Study Aid Review: The Humongous Book of Calculus Problems

 

This book is mostly a problems repository. Like the author's other "humongous" books, from chapter 1 it starts giving you problems with very little setup. It does have a chapter introduction page, but then it just starts in with example problems. But, unlike some of the other guides out there that have just a ton of example problems in them, the author does weave in the explanation of the theory in the form of margin notes that are added to explain how to tackle/solve the problems. Along with the theory, the author gives you tips for solving different problem types, advice on things to look out for, and marks the hardest kinds of problems with a skull and cross bones, which I think are good problems to go over before your exams.

The book is good in that it does not just dive into the calculus material. The first 8 chapters (about 120 pages or so) are a review of algebra and trigonometry, making sure you have the fundamentals down in case you need to brush up on them, and then it gets into the calculus material. The calculus material covers all of the topics that you will be exposed to in the first year of calculus (which in most schools is split up into two semesters, one focusing on derivatives and one focusing on integration), starting with limits and ending with using integration techniques on sequences and series problems.  It also goes over the introduction to differential equations that students usually get in the second semester, and has good examples for solving related rates problems and optimization problems. 

This does not cover multivariable calculus, linear algebra, or the more complicated differential equations problems you will get in later classes if you need to go beyond Calc I and II. This will, however, definitely help you get through the first year of calculus, especially if you have a hard time understanding your textbook and/or your teacher. 

Product Review: GemRed Plastic Multi-Function Angle Finder

 

This is marketed as usable for physical therapy to figure out range of motion. What I used it for, and what I personally think is the best use for it is for math and/or engineering students who want to use it to draw accurate angles in their notes or on homework. If you are in geometry, trigonometry, or engineering classes like statics or dynamics or any similar classes in which you are going to be working with angles a lot, it is very helpful to keep the lines and angles in your work looking nice. I would not describe it as something that is absolutely necessary for a student but definitely can come in handy.

Textbook Review: Stewart's Calculus 6th Edition

 

This is the textbook that was required for my first two semesters of calculus when I was working on my electrical engineering degree. Then, in my multivariable calculus and differential equations classes, we switched to different books. The multivariable calculus book I had to use was not worth the paper it was printed on and my differential equations textbook, while better than that, was not all that easy to follow. 

This version of the book covers all levels of calculus including multivariable calculus and differential equations (there are also versions that just cover the single variable calculus material and versions that just cover the multivariable calculus material). I got this because I still tutor from time to time and need to keep up with the material. This, of all the math books I used, was one of the better ones, but not the best. It does give a decent breakdown of the theory in the chapter text and has good chapter summaries. It does fall into the trap that many math and engineering textbooks do in that the examples in the chapter text only help with the easiest problems, but if you get assigned something from the end of the problem set, you do not have a lot of guidance. 

So, I would definitely pair this book with something like Schaum's outline of Calculus, which definitely explains some of the theory better than the book does. But, the book makes a decent presentation of the theory and provides some useful examples, which is more than some other books do. It is not perfect, but if you pair it with a study guide or two with more worked examples, you can learn from this.

Textbook Review: Engineering Statistics 5th Edition

 

This is basically a statistics textbook with examples and problems that are geared more toward engineering contexts than what you would see in a statistics class in a pure math curriculum. Like many textbooks, it falls into the trap of giving you the basic theory for the various concepts and showing you a couple of easier examples, then giving you a problem set with a bunch of problems that are harder than the examples in the chapter. Many of the problems require the use of statistical software (in my class we used MiniTab), but the book is not really keyed to any particular software program and as a result, does not give anything more than basic instructions about how to approach those kinds of problems.

Overall, I would say the book is okay, but not great. To be honest I hated stats in general and had to really grit my teeth to get through it. I would not say that this is something you can easily teach yourself from. It explains some concepts well, but others, not so much. For example, I never did understand ANOVA no matter how many times I read the chapter text. Most people are going to get this because it is required for a class they are taking, in which case you are going to have to get it regardless. If you are looking for something to learn stats from I would definitely look for a non-textbook study aid.

