. SCHEDULE TIME TO STUDY. We all have busy lives but math requires time to practice. Find a quiet
time in your schedule to practice math and to do the assignments. Study carefully the examples of the text-
book and do the practice problems suggested in the course syllabus. Math is learned by doing!
6. READ AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS. Do not assume what is expected in an assignment or
test. Avoid careless mistakes by reading and following carefully the instructions.
7. USE ONLINE RESOURCES. There are a wealth of online resources such as video lectures, animations,
Power Point presentations, and more that your textbook provides or available in the Internet to help you
grasp the course content. The Academic Enhancement Center (http://www.stu.edu) has a web page that
contains several math links that you can use as a starting point to find information on those topics you are
having difficulties.
8. REVIEW YOUR ASSIGNMENTS AND TESTS. Use the instructor’s feedback to learn from your mis-
takes. Analyze each problem to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Schedule an appointment with
your instructor to go over your assignments and tests. You can also schedule a tutoring session at the Aca-
demic Enhancement Center to review what you did incorrectly in the assignments or tests. One way of
learning is learning through your mistakes!
9. ATTEND CLASSES. Educational research has proven there is a positive connection between atten-
dance and academic success and so students are strongly urged to attend classes regularly. Mathematical
concepts and skills involves many small details that are not usually known until the instructor mentions it
during class. In addition, math is a cumulative subject, where new concepts and skills are build from previ-
ous learned concepts and skills. In other words, missing class is missing the link that connects the main
ideas or concepts.
10. BE PERSISTENT AND PATIENT. Most math concepts and skills take time to be mastered. Keep try-
ing if you did not grasp the concepts and skills the first few times.

You can because you believe you can!

Steven Diaz
Math Instructor
Academic Enhancement Center
Phone: 305-628-6643
E-mail: sdiaz2@stu.edu