Lara Alcock

This book explains the shift in thinking necessary for success in College level math and above. In this book you can find helpful tips on study skills, time management, symbols that will be used, methods of proof and other such things.

For instance, if you are used to high school level math, you might be expecting to be led by the hand, which is something that college professors just don't have the time to do. They assume that you are familiar with such things or that you can just read the material.

I thought this book was pretty good, and it really would have helped me back in college.… (mehr)

Although I don't live with regrets usually, there is one area of math that I never truly appreciated or excelled at: Analysis. Because I'm obsessed with learning about learning, I found out about this author through her other book on how to be a math undergrad. I really enjoyed her writing style in that book and she is just as straightforward in this book. It's refreshing to read mathematics from an author that has a clear purpose and method (backed by educational research). I now feel much less regret and understand the structure of this theory much better.

This is the book I wish I had when I started my math career. The first part of this book is similar to meeting with a counselor who warns you about what to expect and advises you on strategies for success. The standout chapter is the one on proofs that summarizes their structure at the theorem *and* theory level. That chapter also contains a bonus section that describes the "self-explanation" method (p.39) for reading and comprehending proofs. This is the first mention of this method I have seen and it has made me realize that I am guilty of paraphrasing and monitoring proofs rather than truly explaining them.

I truly hope this author publishes more in the future.… (mehr)