Study Resources

Tips for Class Success

• Read and understand your course syllabus. Know deadline dates (last day to drop and other important college dates.) Also know the tentative dates for each in class exam and the date of the final exam.
• Keep up with the material. The new material in math courses usually build on previous sections, so falling behind will put you at a disadvantage.
• Be sure to read the section prior to coming to class. You may have to read the section more than once. Try to work some of the problems before they are covered in class.
• Attend class every day and be sure to take complete notes. Do not expect tutoring or the Learning Center to be a substitute for attending class.
• Ask questions in class! There are usually other students wanting to know the answers to the same questions.
• Math is learned by doing! Work as many of the homework problems as possible. The problems assigned will usually help you with the formulas and techniques needed on the exams. It is also a good way to improve your problem-solving abilities. If you think you've worked enough problems to understand a concept, work one or two more just to be sure.
• Use the reviews provided in your Canvas course to help you prepare for tests, quizzes and exams. Find reviews online in Canvas, there is one for each module. In addition your instructor will provide you with Objective Reviews to help you prepare for the exams and the final.
• Attend the instructor's office hours. If the instructor doesn't have any office hours, try to get help before or after class. If not possible, use email as a way of communicating with the instructor. Let the instructor know you are sending email if you haven't received any replies.
• Participate in as many workshops, study and tutoring sessions as possible. Attend the Math Study Skills Workshops. Find all workshops on the workshop calendar.
• When you are stuck on a concept, know how to get help and what resources are available.

Tips for the Final Exam

• Work each multiple-choice problem before looking at the answer options. Be careful to select the option that matches your answer.
• Work on all of the problems on the test and show all of your work. Work each multiple-choice problem before looking at the answer options. Be careful to select the option that matches your answer.
• Work on all of the problems on the test and show all of your work on the open response questions.
• Memorize the slope formula, point-slope formula and the slope-intercept form of an equation.
• Pay close attention as to whether a line should be solid or dashed when drawing your lines for linear inequalities.
• Be sure to remember the shading when graphing linear inequalities.
• Pay close attention to the negative signs in problems.
• Be sure to multiply all terms by the lowest common denominator (LCD) when clearing the fractions in an equation.
• If the problem asks you to solve, graph, and give interval notation; be sure to solve it, graph it, and give interval notation. Sometimes students forget to do the interval notation.
• When asked to solve a system by substitution, be sure to use the substitution method.
• When asked to solve a system by elimination, be sure to use the elimination method.
• Please remember the answer to a system is usually an ordered pair. Sometimes students solve for one variable and then forget to solve for the second variable in the ordered pair.

Succeed in Math! Keys to Success

• Attend Class
• Ask for Help
• Make time for math everyday
• Prepare for exams
• We recommend participating in as many workshops and tutoring sessions as possible. The Workshop Attendance Data we’ve collected shows it pays off to participate: Workshop Data Attendance.

STEM Success Manager

Don’t know where to go to get answers to general questions or where to get the help and encouragement you need to progress through your studies?

The STEM Success Manager can:

• Connect you with the appropriate resource/service​
• Help you navigate the institution and answer general questions
• Listen and provide support when you may need a bit of encouragement ​
• Offer you tips and information to help keep you engaged and successful

Feel free to reach out to Renée M. Mixco (renee.mixco@slcc.edu), our STEM Success Manager, at any time.

Helping Hands

Salt Lake Community College provides many resources for our students. Review our Current Students home page for a list of these resources and services.