Product Review: Texas Instruments Nspire CX CAS Graphing Calculator

 

basically give you exact answers to almost any kind of mathematical function. Of course, it does not show the work, so if you are taking a class, you still have to learn how to do the problems, but it is helpful for checking your work. The display is much, much better than the display on the TI-89. It does utilize the same kind of "stack" but it is much brighter and easier to see. And some things, like derivatives, integrals, and matrices are much easier to set up on the Nspire than they are on the TI-89. Another good feature is that you can have multiple windows open and go back and forth between them. Probably not something you would need for an exam (assuming your teacher allows you to use it), but it can be helpful when doing homework. Many teachers will not let you because this can also store PDF files (if you use the computer software that comes with it) so you could take a cheat sheet into an exam that is closed book, closed notes.

There are a few issues that I discovered along the way. The menus can be a pain in the butt to navigate unless you are using one of the common math functions. For example, the statistics material is hard to find and access. Second, you pretty much have to go to YouTube to figure out how to do things on it because it does not come with a manual that helps at all. And, doing some things like changing from Radian to Degree mode that is relatively easy on TI's other calculators like the 84 plus, and the 89, is tricky on the Nspire. Also, there is a very deceptive mode that is on one of the settings screens that says something like "press to test". At first glance, it looks like it would run some kind of diagnostic on the calculator, but what it really does is put the calculator into test mode which turns off most of the CAS functions, and getting the calculator out of test mode is very complicated, so much so that it is not worth ever activating. Basically, you need access to a second calculator that is not in test mode to connect to and go through a bunch of steps with the calculators connected to each other. So, if your teacher allows you to use the calculator on exams, but only if it is in the test mode, you are far better off using a non-CAS calculator. Also, on some of the derivative and integral solutions, it gives answers that are simplified differently than "normal" so it can be hard to check your answers. That said, one thing it can really do well is triple integrals in which you are integrating over dr, but also have r as a limit of integration. This is something that is done quite a bit in an Electric and Magnetic fields class (if you are an electrical engineering major). The TI-89 will throw an error, but the Nspire can actually calculate it.

Overall, I would say that if you are just taking lower-level math classes, then this is overkill. If however, you are going into an engineering program this will make your life much easier once you learn how to use the functions you need quickly. I cannot really say how it stacks up against any of the other CAS calculators (aside from the TI-89) out there. I know that some people love TI and some people hate TI, to the extent of breaking out in hilariously dumb arguments. But, I can tell you that you will probably not ever use every single operation the calculator is capable of, but if you are in an engineering program, it will help.

Textbook Review: Engineering Economic Analysis 11th Edition

 

This is a book for an engineering economics class, which you will be stuck taking regardless of what branch of engineering you major in. It basically covers how to value property, determine the life of assets, making business decisions based on an economic analysis of one choice over another, or inaction version taking some action, etc. I found the class mind-numbingly boring which definitely skewed my opinion of the book. Overall, I think the book does a decent job explaining the concepts but falls into the trap that many math and engineering books do (although there are some things that it does gloss over a bit). Namely, the examples in the chapter text show you how to do the most basic problems but give little or no help when solving the more advanced problems. And, of course, the answer key in the back only gives you the answers for some of the problems, so it is hard to check yourself.

So, I would say that it is a pretty standard textbook in what it does and does not give you. It is not the best textbook I have used and not the worst. Realistically, you are going to be stuck with it if your teacher assigns it, but you will likely not be able to learn everything you need to know for the class just by reading the book.

