Plan for studying
Below is a suggested schedule for what to work on during the four weeks leading up to the exam. All of your studying, apart from taking a few final practice exams, should take place over winter break, before classes begin.
We suggest working through the problems in the study guides as a start. (This means actually doing the problems, not just reading the solutions!) For more practice, we have also posted additional problems, with solutions, for each of the topics on the Core Exam.
For juniors, we have left the last column blank for you to fill in with your own study plan for your subject test. Download the appropriate study guide and plan to study some of the material each day.
Click here for the study guides
Week 1: 4 weeks before the exam, 3 weeks before classes begin
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Date |
Multi | Linear |
Algebra/Analysis |
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Monday |
Study Guide Section 1: Elementary Vector Analysis
Additional materials: |
Study Guide Section 1: Vector Spaces and Subspaces
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Tuesday |
Continue working on section 1 material | Continue working on section 1 material | |
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Wednesday
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Study Guide Section 2: Functions of Several Variables
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Study Guide Section 2: Linear Transformations and Dimension Theorems
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Thursday |
Continue working on section 2 material | Continue working on section 2 material | |
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Friday
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Study Guide Section 3: Maxima and Minima
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Continue working on material from sections 1 and 2 | |
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Saturday & Sunday |
Take a break! You can also use some time this weekend to continue working on the topics above or to start working on the topics below, but make sure to give yourself enough time off to prevent yourself from burning out. |
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Week 2: 3 weeks before the exam, 2 weeks before classes begin
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Date |
Multi | Linear |
Algebra/Analysis |
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Monday: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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Today is a holiday, so take the day off! Alternatively, use this time to catch up on topics from last week or get a head start on topics from this week. | ||
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Tuesday
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Study Guide Section 4: Double Integrals
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Study Guide Section 3: Matrices
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Wednesday
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Study Guide Section 5: Triple Integrals
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Continue working on section 3 material | |
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Thursday
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Study Guide Section 6: Line Integrals
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Study Guide Section 4: Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors
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Friday |
Continue working on section 4-6 material (integrals) | Continue working on section 4 material | |
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Saturday & Sunday |
If you've been sticking to your plan and studying hard, take a break! If you're behind on your plan, here's some time for you to catch up. There is only about a week left before classes begin: make sure that you are on track to be well-prepared for Comps before then. | ||
Week 3: 2 weeks before the exam, 1 week before classes begin
| Monday |
1. Take a practice exam. Click here for more info and advice about practice exams.
2. Take a break (eat lunch, take a walk, build a snow fort, etc.)
3. Use the provided solutions to check over your practice exam. Make note of any problems that you got wrong and any questions you have. |
| Tuesday |
Spend some more time reviewing the material for any problems that you got wrong or had trouble with. See the QCenter staff (in drop-in sessions or by appointment) with any questions you have. |
| Wednesday | Take another practice exam and, after taking a break, check it over as before. |
| Thursday | Review the material you got wrong or had trouble with. Visit the QCenter with questions. |
| Friday |
Spend some more time working on topics that have given you trouble:
- Rework any problems you got wrong from scratch, without looking at your previous work or the solutions.
- Look for more problems on these topics in the study guides, past Comp exams, and/or additional problems linked above. If needed, ask the QCenter staff for help finding problems.
Optional: Take another practice exam, but make sure to save at least one exam for next week. |
| Saturday & Sunday |
Take a break! Classes will begin next week and you need to get ready/rest up! |
Week of the Exam
| Monday - Wednesday |
Take another practice exam.
Continue reviewing the material, paying special attention to the topics that gave you trouble. |
| Thursday |
Do a final review, going over any material that you are still nervous about. Plan to go to bed early and to stop working at least an hour beforehand, so that you can wind down. Get plenty of rest tonight! |
| Friday |
Exam day: try to relax as much as you can!
Plan when you will eat so that you will not get hungry and lose focus during the exam.
Try to take a short walk or do something else calming in the hour or half-hour right before the exam.
Remember that the Math faculty and the QCenter staff are all cheering you on! |