A Tip Given From A Great Calculus Student!

One great tip was given to us by a calculus student who has consistently earned high ranks in his math classes. His simple tip has been passed onto many students and proves to helpful in allowing students to memorize math lessons quickly.

The Tip: Always study and make sense of your math notes the same night of the math lecture. Always!

This is huge! Many students who arrive in class take notes and are often times confused or lost by the end of the lecture. This can be caused by the writing speed of the professor, the lack of explanation, or the lack of attention in class. No matter what the cause, the student leaves the classroom not being able to comprehend the correct method of solving the math problems in that lesson. After waiting more than 24 hours to go back and make sense of these notes it will feel as if though you are learning it again for the first time. If the notes are reviewed and understood only a few hours after the lecture the student will be able to completely understand the material much faster. This is because the student can piece together parts of the lecture while it's still in their memory and make sense of it at their own speed!

Be sure to use this tip frequently! 

For Other Great Math Study Tips Visit: Top 5 Math Study Tips

Happy Calculating,

Dylan Miller

The Best Calculator for Calculus III

A graphing Calculator is one of the most useful tools to have while taking any Calculus course. If it was put on a list of importance it would placed second just behind your brain being number one. So which calculator should you invest in? There is a specific method of choosing one or often times two calculators for your calculus course. Here is all the information you will need to make an educated decision.

Why Do I Need Two Calculators? 

Many students own two calculators. One "normal" graphing calculator and one "smart" graphing calculator. The "normal" graphing calculator is safe to use on tests, quizzes, and homework. Why is it safe? Because of the fact that it will not give you exact answers to complex Calculus problems. It will instead assist you with smaller calculations while allowing you to do the rest of the work on your own. The "smart" calculator is the exact opposite. It will allow you enter in entire problems such as triple integrals and receive a exact answer that can include fractions, squareroots, and pi. For this reason these calculators are often banned in the class room and not allowed to be used on tests, quizzes, or homework. Having one of each calculator will help you get exact answers whenever you need it outside of the classroom while still having a proper calculator for inside the class room.

Calculators We Recommend

     TI-84 Plus Silver Edition (normal)         TI-89 Titanium Edition (normal/smart)                            

                            

TI NSPRIE CX (Smart)

Choosing a Graphing Calculator Step #1

Research you Calculus course and find out if that specific class requires a certain brand and/or model of calculator. Often times lower division Calculus courses will ask for a specific calculator so that the instructor can easily teach students how to use a graphing calculator. If a specific calculator is required start by purchasing that calculator.

Choosing a Graphing Calculator Step #2

Find out what brand/model everyone else is using. Having the same calculator as the other students you will be studying with will make it easier to learn. One the most popular brands of calculators is Texas Instruments. They have both "normal" and "smart" graphing calculators for great prices that are well known by students. There's a very good chance that this is the brand your classmates will be using.

Choosing a Graphing Calculator Step #3

Purchase you calculator online for the best price. Buying two calculators can be expensive! So make sure you get the best deal by purchasing online. I'll provide a list of the best online prices of Texas Instruments graphing calculators.

Our Recommendation

From experience we recommend you first start with a TI-84 from Texas Instruments. This Calculator will easily get you through your Pre-Calculus, Calculus I, and Calculus II courses. At this point we strongly encourage buying a TI NSPIRE CX to prepare for Calculus III. This Calculator is top of the line and will prove to have all of the tools you need to succeed in you Calculus courses as well any other math related courses further in your education.

Happy Calculating!

-Dylan Miller

Important Trig Identities For Calculus III

There are three trig identities that will be seen consistently throughout Calculus III. These are must have tools when working with integrals calculating volume in both two and three dimensions. Having these functions memorized can mean of the difference between passing and failing tests, quizzes, and homework. Take the time to memorize these trigonometric identities and you will be one step further in passing Calculus III

Pythagorean Identity

1. cos^2(x)+sin^2(x)=1

Half Angle (Power-Reducing) Formulas

1. sin^2(x) = [1-cos(2x)]/2

2. cos^2(x) = [1+cos(2x)]/2

Happy Calculating!

-Dylan Miller

Is Calculus III Harder Than Calculus II?

One of the first questions a lot of students ask when going into Calculus III is "Is Calculus III harder than Calculus II?" The honest answer? Yes. Many students find Calculus III to be a more rigorous course because of the introduction to 3D graphing, vectors, multiple integrals, coordinate changes, and other new concepts. Many describe Calculus II as a more straight forward approach to Calculus that includes a planned out process to solve problems. While in Calculus III they often describe learning a more decision based reasoning on how to approach a problem, what coordinates system to use, and what tools to use to solve an integral if needed. When in Calculus III you will find yourself spending a lot more time thinking about how to approach and solve a specific problem with the tools you have. 

So in the end is Calculus III harder than Calculus II? We think so. And the majority of the students who we have asked agree.

Happy Calculating!

-Dylan Miller

Top 3 Calculus III Tips of All Time!

So you have decided to tackle of the beast of Calculus III? Like many other college courses there are simple tips and tricks that the "pros" can hand down to give you a helping hand. The following three tips will give you that extra information you will need to walk in the first day feeling prepared. So by all means use these tips as best you can!

Tip #1: Carry Multiple Colored Pens!

In Calculus III you will be encountering graphs in both two dimensions and three dimensions that are far more complex than Calculus II. The first time you graph two 3D functions intersecting each other you will realize you have lines drawn everywhere! Using different colored pens allows you to easily distinguish one graph from another and allow you recognize exactly what functions you are looking at.

Tip #2: Have Your Calculus II Notes Ready to Review!

That's right! Right when you thought Calculus II was over with you now have refer back to your notes for Calculus III. In this class you will encounter multiple cases of U-substituion, trig substitution, polar coordinates, arc length, and others. All of these things will be integrated into the new material that you will be learning and chances are your professor will expect you to remember everything you learned in Calculus II. The good news is that after a few weeks in Calculus III chances are you remember these topics with no trouble.

Tip #3: Memorize All Common Functions In Three Dimensions!

In Calculus Three you will be integrating sections between functions in three dimensions. Nothing makes this process harder than not knowing what the three dimensional functions look like. Be sure to study and memorize functions like an Ellipsoid, Elliptic Paraboloid, Hyperboloid of One Sheet, Hyperboloid of Two Sheets, Elliptic Cone, and the Hyperbolic Paraboloid. If the time is taken to get familiar with these functions your efforts in Calculus III will be far more rewarding!

Happy Calculating!


-Dylan Miller