December 2006 Newsletter is out

Thanksgiving is over... Every year I swear I won't overindulge, and every year I end up over-turkeyed, over-pied, and sprawled out on the couch. This year was no different in that regard. Finals are almost here too, and that's more pressure than I care for -- just like last year.

What is different, though, is a new look for College-Cram. Acting on your many suggestions, we've reorganized the subject pages to reflect the Learn, Practice, and Review approach and made it easier to find relevant articles. We also gave the overall layout a fresher look. I hope you enjoy it!

Still struggling to breathe,
Professor Cram

Twelve Days of Finals

'Tis the season for proving to your instructor that you've paid attention this semester and maybe learned something, so we composed a "twelve final exam gifts" into a holiday song for your amusement. Enjoy!

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Seven Keys to Getting Better Grades

It would be outstanding if you could mix a few chemicals and make a potion that would get you better grades. Unfortunately, those of us not named Harry Potter can't rely on magic -- we need to work at it.

Fortunately, there are some best practices that will help you do better next semester. Make these seven keys your New Year's resolution and you'll have a better report card come springtime.

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End-of-Semester Survey

This semester we transformed College-Cram.com into the free study resource that students have been clamoring for. In order to help keep it a free and growing resource, we ask that you take a minute to fill out this survey to help us keep helping you. Thanks!

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Ask Professor Cram: Finding Unit Sales

Dear Professor Cram:
When annual sales, variable cost, contribution margin, fixed costs, and operating income are all known, how can the number of units be determined?

Elias, Baker College

Thanks for your question, Elias.
The categories you mention are actually more information than is required, but that is not unusual in word problem assignments. I am going to show how to do it using my own example, since you didn't give me a specific problem to solve. Here is my example - let's say:

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Ask Professor Cram: Using the Sine Function

Dear Professor Cram:
An escalator is 152 feet in length rises to a platform and makes a 30 degree angle with ground. Find the height of the platform using a trigonometry equation.

Ekta, Middlesex Community College

The problem you describe is a classic sine function equation. Imagine the platform at the top of a right triangle...

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