Study Aid Review: The Linear Algebra Tutor - Volume 2

 

This is the second of a two-volume course on Linear Algebra that, when combined with the previously released Matrix Algebra Tutor (that covers the introduction to Matrix Algebra students generally see in College Algebra and the first couple of lectures in a Linear Algebra course) will cover about 80-90 percent of what you will need to know for an Introduction to Linear Algebra (or equivalent) course. The set starts out going over the various types of transformation matrices (which get used in computer science/software engineering), the rank and cofactors of a matrix, and the multiple ways of finding the determinants of a matrix (determinants are used in many upper-level engineering courses), finding a cross product of two vectors using determinants, and then ends with several lessons on eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Those lessons provide the most straightforward explanation I have seen for what eigenvalues and eigenvectors are, and why they are helpful.

As is the case with Jason's previous courses, he goes through many examples, step-by-step, explaining things as he goes along. He also provides a recap of every problem after he is finished solving it. The drawback, as always, is that you are limited to the examples that he shows, and he does not address every single topic that one is likely to see in class. He does encourage people to work the problems on their own after he has solved them to make sure people are retaining knowledge of what they have watched. But, this is truly a supplement to, not a replacement for, class lectures. If you are just trying to learn the material on your own, then this will give you a good overview of the main topics on the subject. If you are planning to go on to take any higher-level engineering classes you will use at least some linear algebra techniques in multiple classes. So, if you learn best by seeing example problems worked out, this is a very good study aid.

Study Aid Review: The Linear Algebra Tutor - Volume 1

 

This is the first of a two-volume set on Linear Algebra that Jason has put out (in addition to his Matrix Algebra tutor, which contains the introduction to Matrix algebra that students generally get in a college algebra course). In this set, Jason does a quick review of the introductory material and then gets into the content that you will get at the beginning of an introduction to linear algebra course (sometimes called elementary linear algebra or something like that). After going through the "basics" such as n-tuples, matrix arithmetic and multiplication, the dot product, and how vectors and matrices are related, he has several sections on solving systems of equations using both row-reduction methods and using inverse matrices. The second method will be used a lot in engineering courses as multiple classes (like Statics, Dynamics, Circuits, etc.) all require solving systems of equations, which is much easier when using inverse matrices.

To be clear, this set (and even combined with volume 2) does not cover 100% of what you will see in class. They do cover the big topics, but they are meant to be a study aid, not a replacement for going to class. This is best for people who are visual learners who learn best by watching examples. Obviously, you cannot interact via DVD, just rewatch and hope the concepts sink in. But, it is much less expensive than using a live tutor. So, there is a bit of a tradeoff. If used correctly, these will absolutely help you learn the material, and if you are taking a class, will help you boost your grade.

Study Aid Review: The Laplace Transform Tutor

 

Laplace Transforms are mainly used as a technique for solving some types of differential equations. If you are a math major and have to take differential equations as a semester-long class you will definitely see it there, and if you are an engineering major that has to take the intro to differential equations class (either as a separate class from intro to linear algebra or in a class that combines the two) you will usually have a couple of lectures on Laplace transforms. If you get good instruction on how to do problems involving Laplace Transforms they are not all that hard. If however, your instructor just glosses over them, they can be very tricky.

In this set, Jason introduces the concept of Laplace Transforms, how to derive the basic transforms, then provides a table of transforms (which is generally what you will be allowed to use in class if you need the more advanced transforms). Then he solves a bunch of problems using the Laplace Transforms, including solving several differential equations. As he does in his other math and science sets, Jason goes through everything step-by-step. He does assume that you have the math skills needed to be at this point (so having taken algebra, pre-calc, and calculus I and II). He does not do a recap of the math, but since he rarely skips steps in solving problems (and never does in the first couple of examples he shows on a topic) you do get a bit of a refresher anyway.

Laplace Transforms is a topic that will come up at least a few times depending on what branch of science or engineering you go into. I was an electrical engineering major and I definitely had to use it extensively in one of my higher-level classes and a bit lighter in a couple of other classes. Unfortunately, I did not have a good grasp on the topic after my Calc 4 class (which is where I was introduced to the topic), so I got this to really figure it out. So, if you are a visual learner who learns best by watching sample problems being worked out, this is a great study aid.

