Attend every class—too much happens in every class to miss even one day!  If you must miss a class, there are five others you can attend... talk to the instructor (on the day you missed) about when you might make it up.

Study on a daily basis and go to the tutoring lab as much as needed.  Join a study group even if you are going to the tutoring lab.  The more you interact with others about the math, the easier it will become.  Working with other students who are learning the same material can give you ideas about how they learn. 

Things that will help you the most:

• Come into the course with a good attitude and the determination to hang in there!  Try your best even though math might not be your thing.  Make up your mind that you will do whatever it takes to succeed in the course. 
• Don’t wait until the last minute to start homework—allow plenty of time.  The sooner you begin your homework after class, the fresher the material will be in your mind.  Look over your class notes and examples before beginning homework to refresh your memory on the concepts.  It will make getting started on homework much easier.
• You should do your more difficult homework before you become tired from doing other homework.  Don’t avoid working on more difficult subjects… spend more time on them!  You may find, with extra practice, that they aren’t quite as difficult as you had thought.
• Realize that algebra is difficult for most people.  Algebra is not simply knowledge that can be memorized; it is a skill and it must be practiced.  Realize that it may take a lot of work on your part and plan time to do that work!
• The purpose for the homework is to help prepare you for the test!  Work all of the assigned exercises in each section.  Work extra problems, especially when the concepts are more difficult for you.  Be prepared for lots of homework; the more you do, the better off you are.  It is better to do more problems and master the concepts in each section before moving on to the next.  You are building skills that will be needed throughout all of your algebra courses.  You have lots of help available; take advantage of it! The problems on the tests are very similar to the ones in the homework, so the more problems you do, the more comfortable you will be with the problems at test time. 
• Study the concepts until  they “burn” into your brain.  When you have practiced enough so that, after extended time away from homework, you are able to come back and work the problems without looking at examples or notes, you probably understand the material well enough for the test.  Taking the online practice test will help you to identify areas of weakness and working through the study plan will help you to correct them.
• Pay attention to how the directions relate to the steps you follow in working the problems.  Making sense of directions is an area of weakness for most students and will be emphasized in class.  Make flashcards to help you associate the directions with the steps involved.
• When you have difficulty with a problem, give an honest effort to resolve it yourself (check back over the examples and “you try it” problems for that section).  Ask for help when you need it; however when you work through a problem yourself you will really LEARN it.
• Stay ahead rather than falling behind.  It is much easier to keep up than it is to catch up. 
• Read the next sections twice before coming to class.  Work through the examples and the “you try it” problems.  That way you will be ready for class the next day with an idea of what material is going to be covered.  It will also make your note-taking in class much easier. 
• Before each scheduled test, take the online practice test for that chapter ...without looking at any examples or notes!  If you can easily pass the practice test you should not have a problem with the one that really counts!  If you can't, you should work through the study plan and re-take the practice test until you can pass it.
• When it comes to taking a test, do the problems you know first and come back to the ones you don’t.  Try to come back to them with a clear mind.  If you need to rework a problem, start over completely so that you won’t keep making the same mistakes over and over again.
• Memorize and understand all formulas; know when and how to apply them. 
• Be consistent with the way you follow procedures (there are lots of patterns in math).  If you are not consistent, you will get confused easily. 
• Start in a math class for which you have the needed skills and work up to the others.  You may think it is a waste of time but it will allow you to experience success, build your confidence, and be better prepared for the next course.
• Become acquainted with the staff in the tutoring lab.  They just might be your key to passing the course!
• Get help as soon as there is something you don’t understand.  See Extra Help.