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I am studying pure math for first year at university.

In the first semester, I would only read notes from class and would refer to books or online sources that I could find(but I would only read). I would always have trouble solving homework problems(I would always need more time than others to solve them). I failed miserably in exams (bellow 50%).

Now I tried a different approach, I would write everything down that I read. Word to word, number to number. It takes a lot of time, but I've seen that I would actually remember things now.

My question is, is this normal to learn math? I always write things down in class(even in first semester) and now I rewrite them again when I get home.

On other questions on this forum, I've seen that exercises are key to success in math. The problem is that my approach rewriting everything takes so much time that I can't solve any problems by the time we move forward in class.

Did anybody have a similar problem in first year at university?

Jean Marie
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VLC
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    It's extremely important to write, yes. But don't just copy: you should attempt the proofs and exercises on your own and check for a source only if you're stuck. – Berci Feb 27 '20 at 18:33
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    Recopying your notes from class may be a good idea, but try to work everything out for yourself as you go through the notes — don't just copy. And the essential thing for exams is to understand what you're doing for homework. Practice with extra homework problems — the only way to get faster is to do more problems. – Ted Shifrin Feb 27 '20 at 19:03
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    Do you get together with some of your classmates to study somewhere (library, student center rooms, dorm study areas, cafés, etc.)? If not, then maybe try to join an existing group or perhaps form a study group of your own. I mention this not really as an answer, but to suggest that additional context might be needed --- since what I describe is very common and you didn't mention it at all, maybe there are reasons why it is not appropriate in your case. – Dave L. Renfro Feb 27 '20 at 22:51
  • @DaveL.Renfro We get together with a couple of other classmates to revise the week before exam, but at that time everybody should know everything. That's why I am also writing on this forum because I see I can't really keep up when we have these meetings. Before that week everybody prefers to study alone. – VLC Feb 29 '20 at 17:23
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    Perhaps try browsing your university's library for supplemental books, as I describe in the first two paragraphs of this answer. Although the topic there is topology, the principles I discuss apply much more generally. Also, you might want to get one or more Schaum's Outline books that deal with the specific areas of math that you are studying. – Dave L. Renfro Feb 29 '20 at 17:38
  • I will look into some books thanks for the answer – VLC Feb 29 '20 at 18:43

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