Study Aid Review: The Unit Conversion Tutor - 4 Hour Course

 

This is, in my opinion, one of the most important sets that Jason has put out, and one of the most important topics to learn if you plan on getting a science or engineering degree. Unit conversion/Dimensional Analysis is something that you will absolutely use in classes like chemistry, physics, and nearly every engineering class you take. In some classes, it is used more than others, but it is something that you will see all throughout your studies. In most chemistry and physics books, the very first chapter is devoted to the concept, but very few teachers ever lecture on that chapter or assign problems from it. Instead, students are expected to figure it out and be able to follow what the teacher is doing when going through example problems that require converting units. The problem is that the chapters in the books tend to make things way more complicated than they need to be and discuss the most obscure units that you will never see in a "real" problem. This is where Jason's set is extremely helpful and useful.

Jason starts out discussing Scientific Notation, then gets into the Metric System and SI Units, which is the foundational system of units that will be used in every single class. Then the lessons go into, Unit Conversions Involving Length, Unit Conversions Involving Area, Unit Conversions Involving Volume, Unit Conversions Involving Speed, and Unit Conversions Involving Mass and Weight. All of those will be essential to solving physics problems and the last topic is also used extensively in chemistry. The final lesson is on Unit Conversions Involving Density, which is mostly used in chemistry, but will come up in physics and classes like engineering thermodynamics as well.

The reason I say that this is one of the most important topics is that if you know how to do it well, you will reduce the number of mistakes that you make on homework problems, quizzes, and exams, and it will always lead you to the correct answer because your answer always has to be in the correct units by the end of the problem. If you do the unit conversions first, you will save yourself a lot of time when working out problems and it will be a lot easier to figure out if you have made a mistake and find the mistake. So, this is a topic that is essential to learn well and be able to do quickly. Nothing that Jason shows here is extremely complex, but it is very helpful. I definitely recommend getting this if you want to learn any branch of science or engineering.

DVD/Study Aid Review: Texas Instruments TI-89 Calculator Tutor - Volume 2

 

This is the second volume of the TI89 calculator tutorial from Jason. This one covers things you will absolutely use in the latter portions of a pre-calculus class and throughout all levels of calculus and engineering. The first volume covered the stuff that is important to know when you are in algebra (where you likely will not be able to use the calculator because it can give you the answers to almost everything), but this one goes through calculating derivatives and integrals, working with vectors, creating and editing matrices (which will be used a lot if you go on to higher-level classes), and graphing parametric and polar equations. Jason also covers some of the statistics functions of the calculator, but honestly, if you have to take a statistics or data analysis class when it comes to making the plots, you are most likely going to use something like Excel or one of the Statistics-specific computer programs like Minitab to do your homework, so chances are you will not be relying on the calculator all that much. So, I think he could have focused less on the plots and more on the actual calculations. Then he finishes with a couple of sections on differential equations.

The TI89 is a calculator that a lot of people getting hard science or engineering degrees use because it is very powerful and can give exact answers. That is also why a lot of teachers will not let students use it. But, unless you get one of the programs (or figure out how to make your own) to show the exact steps, you still have to figure out how to work out the answer. But, if you know how to use this, you can use it on an exam to know the correct answer and use it to check your work or know what the answer to the problem should be while you do your work. This will help you get familiar with the major functions of the calculator, which is essential if you are going to use it efficiently.

Textbook Review: Linear Algebra and Its Applications, 4th Edition

 

This was one of the required books for my Calculus 4 class, which was a combination of an introduction to linear algebra and an introduction to differential equations. So, it was not a full course for either subject and as a result, we did not cover everything in this book. 

