Attending class and taking notes
are important, but the only way that you
are really going to learn mathematics is by
completing your homework. Sitting in class
and listening to lectures will help you to
place concepts in short-term memory, but
in order to do well on tests and in future
math classes, you want to put these
concepts in long-term memory. When
completed regularly, homework assignments will help
with this.
Give Yourself Enough Time. In Objective 3, you made a study schedule, setting
aside 2 hours for study and homework for every hour that you spend in class. If you are
not keeping this schedule, make changes to ensure that you can spend enough time
outside of class to learn new material.
Review Your Notes and the Worked Examples from Your Text. In Objective 4, you
learned how to take useful notes. Before you begin your homework, review or rework your
notes. Then, read the sections in your textbook that relate to your homework problems,
paying special attention to the worked examples. With a pencil in hand, work the Self Check
and Now Tryproblems that are listed next to the examples in your text. Using the worked
example as a guide, solve these problems and try to understand each step. As you read
through your notes and your text, keep a list of anything that you don’t understand.
Now Try Your Homework Problems. Once you have reviewed your notes and the
textbook worked examples, you should be able to successfully manage the bulk of your
homework assignment easily. When working on your homework, keep your textbook and
notes close by for reference. If you have trouble with a homework question, look through
your textbook and notes to see if you can identify an example that is similar to the
homework question. See if you can apply the same steps to your homework problem. If
there are places where you get stuck, add these to your list of questions.
Get Answers to Your Questions. At least one day before your assignment is due,
seek help with the questions you have been listing. You can contact a classmate for
assistance, make an appointment with a tutor, or visit your instructor during office hours.Study Skills Workshop S-76 Do Your Homework
Now Try This
1.Review your study schedule. Are you following it? If not, what changes can you make
to adhere to the rule of 2 hours of homework and study for every hour of class?
2.Find five homework problems that are similar to the worked examples in your
textbook. Were there any homework problems in your assignment that didn’t have a
worked example that was similar? (Success Tip:Look for the Now Tryand Guided
Practicefeatures for help linking problems to worked examples.)
3.As suggested in this Objective, make a list of questions while completing your
homework. Visit your tutor or your instructor with your list of questions and ask one of
them to work through these problems with you.
4.Go to http://www.cengage.com/math/tussy and read the Study and Memory Techniques
handout. List the techniques that will be most helpful to you in your math course.© iStockphoto.com/djordje zivaljevic