How do you study for math?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>I’ve basically got study systems down for every subject except for math. Right now I’m taking precalc and I don’t do well on the tests. I do all my homework and do fine on quizzes, so I can scrape a B, but I really want to get a high B or A this quarter. </p>

<p>I’m a freshman, and my teacher is very different than any previous ones: we get note sheets with sample problems, and he does them on the board. I try to take notes on the process, but it’s really hard to do that and stay caught up with whatever he’s doing in the problem. Generally, I feel like I understand what he does in class, but on tests I’m confused.</p>

<p>I have a test on Wednesday. We got a review packet, but we don’t really have a textbook we use. How do you guys study? Do you have any tips?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Do lots of problems.</p>

3

<p>Khanacademy. That dude makes everything make sense <3</p>

4

<p>Practice problems could be useful, just to remember the methods/equations used.
If you don’t understand it well enough to feel comfortable doing the problems, SparkNotes and the Khan Academy are good for explaining math. I’ve found these websites: [Precalculus[/url</a>] [url=&lt;a href=“http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/Precalculus.topicArticleId-10792.html]Precalculus[/url”&gt;http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/Precalculus.topicArticleId-10792.html]Precalculus[/url</a>] [url=&lt;a href=“http://www.brightstorm.com/math/precalculus/]Precalculus”&gt;Precalculus - Math - Brightstorm]Precalculus</a> - Math - Brightstorm](<a href=“http://www.themathpage.com/aprecalc/precalculus.htm]Precalculus[/url”>Precalculus) but I don’t know how good they are.
Maybe your library might have good precalc or general math textbooks to look at, and practice from?</p>

5

<p>[Khan</a> Academy](<a href=“http://www.KhanAcademy.com%5DKhan”>http://www.KhanAcademy.com)</p>

6

<p>It is also really helpful to find the best way for you to remember the material, which may not be how it is taught in class. Beyond that repetition is key.</p>

7

<p>It sucks to say, but the ugly truth is doing a lot of practice problems. This is the best way to study for math. It can be a drag sometimes, but it’s really helpful.</p>

8

<p>I think that taking good notes is really important in order for you to be able to study efficiently and do well on the test (this is especially true if you don’t have a textbook). I take Cornell Notes for my math classes. My teacher is similar to yours (she mainly just does sample problems on the board and we don’t take many actual “notes”), so this might help you. On the right-hand column of the page, I write down the problem and all of the working that the teacher does on the board. Then, on the left-hand column, I write down my own notes. Like, I actually write down what the teacher says in words, and I add any of my own notes to them, too. That night, along with my homework, I look over my notes and write down any questions that might not have come to mind in class. I try to look up the answers to those questions on my own (either via internet or the textbook) and if I still don’t understand something, I ask my teacher the next day in class. This has gotten me through IB Math so far. </p>

<p>I’m going to echo what everyone else has said by saying that doing a ton of practice problems is probably the #1 way to study for a math test. However, just mindlessly doing a bunch of practice problems won’t help you on your test. Look up the answers to all of the problems. Make sure that you not only got the answer right, but that you also answered the problem in the fastest and most efficient way possible. If you got a problem wrong, circle it, and then come back to that problem and do it over again. Actually write down the types of things you typically tend to forget – for example, if I usually forget to rationalize, I would make a notes sheet and write “DON’T FORGET TO RATIONALIZE EACH PROBLEM AT THE END!” Then, the night or morning before the test, I’d look through that notes sheet and make sure to not make those stupid mistakes again on the test.</p>

<p>Now, if it’s the material that you’re just not understanding, then that’s a different story. Does the teacher put different material on the test than on the quizzes and homework? If so, you should probably talk to that teacher and ask him what the deal is. But I hope this helped at least a little!</p>

9

<p>-If you don’t have textbook, or if you do, in anyway buy guide books(Barron’s, Cliff-notes…) and make it your independent textbook. Those usually cover everything, and they make it easier to understand.</p>

<p>-Rewrite your notes. Take about 30 minute after school and rewrite your note before you start on the math homework. It will organize everything, and help you fill in the any missing link that you have on the lesson. It’s good practice too, like homework.</p>

<p>-When you do your homework, show work on the problem that you struggle on, highlight it, and staple it on to your note when you get it back-why spend so muck time on homework if you’re not gonna use it later on right? use it as notes!</p>

10

<p>I tape my eyes to the side and pretend I’m Asian…</p>

11

<p>Well, that wasn’t offensive at all.</p>

12

<p>I find it funny. But really…Im actually Asian</p>

13

<p>Try working alongside someone else, so that you consult each other if either is stuck.</p>

14

<p>I just do all my homework and any supplemental work that goes along with it, and I usually do fine on the tests/quizzes. Sometimes I’ll need to memorize formulas-and to do that, I’d write the formulas on notecards and have someone else quiz me-but in most cases, just doing the homework problems is sufficient enough for me.</p>

15

<p>“How do you study for math?”</p>

<p>I don’t o_0… Not cuz I’m a genius, but because it is simply not up to our level… u should thank God urs challenges your mind at least…</p>

16

<p>A lot of times I do a few problems from the textbook (on a little dry-erase board, because I find it more entertaining) until I understand.</p>

17

<p>Khanacademy.com</p>

18

<p>I have my math final of my last math class I ever have to take, in 12 hours so I’m just going to skip sleeping tonight.</p>

19

<p>For me, it’s just repetition. Sit down every night and do your nightly homework as well as review the old stuff. By the time test day comes, you need to be able to look at a problem an instantly remember doing 50 just like it. Math tests normally genuinely want to test your knowledge rather than trick you, so just be prepared.</p>

20

<p>What I do is learn the concepts and look at a few examples. Practice does help, but mostly I just need to study the material itself.</p>