Follow-Up

We want you to succeed! Some important strategies for succeeding in any U-M math course:

• Studying with your peers is fun and effective! Studying alone has its place, but studying with others can keep you accountable, give you opportunities to explain things and ask questions, and let you combine your cognitive resources to boost your individual understanding.
• Regularly working on your course (daily!) is the best strategy for keeping up. You may feel overwhelmed if you only engage with your course material once a week. It can be helpful to schedule times that are consistent from week to week to work on homework, prepare for class and quizzes, and review previous material. 
• It’s important in all math classes to work to understand, not just reproduce particular methods. Following examples has its place, but you won’t be prepared for assessments unless you really understand the ideas underlying the example. Reflect frequently on whether you really know “why?” or just “how?”. The goal is always to know “why?”.
• Seek help early if you have questions, are confused, or want support developing your understanding. Office Hours with your instructor and the Math Learning Center (MLC) are great resources (see the Getting Help section for more details)!

Every math course offered at U-M has a minimum of 3 Office Hours per week with the instructor. Office Hours are a GREAT place to have your questions answered. You do not need to have questions prepared in advance; you can attend the instructor's Office Hours and work on your homework, listen to others’ questions, or review your notes from class. Office Hour schedules will be set by your instructor and announced during the first week of class.

The Math Learning Center (MLC), also often referred to as the “Mathlab”, is a great place for getting help in Math 105, Math 115, Math 116, Math 214, Math 215, and Math 216! It is staffed for 45 hours per week. When you arrive at the MLC, go to any table with a name tent. You may get to know specific tutors and seek out their hours. You are also likely to meet other students from your same course! You can attend the MLC alone or as a group. And like instructor office hours, you do not need to have questions prepared in advance. Just show up and work! This resource is offered at no cost to students.

If you realize in the first week of classes that you are in the wrong place, you can switch! Be honest with yourself-- if the class is feeling way too hard or fast-paced, is that likely to get any better? If you haven’t been able to catch up with homework the first week, is that likely to change for any reason? Course swaps within the first week are the easiest to accommodate. Although the official drop/add deadline is 3 weeks into the semester, not all math instructors will allow you to add that late into the semester.

• LSA information about Add/Drop

If things are really going south during the semester, you have a period of time during which you can change your grading option to Pass/Fail, or withdraw from the course altogether.

• LSA Information about Pass/Fail grading

Meet with a math advisor during the school year. You can schedule an advising appointment here.