Math 142
Source of Help
Prof. Girardi's suggestions

  1. Attend the SI Sessions!!!!
    Come to as many of these highly recommended SI sessions as you can, ready to actively participate!!!!!
    USC's Supplemental Instruction (SI) program has had tremendous success in increasing the course material understanding and raising the grades of students who actively take advantage of its offerings. Our SI Leader attends our lectures and holds SI sessions (3 evenings per week). Our regular SI times and locations are posted on our Class Schedule (available from the course homepage).
  1. To help make your evening time travel safe, USC offers several service (see http://www.sc.edu/vmps/shuttle.html).
    • Evening Shuttle Route. 6:00pm - 12:30am, Mon-Fri, (while classes are in session).
      Stops include: Barnwell St. Lot, Bates Hall, Blatt PE Center, DMSB, Greek Village, Horseshoe, Nursing School, Russell House, Swearingen Engineering.
    • Evening Van Rides. 8pm-midnight ,Mon-Fri (while classes are in session).
      To arrange a pickup, call 777-DUCK (3825). If no answer, call 777-3351.
    • Late Night Shuttle. 12:30am - 6:30am, Mon-Fri (while classes are in session).
      To arrange a pickup, call 777-3351.

  1. A great source of worked our examples is the APEX Calculus book. See it's Table of Contents (esp. page iv).
    Here how this book matches up with ours.
    Thomas BookAPEX Book
    Ch. 8. Techniques of Integration Ch 6. Techniques of Antidifferentiation
    Ch 10. Sequences and Series Ch 8. Sequences and Series
    Ch 11. Parametric Equations and Polar Coordinates Ch 9. Curves in the Plane

  2. Prof. Girardi's Homework Page.
    On the course homepage, link to "Homework" in the Frequently Used Links. Several of the sections have extra problems (look for "need more practice"), with not only answers but also solutions. If you are having troubles with a particular section and you do not find a "need more practice", just ask Prof. Girardi to post some additional extra practice problem for you.

  3. Yourself.
    Budget your semester schedule so that you spend sufficient time with Math 142. The rule of thumb for Study Time Committment for a University course is
    4 hours of studies outside of class for each credit unit.
    Math 142 is a 4 credit unit course so you should be doing about 4x4=16 hours of studying Math 142 a week (outside of class). Of course, this rule of thumb assumes you are well prepared for the course. Thus, if you are weak on some of the prerequisites, then you will need to do more.

  4. Form Calculus Jam Sessions, where students from our class meet on a regular basis and work through problems. Our Student Contact Information sheet should help you organizing such sessions. Let me know if you want me to organize some sessions. The Math Tutor Center (LC 105) and the undergraduate student lounge (LC 311) are good places to hold your sessions: they have chalkboards, large tables, and lots of chairs. Students tell me that they also like the Mezzi in Thomas Cooper Library.

  5. Math Tutor Center (http://www.math.sc.edu/math-tutoring-center)
    The Math Tutor Center is staffed with talented math graduate students eager to answer your Math 142 questions.
    • No appointment necessary. Just stop on by. It's free.
    • It is located in LC 105.
    • It is open midday from shortly after classes starts through the last day of classes.
    • For the Finals Week schedule, visit their webpage shortly before finals.
    Visit their webpage for current hours and schedule of tutors. You can check out the tutors, find one that works for you, and then find out when they will be there.

  6. The Student Success Center (SSC) is a comprehensive one-stop-shop for academic support services on campus. Their programs are free to USC undergraduates. For Math 142, the SSC support services include: SI, Appointments with a Tutor, Online Tutoring, and Drop-in Tutoring (e.g., usually at Bates, Columbia, and Sims Halls (in the evenings) and SWGN (in the late afternoons). To check schedules and make appointments: call the SSC Hotline (777-1000), visit www.sc.edu/success, or go to the SSC on the in the Thomas Cooper Library on the Mezzanine level.

  7. There are many calculus textbooks, several with student manuals, available in the Math Dept's Undergraduate Student Lounge (LC 311). These books are excellent sources for worked out examples for further practice.

  8. Prof. Girardi will lend you the book's Solution Manual for use in/near her office for you to take sneak peaks at while doing your homework. Just make arrangements with Prof. Girardi.

  9. Professor Girardi and the Teaching Assistant are available for help. Their office hours and locations are posted on our Class Schedule (available from our course homepage).

  10. Prof. Girardi has posted her previous exams, including solutions!

  11. Prof. Kustin's Math 142 homepage also has many old exams, including solutions!

  12. The Math Department maintains a list of private tutors (who tutor for a fee) for math and statistics.

Findable from the course homepage: http://people.math.sc.edu/girardi/w142.html/