<p>Which book has a better math section? Which book would I see the fastest improvements to my math score? Thanks for info.</p>
<p>Which is better with the sat math section and would give you the fastest improvement within a month?</p>
<p>Use Grubers.</p>
<p>Really, I'd say use your school textbook EXCESSIVELY. Like do every other problem in your textbook. That way, you'll understand math, you'll understand your school math hw, you'll do better in your math class. It's a triple-win situation. Any book that has loads of math problems is an excellent one.</p>
<p>As for CR and Writing, I beg to differ.</p>
<p>dolcevalse, you seem to have minimal knowledge about SAT Math</p>
<p>Sure it easy topics like algebra, geometry, and algebra II, but ETS uses these topic to a "whole nother lvl". Knowing just the formulas will not get you anywhere with the SAT. You have to know how to manipulate it.</p>
<p>So basically, high school math =/= SAT Math.</p>
<p>In terms of a math review (e.g. lessons on probability, forgotten algebra, etc.) use Grubers. However, I'm using RR and some of the techniques presented are simply ingenious.</p>
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Really, I'd say use your school textbook EXCESSIVELY.
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<p>This is really bad advice, at least for the SAT (doing textbook problems is fine for math class, not for the SAT). You want to do as little math as possible on the SAT and as much thinking as possible. More math/calculations = more opportunities for stupid mistakes and more time wasted. For the easier math problems on the SAT, go for the simple calculations. But if you find that you're setting up a system of three equations for any SAT problem, there's definitely a shortcut.</p>
<p>^ couldn't agree with him more</p>
<p>i guess i improperly assumed that you would develop a good sense of mathematical thinking after you learn math properly from a textbook or on your own. being a self studier, i've found that doing many questions from my precalc textbook in freshman year helped me see connections in mathematics much more easily.</p>
<p>so you can either study for the sat or actually learn math. simply put.</p>
<p>good one dolcevalse</p>
<p>both books are just a bunch of questions. while they help, if u really wanna do well u need to have good problem solving skills and such skills are developed by extensive work</p>
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[quote]
i guess i improperly assumed that you would develop a good sense of mathematical thinking after you learn math properly from a textbook or on your own. being a self studier, i've found that doing many questions from my precalc textbook in freshman year helped me see connections in mathematics much more easily.</p>
<p>so you can either study for the sat or actually learn math. simply put.
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</p>
<p>Learn math "properly" from a textbook? Right... If you want to actually learn math and not memorize a bunch of formulas and apply them to recipe problems, get a copy of any AoPS book. Chances are your school textbook sucks.</p>
<p>^ I couldn't agree more.</p>
<p>^I couldn't agree more with your agreement.</p>
<p>Yeah... whoever it was that said to use your school textbook is wrong. the SAT does not test school math. get that into your head right now. There is no point in studying out of a precalc textbook for something that you probably learned in 7th grade. I would go with Gruber's. Remember, it's not the question itself. It's how they test it.</p>
<p>but there are other maths text books for schools, which cover only maths problems like the ones in the SAT</p>
<p>How does barrons and rr math compare to Dr chungs?</p>
<p>PWN the SAT is all you need for math section.</p>
<p>If you find yourself doing a lot of calculations that resemble school math problems the SAT, you’re probably not doing it right. There is always a fairly simple solution. The kids who do well, do so because they see the simplicity of the problems. I can’t count how often I’ve shown a kid a solution only to have them ask, " Is it really that easy?" And I always reply, “It really is that easy.” </p>
<p>I have yet to see an SAT problem that asked for the distance between two points that actually required the use of the distance formula, for instance, because what they’re really trying to find out is if you know that said formula is based on the Pythagorean theorem. So they’ll give you a simple 3.4.5 triangle to work with.</p>
<p>They only test the most basic concepts and never in a way that school does. One of my personal favorite questions was the last on a section. It asked: If 4506^x = y, what is the greatest possible value for y-x? Some kids with Cs in precalc can answer this without looking up from Assassin’s Creed because they look for the easiest possible numbers that will work. ( If x is 1, then y is 4506 and y-x=4505 ) I’ve had other kids with 5s on AP calc bring out complicated techniques only to stumble.</p>
<p>Forget school math. It generally does a horrible job of teaching concepts. Remember, if it’s hard, you’re probably doing it wrong. Think about what the expression or picture in front of you MEANS. As for the geometry, all you need to know that you didn’t learn in 7th grade is in that little box at the beginning of the test. Look for places to use them.</p>
<p>Sorry, I didn’t answer the question. I like Pwn the SAT with one exception: it recommends drawing pictures and making lists for combination and permutations. The SAT only gives fairly basic questions like this and the math behind them is pretty intuitive if you stay away from all that stupid notation they make you use in school. Work a few problems by drawing pictures and see if you can’t figure out the math behind it.</p>
<p>@neatoburrito what you said is very true.</p>
<p>dude hes not saying to study for the sat using your school math textbook; hes saying that if you learn math the regular way, and put time/energy into it, the sat math will come</p>