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Here are some words of explanation, advice, and motivation from past students:
Dear Multivariable Calculus students,
The first thing I want to tell you is that this is one of the hardest courses I have taken to date. It has also been one of the most interesting and thought provoking.
I would like to tell you some of the things I wish I had known in the beginning of this class. The first thing I wish I had known is that this class requires a lot of time. In every math class I have taken, the professor said that you need a lot of time, but I managed to do well with minimum work. That is not the case in this class. When the professor tells you that you need 12-14 hours of study time outside the classroom a week, he is serious. Do not make the mistake of thinking that you will study for the exam for a couple of days before, because you will fall behind and be unable to finish all of the studying.
This class is not for people who wish to take a free ride. If you take this class, you will have to work. That is not to say it is impossible to do well, just that you really need to want it. If you do not think that you will be able to put the amount of time needed into this class, it may be better to drop it, and take it when you have more time.
One thing that I found very important in this class was the online homework. This homework counts as a small part of your grade, and is completely possible to finish. There were several people in my class who said that the WebWork did not matter, because it counted for so little, and thus put very little effort into completing it. This was, in my opinion, a foolish choice for two reasons. The Webwork is relatively easy points towards your final grade, and a shame to lose. It is also an excellent way to improve your understanding of the class. These were my main method of making sure I understood the material taught in class, and I repeated these for each of the exams.
One thing I regret not having done during this class was writing homework problems on the board. These are another way to earn some points, a chance to discuss your method of doing the problem, and to mention any difficulties encountered while doing the problem. I never took this opportunity, and I regret that now.
Please do not be discouraged by reading this letter. The class is truly wonderful, and this was the first time I saw concrete applications to real life. As I said, while difficult, it is possible to do well in this class.
I wish you the best of luck, and hope you enjoy this learning experience.
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To the future students of Math 201:
If I could give any advise it would be to not get turned off too quick. The beginning was really hard for me and I did poorly on the first exam but once I got used to the class, my grades improved drastically.
Professor Hanusa is always there to help. That's something you should all take advantage of. He's very helpful and cares about your grade as much as you do so visit his office hours or meet him after class and you won't regret it.
Another thing about this class is that you really need to pay attention. This isn't the kind of class that you can memorize formulas. Try to understand the concepts and where the formulas come from. It will help you throughout the course.
Last thing, make friends. Form a study group, even if its with just one classmate. The course is challenging and chances are high that something will come up that you need help with. A study buddy is really helpful. When Professor Hanusa tells you to get into study groups and exchange phone numbers, do it. There's a good reason for it.
I hope you all take my advice into account. Good luck and study hard!
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I strongly suggest tackling the homework by first studying the material in your notes and chapter readings assigned, and consider re-doing some of the key examples given in the textbook on your own. Just looking back at the chapter and notes to figure out how to do a homework problem is not an effective way to study the material, and there will not be enough time to catch up on your studying just before the exams. You need to study and keep up with the homework each and every week. Next, I would do at least a sampling of all the different Stewart homework problems assigned before moving on to the Webwork assignment. I found warming up on the Stewart problems definitely made me better equipped to handle the Webwork questions which are generally even more difficult and involved. This may sound time consuming (and it is) but your patience will pay off when the Webwork assignment goes much more smoothly. I was able to answer 100% of the Webwork problems during the semester, and besides asking the professor a question every now and then, solidifying my understanding by first doing the Stewart problems definitely made the difference here.
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