How to study maths?

[maereth]

Hi,

I wanted to ask, how do you guys study maths for tests? Because we get past papers as test but at home I can't do them as the test is usually few weeks after we start the topic obviously, and I don't remember the beginings. So I go back to the book, go through everything once again and then:

1. I don't have time to do past papers

2. I'm sick of maths

As a result, I kinda fail on tests because past papers are harder than excercises in our book (what sense does it make?!) and I waste a lot of time on studying anyway... I know I should probably revise after every lesson but that's not really doable due to the workload and the fact that we both try to finish the syllabus and make revision tests from previous year at the same time. Plus I was absent in September for over a week which adds to the amount of material I'm behind with...

Any hints please? Right now I have the impression I won't even get 2 on my exams ;<

[ChocolateDrop]

I would say first flick through the textbook, check if things look familiar and if you can do them, do a sample question to check this. If it's fine move on, if not do the chapter. If things look extremely unfamiliar go through chapter to begin with, then do questions, if no problems this is good, if not then ask a maths teacher/ maths person for help. Then you can move on to pastpapers.

Dont get sick of Maths, do simple (kindergarten) maths to re-ensure yourself of your capability... This could possibly count as CAS! Play some simples maths games. Watch big bang theory to see how awesome Maths/ Physics can be! Do not give up.

Edited October 18, 2012 by ChocolateDrop

[maereth]

hi, thanks for the answer, the thing is that I do what you said and I do understand book after going through it. But I actually asked for help already. So thanks for motivation ;d

[TykeDragon]

Perhaps a concise revision guide, i.e the OSC one? It's helping me now. And mate I know this isn't the answer you're looking for, but sometimes there just isn't an answer - you say you don't want to do past papers/go back through notes and the book, but that's about all you can do, there isn't an answer that will allow you to study, whilst not studying... if you get me :/

So the most help i CAN offer you is a) to make yourself/purchase a concise guide to drill in things you already know, and b) don't scorn motivation! By the sound of it you ARE doing the things that will remind and reteach you the syllabus, but you're simply lacking in motivation to do even more of it!

I know it's a drag mate, and I'm not looking forward to my paper 2 mock in a couple of days - I got about 70% on my paper one today so need like 90% to average out a 7. :/ Is paper two harder or easier than paper one?

[funny10sport]

The way to study is to honestly : Practice, practice and more practice.

Do questions and exercises (and previous ones) everyday so that You remember them and not forget them. Make it a habit even thought it is a drag. It doesn't matter how long you study, it just matters if you can understand concepts and apply it to solving questions. Do past papers to get a feel of the type of questions that will be on the exam.

If you are like me, and just naturally suck at math (like I just don't get things as fast as other math people in my class and it usually takes me a longer time to absorb things) then all I can say is to Practice everyday. I have to work extra hard in order to try to keep up in my SL math class but I won't give up. High spirits man!

Ask your friends, teacher and others to help as well. If all else fails, maybe a tutor can help?

Good luck! And keep going, you're almost done!

Funny10Sport

[maereth]

Yeah if you wanna know its like this: I don't suck at maths I pretty much understand the lessons but then at home I don't remember how to do things so I guess I shoud just practice regularly. Tha before the test I try to do past papers but I can't so I go back to the book. And I skip through every topic. Since it's the first time I see most of it as I don't study regularly, it takes a lot of time to do that. And than I just don't have time for PP. But I started this post when I was really frustrated abt vectors and I had the test today so it's over.

Ohh, and does anyone have Hease&Harris maths? don't you thing it's much easier than the actual exams?

[IB Failing]

If you're forgetting the beginnings rather quickly, I'd say you just need to do practice questions consistently over a period of time. I know you said you don't have the time to do them, but it's really important to spend a small amount of time a few times a week working on a question or two, and on different chapters every now and then.

With regards to the Haese & Harris textbook, it should help for when you're struggling with a certain area, so try a few random ones before progressing into past questions. Most of their questions are designed to help you understand the basic concept well, but past questions allow you to understand the format you'll expect in your final exams.

Honestly (as funny10sport said), it's practice that will you get you somewhere if you're finding something difficult, as if you've completed problems with similar methods then you should be able to apply this in more questions. Improving at Maths usually requires a good foundation of understanding and that involves devoting time to learning and applying.

Good luck though once IA's done (if you haven't finished it yet), you should have more time to set aside for Maths!

[Daniel Paley]

I cannot stress more. Past Exams. Just get hold of as many as you can, and work through all of them. You should really get through all of them since 2008. (the paper style changed quite a lot in 2007) Similarly if you can get hold of the question banks they are really useful for individual subject tests. Maths is all about practice. I am sitting on about 97% but earlier this year I was lazy and only getting just above 50%. 1 hr after school 3 days a week is all it took for me

[sauso2]

Well I'd recommend you looking for videos on YouTube about the subjects in which you don't feel comfortable, many times an 8 minutes video is way more useful than a whole hour of studying, then you can search for exercises which you think are of the difficulty of the exams, that's how I did it and I really improved a lot in my last months, in March I was at about 3-4 and now I'm pretty sure I'll get a 6-7 grade

[sarahlouise]

Wait until you've covered all the topics for the exam before you do past papers.

When you do them, do as much as you can, then look at the markscheme, see what you did wrong, and then go back, write down the working for the questions you got wrong and see why you got them wrong, and do the same for questions that you didn't know how to do. Eventually you will improve and improve!

[Nabz]

What our teacher does is that he gives us excercise EVERY single class on the stuff we've done in class so this way we practice a lot so i think, doing the exercises everyday that you'e done in class will get you going and understand the concept.

I understand how past papers are as they not only want you to provide solution but also think about the question where you have to be creative, and for you to be creative, you have to know the topic and how to do EVERY single problem by heart....

So i would say that you should do bits of math everyday and when the test is near, just go over the review section in your textbook. Take a long sleep (9 hours) so that your brain is ready to be a bit creative...