$$ \newcommand{\RR}{\mathbb{R}} \newcommand{\QQ}{\mathbb{Q}} \newcommand{\CC}{\mathbb{C}} \newcommand{\NN}{\mathbb{N}} \newcommand{\ZZ}{\mathbb{Z}} \newcommand{\EE}{\mathbb{E}} \newcommand{\HH}{\mathbb{H}} \newcommand{\FF}{\mathbb{F}} \newcommand{\SO}{\operatorname{SO}} \newcommand{\dist}{\operatorname{dist}} \newcommand{\length}{\operatorname{length}} \newcommand{\uppersum}[1]{{\textstyle\sum^+_{#1}}} \newcommand{\lowersum}[1]{{\textstyle\sum^-_{#1}}} \newcommand{\upperint}[1]{{\textstyle\smallint^+_{#1}}} \newcommand{\lowerint}[1]{{\textstyle\smallint^-_{#1}}} \newcommand{\rsum}[1]{{\textstyle\sum_{#1}}} \newcommand{\partitions}[1]{\mathcal{P}_{#1}} \newcommand{\erf}{\operatorname{erf}} \newcommand{\ihat}{\hat{\imath}} \newcommand{\jhat}{\hat{\jmath}} \newcommand{\khat}{\hat{k}} \newcommand{\pmat}[1]{\begin{pmatrix}#1\end{pmatrix}} \newcommand{\smat}[1]{\left(\begin{smallmatrix}#1\end{smallmatrix}\right)} $$

Reflect II

The goal of a college course is always learning - with homework, exams, and other assignments all just vehicles (and motivation) to help learning occur. Thus, my main goal from this exam is to help you all learn where you currently stand in the course, and to set yourself up for success going forward\(.\)

• The first part of this process was the studying for the exam: where you reviewed all the material on vectors and curves. Here you could earn extra points towards your grade (if you want to use the hold-me-accountable-grading) by writing a study guide for yourself.
  
• The second part of the process was taking the exam itself.
  Here the goal is for both you and me to learn what you know so far in the course, and gauge what needs to be done going forward.

Now, we are at the post-exam-period where we try to use the test to learn from our pasts. To really get set up on the right path requires some work, and some hard thinking and reflection when things did not go according to plan.

Prompt Questions

This reflection will be worth points, if you are trying to be graded on the hold-me-accountable grading scale. Reflect on the the first part of the semester, focusing on your studying techniques, your exam performance, and suggestions to your future self. Your submission should be neatly hand written or typed and in full paragraphs with complete sentences. It should not be a rough draft, or an outline (bullet-point list of thoughts, etc). There are no wrong answers, but only submissions showing real work at introspection will recieve credit: remember, this is an (optional) opportunity for you to think about what works best for you

How did the exam go? While it is still fresh on your mind, think about the exam itself. How did you do compared to how you expected to do (after studying, but before the exam itself)? After getting feedback, how did the exam go relative to how you felt after taking it? Did you do better or worse than you felt you had (after leaving the exam, but before getting feedback). If you did well - what were the big contributions to that success for you? If you hoped to have done better, what were some factors that may have affected your performance (these include comfort level with the material, but also things like not sleeping enough the day before, or time pressure etc).

How did you implement your proposed strategy from last time? Last reflection, you wrote yourself a specific list of things that you wanted to try to change up your study strategies. Give yourself an honest evaluation: how well did you follow your past recommendations? Additionally, look at your past recommendations critically - did you suggest things that were reasonable, given your time/energy/bandwidth this semester? Did you suggest things that actually turned out to be helpful?

What are some recommendations for your future self? If you could help your past self set up a strategy to leverage your own strengths (and efficiently identify your points of struggle) for the first third of this class, what would you do? What parts of your current strategy will you keep, and what would you have changed? Be realistic (ie don’t just say “I would study X hours more” if adding X hours to your current plan leaves you with an unsustainable work balance across your classes), and take what you have learned about yourself in the above questions to build a reasonable plan.

What are your plans between now and the final? Set yourself realistic and doable goals, that you can hold yourself accountable to. Do you plan to increase attendance at office hours? At math help sessions? Do you plan to set up tutoring? Do you plan to start studying more with friends - or conversely, have you learned you need to spend more time studying alone and not relying on others? Look back at this every week and hold yourself to it!