STEM+ Learning Academy

Academy Overview

This training course focuses on the learning and study processes for developing the conceptual knowledge and know-how (strategies and techniques) necessary to solve Princeton exam-level problems in STEM and other quantitative problem-solving courses (e.g. statistics classes). Learning how to solve these types of problems is both a key course goal and crucial to students’ grades. Typically, these problems are novel/unfamiliar to students, multi-faceted and complex requiring synthesis and application of conceptual knowledge and problem-solving techniques to figure out a creative approach to their solution. Being prepared to do this kind of problem-solving under exam conditions requires that students will have developed a deep conceptual understanding of the knowledge domain, acquired problem-solving strategies and techniques, and learned how utilize them no only flexibly and creatively, but also quickly yet accurately. 


To learn all this requires, in turn, that students get ‘in sync’ with instruction and align their learning and studying with it strategically. Students must effectively engage with and learn from the course as it is designed by their instructors (and sometimes go beyond course materials). You must effectively engage with lectures and the textbook (and other written materials) to make sense of them, refine your understandings in precepts and labs (particularly of problem-solving techniques), learn strategies and techniques from p-set problems (not merely complete them), and utilize other resources such as office hours, study groups, tutoring and on-line materials in purposeful ways. To organize and solidify different kinds of knowledge and prepare to apply it quickly and accurately to novel problems, students must study actively to organize and solidify their knowledge base and systematically practice solving authentic, complex problems so that they can accurately self-assess and fill gaps in their knowledge in preparation for exams.


In the sections below you will find the full course materials. These materials are designed for use within an in-person cohort (see note at top if you are interested in joining) but are available for you to explore on your own.

Academy Components