Preparing for College Level Math: How to Do This Effectively?
Joining college is a phase in life that is quite exciting, getting to take that first step towards building a future. Not just for the professional purposes, but also for the social connections that are handy when it comes to building a brand now and in the future. College comes with a number of experiences some of which are challenges that one cannot be prepared for. As such, it is important for the student to learn to adapt.
However, there are those that one can prepare for, such as learning math. There are various steps that one can take to make sure they are able to handle the challenges that come with handling college mathematics.
Knowing the Course Structure
The first step to preparing for math in college involves getting familiar with the course structure. Coming from high school, there are those differences that are likely to emerge. This is with reference to the way the various content is handled as per class or lesson.
In most cases, high school involves having a class where a given topic is taught and the students understand the content structure; after which the teacher may offer the students assignments or class work to assess their level of understanding. After a few weeks in the class, the teacher may offer the students an exam to test the entire unit for progress along with establishing the challenges students face, from the progressive testing. However, this may not be the process used at the college level.
The student will have to look for the syllabus so they are familiar with what they will be covering in a given unit. Where they do not have the syllabus, it may be important to have the lecturer send the same. Using the syllabus, the student is able to prepare in advance their mind and goals to achieve.
It is also important to understand the approaches to teaching and testing in the unit so as to be prepared. Different lecturers use different approaches and thus the student should gather information on the particular lecturer and the unit.
Establishing Available Resources
Preparing for the class requires more than understanding the structure of the course. The student should make sure they know what resources they have at their disposal. Ideally, there are different resources required at the various stages of a class. When preparing for the math course in college, the student should establish the resources available relative to the structure they have studied and analyzed above.
Sometimes, the course in question may not be as difficult and as such, the student may have an easy time going through the content. However, there times courses may turn difficult; knowing the resources available, will help the student navigate with much ease. The resources available to the student at the high school level are more direct than those that are used by the college students. It is important that the student is able to reach out and use these resources in the most effective manner.
There is also the element of understanding that the college resources are associated with the student doing personal assessments and establishing what areas they need to work on. Using a kind of assistance such as CPM geometry homework helper, a student can sharpen their skills even after class. The ability to know and understand how to use the resources is paramount.
CPM Program
As part of the resources that are available to the students, CPM is one of the most important math platforms available to students. This is a resource that is not just available to the high school students, but also to the elementary and even university students. More importantly, it is a platform that is also available to the teachers to help shore up math skills in the children with effective and simple techniques. The program uses three main prongs to help students and teachers achieve their very best level of math skill – through communication, reasoning and problem-solving.
Building on Concepts
One of the aspects for the students to understand is the fact that, math that is taught in high school and that in college has one this in common, they all build on common concepts. There are a few differences that are associated with the high school math and that taught in college; the level of complexity and the teaching methods.
The teacher at the high school level will approach calculus from a different point than the college lecturer. A math problem in high school will be much simpler compared to what is offered at the college level. At the same time, the level of difficulty between the high school calculus and the college levels are different. It is important to understand these differences; however, they are not the main element of focus. They are simply part of the preparation process where the student is able to understand this is a different level.
Ideally, the main element that the student should be focusing in is the environment that they now find themselves in. There is also the fact that, the teachers are now going to use different methods of delivering the content. With this in mind, the student is able to learn at the same pace as the lecturers introduce the topics.
