Hello Math Majors,
I hope that you are doing well and staying healthy as we work to wrap up the Fall 2022 semester. This is the second to last newsletter of the Fall 2022 semester, and I know that your final assignments, projects, and exams are the most important things to you right now. I hope you have some time to read the message below. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if there is any thing that I can help with.
Final exams can be very stressful things, and I'll admit that I was terrible at studying for them. Thus, I would strongly encourage you to start thinking about how to study for exams sooner rather than later. The Princeton Review has a great article outlining to how prepare for final exams, and here are the key points:
1. Make a finals game plan.
2. Start early.
3. Study in this order: a) definitely b) probably c) might be on the final.
4. Give yourself more time to study for your toughest classes.
5. Form a study group.
6. Talk it out.
7. Get creative with study aids.
8. Study your notes.
9. Quiz yourself.
10. Make sleep a priority. (DO NOT CRAM ALL NIGHT LONG!)
11. Take five.
12. Brain food is real.
You can read the full article at https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/how-to-study-for-finals for more information about each of the above 12 points.
Here are some additional things to keep in mind for exam day. First, make sure that you plan for plenty of time to get to your final exam so that you can be on time. We have had good weather so far this fall semester, but that doesn't mean that we won't have snow on the ground come exam time. Second, always bring more materials to your exam than you will think you will need. A final exam is a terrible time to run out of pencil lead, pen ink, or scratch paper, and it would be bad time for the batteries in your calculator to die without replacements. Remember Murphy's Law! Third, DO NOT CRAM ALL NIGHT LONG for your final exam in any class! It almost never pays off to do this, and you won't remember any of the important information in the long term. I know that this was mentioned above, but I feel like it is that important. Lastly, remember to have a restroom break before your final exam starts.
I hope these tips help you have a successful final exam week. Please contact your course instructor as soon as possible if something happens that could prevent you from taking your final exam. The worse thing that you can do is not contacting your course instructor if an extraordinary event or circumstance is going to prevent you from sitting for the exam. Things happen, and more often than not, an alternative will be available.
Experiential Learning Survey
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Share your experience here: https://go.unl.edu/experiencesurvey.
Best wishes, Doug
Math Department Events
The Math Department has many upcoming events that might be of interest to you along with a weekly (or almost weekly) colloquium series. A listing of all upcoming Math Department events can be found at https://events.unl.edu/math/upcoming/.
CAS Student Spotlight
Do you want to be featured by the college? Share your story by filling out this quick web form and show others why Mathematics is for you. Showcase all the opportunities and experiences you are gaining with your Mathematics major.