If you’re currently taking MATH 152 TAMU, you already know — this isn’t just another math class. MATH 152 TAMU (Engineering Mathematics II) is where a lot of Aggie engineering students hit their first real wall. Sequences, series, and improper integrals have ended more GPAs than I can count. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Haven’t taken MATH 151 yet?
Start with our guide on How to Pass MATH 151 at TAMU — it covers the foundation you need before diving into Calc 2. Most MATH 152 struggles come from gaps left in 151.
What MATH 152 TAMU Actually Covers
MATH 152 (Engineering Mathematics II) picks up where 151 left off. The big topics:
- Techniques of integration (u-substitution, integration by parts, trig substitution, partial fractions)
- Applications of integrals (area between curves, volume of solids, arc length)
- Improper integrals
- Sequences and infinite series (this is where people start hurting)
- Power series and Taylor series
- Vector algebra and solid analytic geometry
The first half of the course is doable for most students who passed 151. The series section in the second half? That’s where the semester gets real.
Why Students Fail MATH 152 at TAMU
The course moves fast. You get three common exams and a final, and each one requires you to know a lot of distinct skills — not just one big concept like in some other courses.
The biggest mistake: students study by reading their notes and watching examples. That feels like studying. It isn’t. Math doesn’t work that way. You have to do problems yourself, get them wrong, figure out why, and try again. There’s no shortcut around this.
The second biggest mistake: falling behind in the series unit and thinking it’ll work itself out. It won’t. Series builds on itself, and if you don’t understand convergence tests by week 10, you’re going to struggle with power series in week 12.
What Actually Works
Amy Austin’s Videos
If you haven’t found these yet, go find them now. Amy Austin is a TAMU math professor who has put together video lessons for MATH 151 and 152 that are genuinely excellent. The approach she uses works for a lot of students who don’t connect with how things are explained in lecture.
The way to use them: watch a section, pause when she gets to a problem, try it yourself before she works through it, then compare your approach to hers. Passive watching won’t help much — you have to engage.
The Old Common Exams
The Department of Mathematics posts past common exams on the MATH 152 course page. These are gold. The format of the real exam is two parts: multiple choice (no partial credit) and worked problems (partial credit possible). Closed book, no notes, no calculator.
Do the old exams under real conditions. Sit down, set a timer for two hours, and work through the whole thing without looking anything up. Then check your answers and dig into every mistake. This is more valuable than any other single thing you can do.
One important note: the specific topics on each exam can shift from semester to semester. Your instructor will tell you what’s covered on each exam — use the old exams for problem practice, not as your definitive guide to what’s on yours.
Week in Review Sessions
TAMU runs Week in Review sessions for MATH 152 TAMU. These are worth going to. They’re run by instructors or TAs and walk through problems similar to what you’ll see on the exam. If you’re going to skip class somewhere (which I don’t recommend), don’t skip Week in Review.
The Math Learning Center
The MLC offers tutoring for MATH 152. It’s free, it’s on campus, and the tutors know the material. If you have a specific problem you’re stuck on, go in and work through it with them. Don’t wait until you’re completely lost — go when you’re slightly confused. That’s the right time.
Integration Techniques: A Quick Roadmap
Most students struggle with picking the right integration technique. Here’s a rough decision tree:
- Can you do it directly? (simple power rule, basic trig integrals) → do it.
- Is there an obvious substitution? (a function and its derivative inside) → u-sub.
- Is it a product of two different types of functions? (polynomial × exponential, polynomial × trig) → integration by parts.
- Does it involve √(a² – x²), √(a² + x²), or √(x² – a²)? → trig substitution.
- Is it a rational function (polynomial over polynomial)? → partial fractions.
Building this instinct takes practice. The first few times you do mixed practice sets where you don’t know which method to use, it’ll feel chaotic. That’s normal. Keep going.
Surviving the Series Section
Here’s the deal with series: you have to know your convergence tests cold, and you have to know when to use each one. The tests you’ll use most:
- Divergence Test — do this first, always. If the limit of the terms isn’t zero, it diverges. Done.
- Geometric Series — know the formula and when it applies.
- p-Series — know the rule (converges if p > 1).
- Integral Test — useful for series where the terms match a nice function.
- Comparison Test / Limit Comparison Test — for series that look like things you already know.
- Ratio Test — very useful for factorial or exponential terms. This one will save you a lot of time on exams.
- Alternating Series Test — for series that alternate sign.
Make yourself a study sheet with each test, what it applies to, and an example. Then drill them with practice problems until choosing the right test feels automatic.
The Week Before Each Exam
- Day 7: Do a full old exam untimed. Write down every problem type you struggled with.
- Day 5: Focus review on exactly those weak spots. Watch Amy Austin videos on those topics, do extra problems.
- Day 3: Do another old exam, timed.
- Day 1: Light review — go through your formula sheet and do a couple of problems to stay warm. No cramming new material.
The night before: sleep. Seriously. A tired brain on a math exam is a recipe for careless errors on problems you actually know how to do.
If You’re Struggling Right Now
If you’re in week eight and you feel lost, it’s not too late. I’ve helped students go from a D to a C+ with three weeks of focused work. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s possible if you put the time in.
I offer MATH 152 TAMU tutoring in College Station and online. We work through old exams together, target the specific gaps in your understanding, and get you a realistic plan for the rest of the semester. Schedule a session here.
Quick Summary
- Do Amy Austin’s videos — and work problems alongside her, don’t just watch
- Use old common exams early and often, under real exam conditions
- Go to Week in Review; use the MLC
- Build an integration decision tree and drill it
- Learn convergence tests cold — don’t leave series to chance
- Start exam prep 7 days out, not 1
MATH 152 is hard. But it’s also very learnable if you approach it the right way. The students who struggle most are usually the ones who practiced the method of “study by re-reading” — and that just doesn’t work in calculus.
For official course info, check the TAMU Math Department.
Also taking Physics?
Most engineering students take MATH 152 alongside PHYS 218. Read that guide too — the two courses share a lot of conceptual overlap and you can study smarter by connecting them.
Need help with MATH 152 TAMU? I tutor all TAMU calculus courses in College Station and online. Contact me or book a session directly.
