CALCULUS I
“Integration is an art”
- A Life lesson you inevitably learn in this course
DISCLAIMER
The information shared on this website is not official and should not be relied upon for classes. Course content is always changing, so you should always refer to your professor and course instead of this resource. The strategies and information discussed are what worked for first years in the past, and will not necessarily be the same for every circumstance.
OVERVIEW
If I’m being honest, Calculus I was one of my favourite classes from first year. The structure, the content, and the resources helped me learn newer concepts and prepare properly for the midterms and finals. We learned a lot about optimization, graphs, derivatives, and INTEGRATION (it was never ending but you get so good at it by the end).
I also noticed that there was a significant knowledge gap between people in our year; depending on if you’ve done IB, what province you’re from, or what your high school experience is, your experience with Calculus I will be far different than others. I have a distinct memory where I’d studied for weeks for the first midterm, while many of my fellow resident friends didn’t prepare nearly as much. However, they’d managed to score (a little bit) higher on the first midterm because they’d covered a lot of the content beforehand (*cough cough integration*). Not all high school curriculums are the same, and that’s okay. Do not beat yourself up if you don’t do as well as your peers, because you aren’t on the same playing field as everyone (and don’t you worry, that will even itself out as soon as 112 kicks in). It’s definitely possible to succeed in this course, even if you feel behind!
Make sure you have your Casio 991 in hand (if you don’t, get one NOW), and let’s dive in to some potential study strategies.
TIPS THAT HELPED ME WITH THIS CLASS
TEST 1
AKA (usually) the first midterm of the year. Check this website for info about your midterm dates. Amidst the chaos of moving in, orientation week, meeting new people, and adjusting to all of your new courses, I found this midterm felt early in the semester, so get ready for it.
I found much of the content was review from high school, especially analyzing graphs and equations. This review allowed me to a) feel more confident without studying as much for other midterms and b) have more time to focus on the new content. I felt the first midterm went well for everyone, so I would recommend working really hard to make sure your first midterm is a GOOD one!
I focused on derivatives, situational questions (the ones that are longer and have a bit more visualization needed), and circular trajectory questions. Although your professor and course coordinator will be the best sources when looking for what to study, so make sure to ask them before relying too heavily on content from previous years.
Previous midterms were helpful for me as well; it was my first real opportunity to understand how an exam is formatted. I personally found that by doing the previous exams, it made me feel much more comfortable with the flow of the questions once I got to the real exam.
TEST 2
I found this was when things got harder. For me, I found the second midterm was very integration heavy, so having this skill nailed down was a big contributor to success. If you haven’t done integration before, make sure to do as many practice problems as you can until you can accomplish even the most difficult problems. Drawing diagrams when necessary and estimation techniques for integrations is also extremely important.
I also practiced optimization A LOT. When going over previous midterms, I noticed the optimization problems were harder for me to complete, so that’s what I focused on more.
Understanding how mathematical equations are illustrated (ex. knowing how to draw an ellipse or a circle from an equation) was also a good skill to have.
Make sure to be prepared for surprise questions. How do you prepare for this? Look back at your course notes and pick out what concepts you’re the most unfamiliar with. You’d be surprised how much this can help you in your actual exam. Make sure you’re spending much more time studying on your weakest points rather than what you’re confident in. Even if you’re positive integration will be in the midterm, if you’re already good at it, maybe spend more time on one of your weaker points (ex. optimization).
THE FINAL EXAM
If you have kept up with this class, you should not be worried for this exam. I found the questions were fair (not necessarily easy, but it didn’t feel like I was being tricked; it felt somewhat predictable).
My biggest tip for this final would be, two weeks before the exam, to write a previous final and understand where your weak points are. From there, I liked working on my weak points and reworking questions I’d struggled with in the weekly practice problems.
Visiting your professor, the course coordinator, or help desks the days before your exam can also help. Sometimes, the online resources/corrections just aren’t enough to understand complex problems, so going to someone from the teaching team can ensure you have the best explanation for a specific problem.
The concepts I practiced with were parametric formulas, unit circle problems (cos, arccos, etc.), integration, derivatives/integration and in situational questions (ex. the “work” questions), and optimization. This, of course, changes every year. Your teaching team will be the best resource for understanding what you should be studying.
And finally, make sure to start early. That should be the case for every course, but you’d be surprised with how quickly exams will come and how little time you’ll have to study (remember alllll of your other classes and that big final report you’ll have for 101).
VIDEO RESOURCES
For this course, I would recommend staying ENTIRELY within the course resources and only looking elsewhere as a last resort, as in you should be looking at EngLinks and Faculty resources. But here are some reliable places in case you need the extra support.
Straightforward concept video; good for review
Visualizing integration and how to manage the bounds.
Integration/work problems, very good for practice
If you’re struggling with this course
Reach out to your course coordinator or your professor. The teaching team is incredibly compassionate, and this is one of the courses with the most support resources (in my opinion). There are so many options, and you’ve already made it this far!