<p>This is my third Calculus I class I'm taking which includes high school and college. But my math background is still poor and I make mistakes on exams and don't do as well even though I did similar problems before.</p>
<p>Any tips to improve my bad math background before I graduate in a couple years and apply to grad school?</p>
<p>Why do you want to go to grad school for statistics?</p>
<p>Your school probably has resources available such as tutoring or online help. Check them out. You need to understand the concepts behind calculus…read all the proofs and derivations in your textbook and talk to your prof/TA during office hours if you don’t understand something.</p>
<p>Your third Calculus I class? I’d say give up because you’re only going to take harder classes. Much harder. Perhaps, though, proofs could be your cup of tea. As a math major I have to take two stats classes (applied probability theory and applied stats) and we’re doing a lot of integrals right now in probability. </p>
<p>My advice: You should know how to do derivatives cold. That is the easiest thing ever. Integration? Practice, practice, practice. Knowing integration by parts is a must. You’re also going to have to learn how to code. </p>
<p>You don’t have to be perfect…just pass the class and move onto the others, put a ton of your time into knowing what you do forwards and backwards.</p>