Study Guide

CALCULUS
NB: These sheets were written by experienced teachers and are intended as a
GUIDE only.
PREPARATION
1 Be prepared to spend 2½ - 3½ hours (minimum) per week on this subject.

2 Organise your file.

Front: Drill sheet, A4 notes (as a work in progress), and teaching and assessment
program.
Topics as laid down in syllabus. Notes at front (numbered and dated), followed by
worked exercises.
Assessment items.

3 Mathematics is about recognising patterns and familiar expressions. Having these

in the tables book is of no use if you don’t recognise their application within the
problem. You can improve your marks by learning the facts. The most successful
way of doing this is to accumulate this knowledge as you go by means of a facts
sheet.
STUDYING FACTS!

Write the fact you want to learn in the first column. Put the correct answer in the
next column. Each week cover up the answers and have a go. If you get the fact
right 3 weeks in a row, cross it out – you know it! Add to your list each weekend
as part of your study routine.
ATTEMPTS
FACT ANSWER

sin2A 2sinAcosA

cos2B –sin2B
cos2B 2cos2B-1
1-2sin2B

.
4 Successful study in mathematics works on one main principle:

YOU MUST TREASURE YOUR MISTAKES

You improve by learning from the mistakes you make. If you organise yourself
carefully this can be done efficiently.

5 Number all work with page numbers. (Eg: Ex 2-3, p26 1a)

Calculus SG
 This makes the question easy to find when revising.

6 Mark all work and do full corrections in red - you will need the correct answers
when studying.
For assignments and tests - get full corrections from the black board, pin-up
board, me or a classmate .
NB: I am available before school and after school
(except Monday) and at lunchtimes for help!!
You can only study without frustration if you have full solutions to check your
progress.

7 Be organised, record mistakes as you go.

STUDY HINT
USE THIS TABLE AS YOU GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM. I WILL CHECK
FROM TIME TO TIME THAT YOU ARE USING IT! THIS METHOD SAVES YOU
TIME LATER AND ENSURES YOU ARE SPENDING YOUR STUDY TIME
EFFECTIVELY.
SOURCE PROBLEMS YOU PROBLEMS YOU DID
GOT WRONG NOT ATTEMPT

Sadler p26 – 3(b) p28 – 23,24

Test 1 7(b), 9 11

BEFORE EACH ASSESSMENT DO THESE PROBLEMS – HAVING FULL

SOLUTIONS WILL AVOID FRUSTRATION AT HOME

8 A4 notes that can be taken into the exam must be a personal document. Put them
together as you go through the course. Every time you get a problem wrong, ask
yourself: “What would I need on my A4 notes to get this problem correct?” The
answers to this question will get the right information on your A4 notes.
This means you have to have the A4 notes in class at all times.

9 Work in pen, graph in pencil and correct in red.

10 SO WHEN STUDYING FOR A TEST OR EXAM

• Read Notes, do Type Examples (cover the example in the

notes).
• Do questions you got wrong in tests and assignments. Your
corrections will help you check!
• Do problems you got wrong in exercises
• Add to your A4 notes when gaps appear

Calculus SG