Keeping Up With Math

When I had Calculus AB in high school, we didn't dismiss what had been covered in previous subjects, but rather I remember bringing many concepts together in single problems.

You must mind your algebra in calculus just as you would in algebra, for instance in taking derivatives of long rational functions, it's easy to get lost in all the terms. I also remember in particular the algebra in limits of functions over h as h approached zero. All the related rates we did required geometric knowledge. As far as trig. functions, you must learn to take derivatives and integrals of those as well, but in trig itself I admit I could use a lengthy review.

However, that doesn't mean we kept reading our geometry textbooks along with calculus. Area of a kite? Something about the diagonals, I can't remember. I can look that up. I have no need for memorizing things that are printed in countless reference books. To give another example, chemists don't have memorized the melting and freezing points for all the elements, it's just something you can easily look up when you need it.

As far as doing x number of problems every day, I can't argue with that as being a way of keeping sharp. Being good at anything is all about practice.

Well my method is no doubt strange. I took AP Calculus AB this year got straight A's and got a 5 on the final test (highest mark). I never studied for a single test except for the final. I only did homework sometimes and even then it was incomplete. I understood the math better than anyone in my class however. The moral? There is no right method for math especially because there many mental intangibles involved. For some they have to read and practice and study, other just have to pay attention in class and soak up the knowledge. I have not actually TOTALLY forgotten any fo the math I have learned over the years be in algebra, geometry, or calculus, although certain aspects, particularly geometry, are not so fresh in my mind.

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Thank you all for sharing and answering my question.