GENERAL:

I haven't taken a math course in several years. What can I do to prepare for this course? Often, the difficulty isn't with the new material being taught in lecture but with some gap in background knowledge. A strong foundation in functions (definition, domain, range, graphing) is very important to have in order to further build the concepts of calculus on. We do review these concepts, but it is done rather quickly since it is considered "review". If you find yourself struggling with this material, you should plan to put in extra time and effort at the beginning to get caught up. The mathematics review manual, "Calculus: Fear No More", is an excellent summary of high school mathematics and can be purchased from the bookstore or an older version can be viewed here. As we move onto material assumed new for all students, more time will be spent on each topic so you will find it easier to follow lectures. Also, keep in mind that it takes time to get back into an academic frame of mind after some time away so please do not get discouraged in the first couple of weeks. Give yourself some time to get used to the lecture style, pace, routine, etc. and it will start to feel more natural after a few weeks.

Do I have to attend lectures and tutorials? Technically, no. There are no marks for attendance; your final mark is calculated solely on your performance on assignments, tests and on the final exam. However, it is very strongly recommended that you attend all lectures and tutorials. You will learn a lot by listening to lectures, taking notes and seeing your instructor solve problems and do exercises.

Can I use an older version of the textbook? Yes, but it will be a bit inconvenient. Although you will be able to find the same topics in an older textbook, the order in which they are presented might be different which can make it difficult to follow and to study for tests. Also, the suggested exercises that I post each week will correspond to the 9th edition and of course, you will want to be working on the correct problem sets each week. So, if you plan to use an earlier edition for content, you will want to ensure that you can access the correct problem sets from the 9th edition (for example, by scanning these pages from the 9th edition with your phone). Do I need to buy the solutions manuals? It depends on how confident you are in math and your learning style. The final answers to odd-numbered questions are given at the back of the textbook, however, without any steps or explanations. You will need to decide for yourself if you would find solutions manuals useful (in which case you would buy the packaged set available in the bookstore) or if they would just collect dust on your bookshelf (in which case you would just buy the textbook).

What can I do to improve my mark? Course marks are exclusively based on your assignments, tests and the final exam. We do not give extra work of any kind with the purpose of improving individual student's marks. Doing so (among other things) would not be fair towards other students in the course.

I need extra help! What are my options? Good news! There is a lot of help available! One of our best math help resources is the Math Help Centre. This drop-in centre provides tutors free of charge for all first year mathematics courses. It can often get busy before tests and exams so to fully benefit from this service, it is best to visit on a regular basis. The Math Help Centre is located in a virtual classroom during the the Fall 2021 semester. Hours and further information can be found here. Also, your instructor will hold office hours each week during which you are free to drop by (without an appointment) and ask any questions you might have. If you would prefer a more personalized, one-on-one session, you can contact a private tutor (Student Centre for Success Peer Tutoring).

TESTS/EXAMS:

What material is covered on tests? About a week before the test, all relevant test information will be posted on this webpage under TERM TESTS.

What is considered academic dishonesty for online tests/exams in this course? Your tests and exam should be completed independently. You should only use the McMaster standard calculator (if required) to aid with calculations (for example, you should not perform a Google search on any of your questions, use online graphing software like Desmos, etc.). If you need clarification during a test or exam, you should contact your instructor only. Any other collaboration will be considered (and treated) as academic dishonesty.

Will this course use proctoring software?Possibly. In the past, I have supervised tests and exams using MS Teams (students are divided into small groups and supervised by myself and TAs on a Teams meeting) as well as Respondus (online proctoring software). Both options have their unique pros and cons, and we will discuss these options together as a class before tests and exams.

What calculator am I allowed to use? You may use the McMaster Standard Calculator, Casio fx991 MS or Casio fx991 MS PLUS. You are encouraged to use symbolic or graphic calculator or math software (such as Desmos) to study, investigate, or to check solutions to assignments and practice questions.

I think I will have to miss a test. What should I do? Read the information posted under tests link.

How much work do I have to show when I solve a math question? Probably the best answer is that you will learn by experience. Observe how your instructor solves examples and problems in lectures, and model your own solutions accordingly. Remember that clear communication is an important part of mathematical problem solving! You must provide sufficient support and justification for your answers.

I did all of the homework questions but I still did not do well on the test. What else can I do? This could be due to a number of reasons. If you find yourself in this situation, the first thing you should do is critically evaluate your studying technique. Did you create a "test-like" environment to study in, i.e., with minimal distractions and no technology other than your calculator? If your attention is divided, it will feel like you studied for hours when in reality, you only focused on math for a small fraction of that time. Make sure that you are getting the most out of your study time!! Another common mistake is studying from solutions. Keep in mind that following someone else's solution (either from lecture notes or from the solutions manuals) is a lot easier than writing out the solutions yourself, from start to finish, without referring to notes. Since this is what you will be required to do on tests and the final exam, you should be working towards this level of confidence and independence when solving problems during your study sessions. Finally, keep in mind that there are very few people who do their best work in a testing situation (I myself am not one of them!). To help with these issues, there are various techniques to help minimize test anxiety which you can read about online. I am happy to help with test taking strategies, so please feel free to ask during office hours and/or through email.

Why don't I get part marks on multiple choice questions? The major reason why we do not give part marks - and also important message - is that sometimes ALL of the answer needs to be correct. It does not suffice to come half-way, or almost-there, we want to see completely correct solutions. Actually, this reflects real-life situations, where we usually have to complete 100% of the task given to us - completing 80% of it, with 20% left out (or wrong), is not acceptable! Think of a pilot who does the whole flight ok, but then misses the runway when landing. Or a surgeon, who performs a great kidney operation on you, but does it on the left kidney instead of a right one. Would you give these people part marks? As well, part marks are sometimes counterproductive - students know that there will be part marks, so they use the strategy of writing no matter what, hoping that they will collect some marks. It is amazing how far one can go in collecting part marks - for instance, passing a test without solving correctly/completely one single question! At University of Waterloo, there was (probably still is) the rule that 50% of points is not a pass, unless 3 out of 6 problems were completely, or 95% completely, solved. We know that this is frustrating, but we hope that you will accept our reasons - the message to you is - be more careful! And practice more ... ask yourself, why did I make a mistake? Why is it that I know something but then did not manage to complete it correctly?