This is a pretty standard math book. It explains the theory fairly well and generally does not make it harder than necessary to learn the material. It gives a decent amount of examples, although, like all math textbooks, the examples tend to be of the "easier" problems, while the problem sets can get a lot more complicated. One thing that was a pain about the book is that many times in the answer key at the back, instead of giving an answer to an odd-numbered problem it will refer to the solution manual, so you could not even get the answer to the problem to see if you did the problem correctly.

Overall, I would say it is a decent book. It is not the best math book I had to use as I was getting my degree, but it is certainly not the worst. If you are trying to learn the material yourself, it will be a helpful reference, but you may want to get one of the study aid supplements out there to help you work through the problems.

Textbook Review: Differential Equations (Blanchard) Fourth Edition

 

This was the required book for my calculus 4 class which was a combination of linear algebra and differential equations. My professor did not actually use the book all that much so I honestly did not use it as much as I used other books in other classes. This is definitely a different kind of textbook. It does not really jump right into the theory and then problem sets like most books do. Instead, it almost reads like a novel, then starts getting into theory and examples, then has the problem sets after that. I am not exactly sure how I would have felt about that style had I needed to use the book more. In the differential equations portion of the class my professor basically taught from his own notes and made up his own problem sets (although he did use some problems from the book), so this was more ancillary to the class than the books I used in some of my other math. I remember thinking that it was kind of an odd way to set up a math book when I did read it until I discovered I could follow along with what my teacher was saying without having to consult the book. If you are in a class and your teacher does rely on the book heavily you may need to get some kind of study guide to go along with this, depending on how well you can understand how it presents the material.

DVD/Study Aid Review: The Calculus Differential Equations Tutor: Volume 2 - Higher Order Equations

 

This is the second volume of Jason's differential equations tutor. Like the first volume, Jason introduces the concept of higher-order differential equations, discusses how to identify them, and then goes through solving the basic/elementary problems. That material takes up most of disc one, then on discs two and three, Jason goes through Homogeneous and Non-homogeneous ordinary differential equations, and goes through several examples of the various ways to solve them (depending on the types of problems). I heartily disagree with the one-star reviewer on Amazon who says Jason talks too much and takes too long to get to the point. If you already understand the material, then yes, it can be a bit long. But, if you are just learning the material, or do not have a good grasp of the material, then Jason gives you as much background as you need to understand the concepts and talks through the process of how to solve them, explaining each step along the way. It would not work very well for Jason to just be silently going through the problems on the board and expect most people to follow what he is doing. That said, you do have to take your learning style into account, and decide whether watching what amounts to a modified college lecture will work for you and hold your attention.

Between this set and the first volume of the differential equations tutor, you will see much of what you will see in a basic differential equations class (which is usually the version of the class people in engineering programs take). Of course, it depends on your school and how it sets up the curriculum, but in many schools, there is a class that either combines linear algebra and differential equations (in my school it was called Calculus 4), or there will be two separate classes called basic linear algebra and basic differential equations. And, in some schools, the differential equations material gets split up so that some of it is taught in Calc 2 and the rest in Calc 4). So, if you are currently in school, you need to figure out how the classes are set up to know what class corresponds to this material.

The only large subject that a differential equations class includes that this, and the first set, do not, is Laplace Transforms. However, Jason did create a Laplace Transforms Tutor that can really be thought of as the third volume of this set. Differential equations do pop up to varying degrees in more advanced classes down the line, so you really do need to understand this material if you are going on to take engineering classes, which, chances are, the vast majority of people looking at this are going to do. Jason makes the concepts very understandable and gives you the tools necessary to understand how to tackle solving differential equations problems.

DVD/Study Aid Review: The Matrix Algebra Tutor: Linear Algebra

 

The title on Amazon tying this to Linear Algebra is a bit misleading. The cover of the DVD set saying it is a Matrix Algebra tutor is far more accurate. This material is what college students are often taught during a College Algebra class, usually about halfway to two-thirds of the way through the semester. It is the material that is often reviewed during the first couple of class sessions of a linear algebra course (which is often taken after calculus and in some schools in a class that combines linear algebra and differential equations into a single class) but is what students are mostly expected to already know by the time they get to that class.

