Stephanie Perez

Nice. One more tweak: use a two-column layout - left for the step right for the 2–3 word reason - so the logic stays visible even when you skip algebra. Preload a tiny legend of reused tags (by defn, linearity, IH, Cauchy, MVT, chain rule, wlog, iff) and stick to them all semester. For long computations, mark the landmarks (setup → key substitution → bound → conclude), leave a blank line between them to fill in later, and keep a running index of your common lemmas in the back so your tags point somewhere.

Two quick checks that change the calculus: where this course sits in your sequence and your school’s repeat/grade-replacement policy. A single W is usually better than a C-/D on the transcript and but if repeats fully replace grades at your institution, finishing and retaking later can be acceptable. If it’s a gateway that would cascade delays, line up a summer or approved transfer equivalent now to stay on track. Also run the grade math from the syllabus and ask if pass/no pass, attending another section’s office hours, or department study halls are options.

Dropping that class could be the best decision ever, you'll crush the rest of your courses!

Skim the chapter first to collect the headings and bold terms and then write three questions you must answer. Read one subsection with a pencil, then close the book and blurt the key ideas and definitions on paper from memory. Check the text for gaps and fix your notes in a different color so you can see what was recall versus copy. Do this stop and blurt loop for the whole chapter in small chunks. End each session by making a one page summary from memory, no peeking, then verify and trim. Next day, redo the summary in five minutes and add only what you truly forgot. Two days later, test with a blank sheet and answer your three questions again. If accuracy is under eighty percent, reread only the missed parts and retest. Use the same process on practice problems or end of chapter questions and write out answers cold. This is simple active recall plus spaced repetition, and it works.