Greetings math friends! Today we are going to go over a question I get asked a lot, which is “How Do You Study Math?” How to study math, what a question! There is really only one way that I’ve ever known and that is to practice questions, over and over again. That is the basic advice I usually give because it is a quick and easy answer (and it’s true), but of course, there is more to the story! There are tips and tricks to practicing questions to master not just math, but any subject when preparing for a test. In this post, there is no holding back, and I’m going to unleash all my test prep secrets! Hopefully, this article will come in handy for when it is crunch time and hopefully, maybe, just possibly this study guide on studying can make math just a bit more fun (you never know)! Either way, I hope it helps when you need it most, good luck and happy calculating!
Solving Math Problems:
Math is an active learning subject and the key to mastering any math topic is to solve similar math problems over and over again.
So in order to do this, of course, we are going to need practice questions. But what practice questions? How do I know which questions to look at?
That’s where we are going to gather and find every question we can on the topic som places to start might include:
1) Math Class Notes – Re-do and test yourself with questions from math class.
2) Homework Assignment Problems – Re-do homework problems, pay attention to those harder questions that you were unable to get the first time around. See how you do on them now, checking if you get the correct answer.
3) Quiz Questions – Were you already quizzed before the big test? How did you do? Review and learn if you got a wrong answer. Review and learn if you got the right answer!
Now that we are equipped with all of our questions, let’s see what we should do next!
Cheat Sheet:
What am I forgetting? Do I have to memorize any formulas and what they mean? What does that notation represent again? Put it all on the cheat sheet!
Some math class teachers even allow you to bring a cheat sheet, if so you’re in luck! If not it is still a great tool that can be used for studying alone.
Here are some things you might want to include on your cheat sheet:
1) Math Formulas – We never want to say the word “memorize” in math class, but when there are going to be formulas on your math test, we know that’s exactly what we’ll need to do!
2) Math Vocabulary – Any new words you can’t seem to remember? Put them here with the definition for each new word.
3) Practice Questions – Sometimes we can forget how to do a certain type of question, if that happens, place the question fully solved here so we can remember how it’s done.
Don’t want to bother writing your own cheat sheet? Check out these free cheat sheets for Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2/Trig, and Derivatives!
Now that we have done all we can on our own, let’s see I still have some math questions, what should I do now?
Study with Friends!
Forming a study group with friends is a great way to fill in any gaps you may have with math. What your friends know may be exactly what you’re missing when it comes to learning math and vice versa.
Study groups are also great for explaining topics you already know as this will increase your understanding even further! So even if you know more than your friends do in math class, you can teach and get even stronger in the topic, and become a math topic superhero!
Learning math can be fun with a group of friends as you can be more relaxed than you would be in a classroom and be more open to asking questions.
Listen to Music:
Are you studying alone? A great way to study math concepts on your own while doing practice questions is to have some low relaxing music on in the background. This can help with concentration and allow some headspace for problem-solving and mathematical thinking. It can also help us relax and leave out any unnecessary chatter in our heads.
Stay Positive!
A positive attitude to any math problem is so important for studying math. Make sure to know you can do it, you are capable of understanding the concepts and are capable of mastering the math course. If you have any questions you can always reach out to the resources available to you.
Explore Math Resources:
1) Math Class – Email or speak with a math teacher or tutor for any specific questions before your test.
2) Classmates / Friends – As mentioned before, use your circle of friends to fill any gaps in understanding!
3) MathSux / YouTube and other online math resources – Free and fast!
Math tests can be hard, but studying for them doesn’t have to be! Once you get in the flow of studying, the learning process of mathematics will come much easier. Do you have different study tips or a different method of studying math than the ones listed here? What works for you? Let me know in the comments and happy calculating!
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