Calculus mark is not satisfactory, what should I do?

Question

I just received my first midterm mark from an introductory university calculus course I'm taking. I got a 59%.

I'm averaging in the high 80s with all my other courses, and this one's set up to bring down my average.

What should I do to improve my mark in calculus and advanced functions? Has anyone been through the same issues?

-Would finding a tutor help much?
-Would dropping the course and taking it later help?
-Should I do some specific sort of questions to improve my understanding of intro calculus concepts?

Thanks for all the help and Best Regards.

Answer 1

A tutor may help, but it also may be too little to late.

Try taking to your teacher first and see if perhaps he can help you out. Taking to your professors can be very helpful to you... don't be afraid that's why we're there.



Dropping the course is another good option, you may want to cut out and not take the hit to your GPA again, talk to your professor and see if perhaps you can still turn this thing around... then go talk to your advisor and see when the last day to drop is... make your decision off of that.



PRACTICE! Go over problems in the book and see if you can do them. After your teacher finishes a section, pick out some random problems (I mean like 15) and see if your able to do them all. Especially the word and picture problems. The harder the problem the more likely it is to be on the test. Plus practicing hard problems at home is just how you get better at the subject. If you find yourself stuck then you can ask your professor, another student in the class, or go to your schools math center, or higher a tutor. There is no reason why you can't make friends and study groups in Calculus classes, that often really helped me out. Normally I was the one that had the answers but it was helpful for me to explain it to someone else, then I REALLY got it into my head.



Hope this helps you out.

Answer 2

It depends on how your prof grades. For example, if your grade consists of just a midterm and a final, I'd probably drop the class because the highest you'd be able to earn is a C.



If, however, he drops a grade, replaces a grade, or spreads out his grading scheme in class which allows for some improvement, I'd stay in the class, get some tutoring, and practice as much as possible outside of class.



Good luck with the rest of the semester!

Answer 3

Find out which textbooks are recommended for the course and spend extra time practicing calculus. Often discussing problems with friends helps to clear up your understanding.



The more maths you do, the better you get. I was uncomfortable with maths for a while, so I avoided such questions, but forcing myself to do more questions helped a lot!