This course introduces the concepts of Matrices, discusses adding and subtracting matrices, and then the various techniques used to "solve" the matrices, which are used throughout the higher-level science and engineering classes to solve systems of equations. It also discusses calculating the inverse of a Matrix and determinants of a Matrix, each of which is used over and over in engineering classes (at least in electrical engineering classes) when solving problems. So, getting a good handle on this material is critical if you plan on taking higher-level classes.

Jason teaches this material in the same style as his other tutor sets. He provides enough of the "explanatory" material that you need to understand the concept, and then goes through several problems, step-by-step, and explains each step of the process in detail. It is, however, just Jason standing in front of a whiteboard working out problems. It is not exciting or flashy, and obviously, you cannot interact with Jason during the lessons. So, you have to figure out if this fits your learning style. If you are a visual learner, then Jasson's material is some of the best out there.

Textbook Review: Calculus - Multivariable: Student Solution Manual

 

Getting a solution manual is always a mixed bag. If you rely on them too much you may not actually learn anything and will not be doing yourself any favors when it comes time to take an exam. However, Calculus III is probably the hardest class in the calculus sequence that anyone who wants to go into engineering or get a physics degree has to take, and the problems can be hard to figure out, especially if your teacher is not all that great. The textbook to which this solution manual is keyed is so useless and has so few examples, the solution manual is almost required to figure out how to do the problems. The book is not going to give you much guidance at all so the only way to quickly figure out how to do the problems without camping out in your professor's office during office hours is to use this.

The problem with this thing is that it only has solutions for some of the odd problems, and it does have some errors in it. And because it is a solution manual, it just shows the steps (although it does not always show every step, and sometimes omits crucial steps) and does not provide any explanation for why you have to do things a certain way. So, if you do not understand why the problems are being solved the way they are, you will still be lost. But, it will give you some worked-out examples to go off of which is better than nothing.

Textbook Review: Calculus Multivariable

 

I was forced to use this book for Calculus 3, and I must say it is the most god-awful waste of paper ever. Having gone through the entire calculus curriculum and earned an electrical engineering degree, I had to use a pretty wide variety of books and this was, by far, the worst of the bunch. The only good thing about it is that the authors were very direct, up front, that the book did not have many worked-out examples. In reality, it had almost no examples and provided very little guidance on how to approach anything but the most basic problems. The "explanatory" material was almost non-existent as well, sometimes amounting to a page and a half (or less) before you get to the problem set. The approach may have worked if the problem sets were limited to basic problems. But, many of the problems were so advanced that my teacher, who granted did not do much vetting of the problems when he chose exam questions, had to turn some of them into bonus questions because his solution when he was working out the answer key ended up taking five pages to work through.

So, if you have to use this book for class, look at it as a problems repository and if you have a good teacher, then just pay attention to the lectures. If you are looking for a book to teach yourself the material, run in the opposite direction far away from this one. If you need additional study aids, there are some good ones out there including the Calculus 3 Tutor DVDs, REA's Calculus III Essentials, the Schaum's outlines, etc. Any of those will provide much-needed context and guidance for how to solve the problems that this will not give you. Or, you can just look for things on YouTube and find a lot there, some of it better than others.

I do get the idea that the hand-holding and spoon-feeding should get reduced the farther you get into the curriculum. However, multivariable calculus is the most difficult class of the entire calculus sequence (even most professors admit that) so to write a book that basically just shows that you know how to work out the proofs is really not helpful to a student trying to learn the subject. So, I suggest avoiding this book at all costs if you can possibly do so. If you do have to use it, find a good study aid, ask lots of questions in class, and try to form a study group. I did all of those and managed to get an A in Calc III, but I gave up trying to read this to learn the material about three weeks into the semester.

