It’s easy to get lost in math if you lose track of what’s going on. Sitting near the front will make it easier to track what’s going on as your teacher explains how to do a new type of problem. If there are any unruly students in your class, sitting up front will also keep you from getting roped into their shenanigans. Try to sit at an angle so you aren’t looking directly at the clock. If the clock is staring you right in the face, you may end up obsessing over class getting out instead of focusing on the lesson.
Looking at your teacher when they speak will also show them that you’re making an effort to stay focused. If it ever gets to the point where you need them to give you the benefit of a doubt on a passing grade, you’re more likely to get the grade if they’ve seen you paying attention.
For each new skill, break the process down into steps in your notes. Then, add bullet points under each step with explanations and examples your teacher provides. It’s much easier to memorize a process or equation if you can turn it into a 4- to 5-step formula. [4] X Expert Source Daron CamMath Tutor Expert Interview. 29 May 2020. Highlight new vocab terms. There are tons of unique vocabulary terms in math, and highlighting the new words you learn will make them easier to find when you’re flipping through your notebook trying to remember “denominator” or “ratio” means. [5] X Expert Source Daron CamMath Tutor Expert Interview. 29 May 2020.
For example, you could just say, “Ms. Smith, I’m not really sure how you know which side of the triangle is the hypotenuse. Can you explain that again?” or, “Mr. Bates, I still don’t really understand the difference between rational and irrational numbers. Is there an easier way to figure out which ones are rational?” Even if you do this every class, your teacher won’t get annoyed. Teachers want to know if their students aren’t understanding something.
There’s nothing wrong with getting extra help when you need it. In fact, it takes bravery and courage to acknowledge you need help! Unlike a lot of other subjects, math is cumulative. So, if you struggled with pre-algebra in grade school, freshman algebra I might be a tough class for you. Your teacher will be able to spot those foundational gaps and help you fill them in. If you’re a college student, go see your professor during their office hours. Professors don’t get nearly as many visitors as they’d like during office hours, and they’ll be more candid and open to giving you meaningful direction if you chat with them in their office. [8] X Expert Source Daron CamMath Tutor Expert Interview. 29 May 2020.
Commit key formulas to memory, but make sure you know what the variables stand for. If you’ve just learned πr² as the formula for calculating the area of circles, say “pi times the radius squared, which means you multiply it by itself. ” This way, you’ll have an easier time comprehending how the formula actually works when you need to use it. This also gives you an opportunity to refresh your memory before you complete any homework that were assigned that day.
Try to do your homework on the day it was assigned. You’re more likely to forget about something due next week if you give yourself 4-5 days to forget about it! It’s totally okay to refer to your notes if you can’t figure it out the first time. The goal here isn’t to make things hard, but to try and help you work through each problem on your own. Don’t use one of those homework calculator apps. Yes, you might get the right answer, but those apps are often wrong and the teacher will be able to tell you’re using one if you don’t show your work. You also won’t learn anything!
If you look at wrong answers and immediately see what you did wrong, you probably aren’t reading the directions carefully enough. If there were any questions that you thought you got wrong and your suspicions are confirmed, don’t get down about it. It’s actually a good sign. This means that you’re self-aware! Next time, trust your instincts and spend that extra 5 minutes reviewing your answers to the questions you aren’t confident on.
For example, you could keep the left side of your folder for previous work from the unit you’ve been given back to help you study later and leave the right side of the folder for work that you need to turn in. For your notes, you could use the front of your notebook to take daily notes and work your way from the back of the notebook forward to jot down key formulas and definitions.
Make lists of the key formulas and definitions you need to know for the exam. Memorize them if you aren’t going to have a key during the test. Test yourself by trying to explain when and why you use each formula. Use the prep materials your teacher gives you. If they pass out a study guide or a practice test, complete the practice problems and review the information. This will give you the best sense for what’s going to be on the exam.
If your teacher doesn’t offer any extra credit but you aren’t doing as well as you’d like, ask them. Teachers will occasionally throw you some extra credit if you ask.
If you live at home or you’re in grade or high school, don’t worry about asking your parents about getting a tutor. They may not be thrilled your grades are lagging a bit, but they’ll be proud of you for asking for help. If you’re in college, most schools have some kind of peer-tutoring program that’s free for students. [14] X Research source
Khan Academy is the most popular free resource out there for a reason. They have a ton of free lessons and quizzes for almost every math concept out there. [16] X Expert Source Daron CamMath Tutor Expert Interview. 29 May 2020. Math Is Fun is another great online resource that combines short explanations with interactive questions. Art of Problem Solving is a great platform if you strictly want instruction. They offer free lectures and courses for everything from 3rd to 11th grade math. Math. com is a popular resource for foundational skills. There are tons of questions and challenges on their site, although there isn’t a lot of high-level stuff on there.
