For most students, maths is a subject they could do without if given a choice. They would love to get better grades, but there’s a notion that it is almost impossible. Maths isn’t as difficult or as scary as it sounds. It just needs a little more dedication and focus, and you can be on your way to excellent grades.
The best thing about math is that once you get the hang of it, you won’t have any problem getting good grades going forward. If you’re adamant about improving your score in math, here are a few math study tips that will help:
Understand that math is a cumulative subject
Math is a cumulative subject. What you learn today is the foundation of something you’re going to learn tomorrow and so on. Everything you learn in math will be built on something you learnt in the past.
That means you have to attend as many classes as possible and start taking the subject seriously at the earliest possible time. This will allow you to build a strong foundation that will come in handy when you begin handling the more complex subjects. You always have to ensure you stay on top of your work at all times.
Practice, practice and practice some more!
It’s not enough to learn the chapters in class. You also have to keep practising them and solving related problems to understand and internalise the concepts fully. Constant practice ensures you always keep your mind sharp and well prepared at all times.
Try and dedicate a few hours of your day to solving different math problems. Even when you’re working on other subjects, slip in a bit of maths, so you don’t lag behind.
Start by solving examples
You never want to start by solving complex problems because they can quickly make you feel frustrated and the subject even more. Instead, try and focus on solving examples, especially when you have just started on the chapter. This way, you’re not discouraged, and you give yourself more time to understand the concept as you slowly transition into complex problems.
Don’t lose touch with the basics
As mentioned earlier, math is a cumulative subject. You rely on the basics learned in the past to solve complex problems in the future. That means touching base once in a while is just as important as trying to understand the exciting and new concepts. You need to keep your foundation strong, which means practising sums from selected chapters in your previous years, so your basics are always sharp.
Learn from your mistakes
When you’re working with different problems, you’re going to make mistakes. Work through the process for each solution. If you have made mistakes, review them and understand how you made a mistake. This will make you more vigilant and help you avoid the same mistake in the future. It’s an excellent way of becoming stronger and improving your mathematical skills.
Create a distraction-free study environment
A quality math revision session requires a distraction-free environment that allows you to focus and concentrate on the task at hand. This is more so when dealing with complex problems like geometry, trigonometry and algebra.
For some students, background music can create a soothing and relaxing atmosphere that stimulates information retention.
Create a mathematical dictionary
Maths has numerous terminologies and vocabularies. Sometimes going through previous notes can take valuable revision time and can be frustrating. Instead, you can create flashcards or notes that are easily accessible and detail all this information in an easy-to-find manner. Include the meaning and some samples where necessary.
Consider hiring an online tutor
If you feel you can’t improve your math scores alone, maths tutors are an excellent resource. With a tutor, you have a dedicated professional that will help identify potential problem areas and come up with ways to help you improve.
