However, many students find it useful to read a section of the text before it is discussed in class, in order to get at least a modest feel for the mathematical ideas that are being introduced. That way, these students avoid the dazed look syndrome during class that tends to accompany a sense of being absolutely lost. A second reading after class, followed by a sincere effort to understand the material and to work the homework problems, will enable almost every student to be successful in calculus. Since Math2107 is a 4-credit course, this means that you should expect to devote somewhere between 12 and 20 hours per week to calculus. The purpose of a study group is to exchange ideas, not answers.
Research tends to show that successful students study with other students.
Students who study alone in their own room miss the valuable resource of peer interaction. One of the best ways to improve your understanding of an idea is to try to explain it to someone else. Unfortunately, learning mathematics is never like that. During class you can expect to get a brief overview of some of the high points, see a few sample problems solved, and observe how your instructor uses a computer algebra system to explore a few mathematical ideas. It is up to you to actually learn to do mathematics.