Many smart, motivated students walk out of their first Calculus 1 exam thinking:

“Maybe I’m just not a math person.”

After 25 years of teaching university mathematics, I can tell you the truth:

Students don’t struggle in Calculus 1 because they aren’t intelligent enough.
They struggle because Calculus requires study habits that most students have never been taught.

The good news is this:

Calculus is learnable.

With the right preparation and the right strategy, you can succeed — even if you didn’t feel confident the first time.

This article explains exactly how to pass Calculus 1 by building the foundations and study habits that lead to long-term success.

Weak Algebra Skills Are the #1 Reason Students Struggle in Calculus 1

Math professors say it all the time:

“Students don’t fail Calculus — they fail the Algebra in Calculus.”

Here’s why:

• The calculus step (like using the Power Rule) often takes one line.

• The algebra afterward — simplifying, factoring, handling fractions, manipulating exponents — might take five more.

If your algebra foundation is shaky, every calculus concept becomes harder than it needs to be.

How to Fix This

Spend just 15–20 minutes a day strengthening key precalculus skills such as:

• exponent rules

• algebraic simplification

• factoring

• rational expressions

• basic trigonometry

When algebra becomes second nature, calculus becomes dramatically easier to understand.

Watching Someone Solve a Problem Is Not the Same as Solving It Yourself

One of the biggest traps in Calculus 1 is mistaking familiarity for mastery.

You watch your professor solve an example, it makes sense, and you think:

“Yeah, I get it.”

But recognizing a solution is very different from producing it independently.

The Blank Sheet Test

You truly understand a concept only when you can solve a problem on a completely blank sheet of paper:

• no notes

• no videos

• no solution manual

• no hints

If you can’t get from start to finish on your own, you’re not exam-ready yet — and that is exactly what practice is for.

Calculus Is a Doing Subject, Not a Reading Subject

In many college courses, students can succeed by rereading the textbook or highlighting notes.

Calculus does not work that way.

You learn calculus by doing problems, not by recognizing steps someone else took.

Don’t Just Review — Rework

Instead of rereading your notes:

• redo example problems from scratch

• practice until the steps feel natural

• focus on solving, not recognizing

When you miss a problem, don’t just look at the answer and move on.

Redo the entire problem yourself.

That repetition builds real mathematical skill.

Understanding Beats Memorizing

Many students try to memorize a “recipe” for every type of problem.

But Calculus is too broad for memorization alone.

Instead of only asking, “Which rule do I use?” ask:

• What does this derivative represent? (rate of change)

• What does this integral measure? (accumulated change)

• Why does this method work here?

When you understand the “why,” formulas become tools — not burdens.

Consistency Matters More Than Cramming

Calculus builds on itself every week.

If you feel lost on Monday, Wednesday’s material will feel even harder.

Cramming before a test does not work well in math because you are building skills, not memorizing facts.

The Best Study Strategy for Calculus 1

Thirty minutes a day of focused practice is far more effective than a 10-hour cram session the weekend before the exam.

Consistency leads to retention.
Retention leads to success.

If You Didn’t Pass Calculus 1 the First Time, You Can Still Succeed

Not passing Calculus 1 the first time is not a sign that you don’t belong in STEM.

It usually means:

• your algebra foundation needs strengthening

• your study habits weren’t matched to the subject

• you weren’t getting enough independent practice

Calculus is not a gift.

Calculus is a skill.
And skills can be built.

Thousands of students succeed the second time and go on to thrive — and you can too.

Free Calculus 1 Help: Step-by-Step Videos and Worked Examples

If you’re ready to stop memorizing and start understanding, I’ve created a full library of free, clear, step-by-step Calculus 1 lessons, including:

• limits

• derivatives

• integrals

• applied problems

• worked example solutions

Explore the complete free Calculus 1 video series here:

https://www.understandthemath.com/calculus

If you’re unsure where to begin, start with the first video — the series builds everything from the ground up.

Final Encouragement

You don’t need to be a “math genius” to pass Calculus 1.

You need:

• solid algebra foundations

• consistent practice

• productive study habits

• time to truly learn the material

And you are absolutely capable of all of that.