DVD/Study Aid Review: Calculus 1: Extra Practice With Derivatives

 

The extra practice with derivatives course is a set that is really meant to flesh out the calculus 1 curriculum. It does provide exactly what it says, more examples of the various techniques of differentiation like the chain rule and the product rule, but it also expands on what was in Jason's first calculus set with lessons on implicit differentiation, derivatives of natural logs, natural exponents, general logs, general exponents, and related rates. Related rates are, along with optimization problems, the bane of most student's first semester of calculus. Related rates problems are not hard once you learn to set them up, but learning how to do so can be a big pain.

Like in his other tutorials, Jason solves the problems step-by-step, not only explaining what he is doing as he goes but also recapping the problems after he has worked them out. His presentation is not flashy. It is just him in front of a whiteboard working through examples. He does a great job of breaking down the problems and explaining the process to solve them. Of course, since it is a recorded tutorial, you cannot interact with him and ask questions, so you do have to be aware of what your style of learning is, and if this would fit. But, if you are a visual learner and can learn on your own to some extent, this is a great resource and will help anyone trying to learn calculus, whether you are taking a class, are going to be taking a class, or just trying to learn it on your own.

DVD/Study Aid Review: The Calculus 3 Tutor: Volume 2 - 11 Hour Course

 

This is the second volume of Jason's Calculus 3 tutor, and it basically covers the hard types of integrals you will be exposed to in class, triple integrals, line integrals, flux integrals, and the theorems that make them a bit easier like Green's Theorem and Stokes Theorem. This is definitely the hardest material in multivariable calculus, and if you are going into electrical engineering, a lot of this stuff will rear its ugly head again in a class called Electric and Magnetic Fields.

Jason breaks down all the topics in enough detail to understand the material and then does examples. He does at least a couple of examples per topic and goes step-by-step through the problems. It is a style of teaching the material that really works for me, and why, even though there are free sources out there, I don't mind paying for his material. But, you really do have to know what is conducive to your style of learning, especially since you cannot ask questions of, or otherwise interact with, a recorded video. But, if you are a visual learner and you can sit through a simulated college lecture with a guy in front of a whiteboard working on math problems, then this is a good option, especially if your teacher confuses you and you cannot make heads or tails of the book.

DVD/Study Aid Review: The Calculus 3 Tutor: Volume 1 - 10 Hour Course

 

Calculus 3, or multivariable calculus, is almost universally considered to be the hardest class in the calculus sequence, and even people who do well in the first year of calculus often struggle with it. And, it is even worse if you are stuck with a teacher who is not great and/or cannot make heads or tails of the book. I found Jason's material when I was returning to school to get an Electrical Engineering degree for which you have to take all of the calculus classes. I used this a lot to supplement my book (which was useless) and my class lectures (which were sometimes good, sometimes bad).

Jason has two volumes of his calc 3 tutor. This volume covers about the first quarter to the first third of the material you will see in class. It starts out with vectors, then gets into partial derivatives and multivariable functions, directional derivatives, gradients, and then double integrals. In my class, the first exam covered everything on this volume through the gradient material. It should always be noted that this is a supplement to, not a replacement for, going to class. Calc 3 has a lot of material and even with two volumes, Jason does not cover it all. While he does hit the "main" topics that you see in class, there is a lot to choose from and you can only figure out what your professor will emphasize if you go to class. While Jason tends to pick example problems that range from easy to moderately difficult, you may get stuck with a teacher like mine who often picked the most difficult problems for homework and exam problems. So, while this gave me a good foundation for the material, there is no way I could have just relied on this and done well in my class. You also need to have a handle on what your learning style is. This pretty much mimics a college lecture, but with less emphasis on the explanatory material and more emphasis on working example problems. That is definitely not going to fit everyone's learning style. But, if you are visual learner and like seeing problems worked out, this will definitely help you.