How to study maths? (1 Viewer)

[Scinery]

OK. ive been trialling and tribulating for 2 years trying to improve in maths. and ive searched the ends of this site trying to find what i need.

The Issue: i cant do better in maths

Why not : ive failed maths (figuratively) since year 8, and so because i havent been able to grasp essential concepts, such as simple algebra, i havent been able to grasp newer concepts and cant be fucked doing every question in a textbook.

Ive read on this site study TECHNIQUES such as linking subject matter to daily life, keeping a record of how much ive achieved, writing up mindmaps and colour coding them and sticking them onto my wall. these dont apply to maths.

The maths thread just goes on about the bullshit ive heard toooooo many times before-

"pay attention in class". - i dont understand whats happening in class, my tutor explains it to me later. thats why i get above 50%.

"do homework" - LOL do homework? yeah so ive started doing homework, but what do i do about the 3 years of homework ive missed?

"do questions from the textbook" -i have several textbooks, i do some questions and get them wrong, but theres just way too much im getting wrong and i dont know where to start. start from the beginning ive tried doing that but it frustrates me and i give up...and if i do that when do i finish? october 09?

I read of one case of a person who went from a low ranking to a high ranking by doing 60 past papers or something. thats something id be bothered to do , but where the hell do i get past papers from? theres only 3 or 4 prelim half yearlies on this site, do i wait for the year to finish and download all the yearlies? and the fact that its both maths AND extension maths is more of a hinderence.

dropping maths or extension maths is NOT an option. because extension is all new stuff, im doing much better in 3U than i am in 2U. but still below average. its just the fact that the teacher reckons i could do welll....any help?? pleeease

~LOVExVixx

 

[Aerath]

"pay attention in class". - i dont understand whats happening in class, my tutor explains it to me later. thats why i get above 50%.

You should ask your teacher questions after class, if you don't understand what's going on. Ask your friends, your parents (they might know a lot about secondary education maths), and if you need to, ask us. Most of us are only here to help.

"do homework" - LOL do homework? yeah so ive started doing homework, but what do i do about the 3 years of homework ive missed?

Ignore the 3 years of homework that you've missed - that's history. Start focusing on the current, albeit, I'd at least look over the homework that I've missed since, let's say, the beginning of this year. Just read over them, so that you understand the concepts.

"do questions from the textbook" -i have several textbooks, i do some questions and get them wrong, but theres just way too much im getting wrong and i dont know where to start. start from the beginning ive tried doing that but it frustrates me and i give up...and if i do that when do i finish? october 09?

Perhaps you'd be more better off purchasing a Maths textbook that offers worked solutions. I think Excel does that - however, the questions are relatively basic, as opposed to books such as Cambridge and Fitzpatrick.

And finally, why is dropping 2U or 3U Maths 'not an option'? If you're 'failing' as you say you are, I really don't see why doing 3U Maths is a good thing. You should be focusing on what your strengths are, in other subjects. But, nevertheless, you still have time to practice, and get things in order before the Trials next year.

 

[lyounamu]

Why not : ive failed maths (figuratively) since year 8, and so because i havent been able to grasp essential concepts, such as simple algebra, i havent been able to grasp newer concepts and cant be fucked doing every question in a textbook.

If you have been failing maths, I don't even understand why you have even decided to do MX1 in the first place.

The maths thread just goes on about the bullshit ive heard toooooo many times before-

"pay attention in class". - i dont understand whats happening in class, my tutor explains it to me later. thats why i get above 50%.

It's not bullshit. It's the ultimate tip we can give and it's the only way you can succeed in this particular course. Paying attention is important. As you may already know, maths is all about understanding and applying the concept to the questions. If you don't pay attention, the rate at which you absorb the content is significantly reduced. Ask questions if you don't understand. Understand the formula, how to derive it, know the type of question that you are expected to answer.

"do homework" - LOL do homework? yeah so ive started doing homework, but what do i do about the 3 years of homework ive missed?

I learnt this in a hard way. I never thought homework was important (and still don't). But I actually found that homework is important in maths. Teachers know what they are giving. Questions that you get for homework, therefore, are quite good to grasp basic knowledge and apply. It is really up to you to explore further into the textbook to do more questions to test your knowledge.

"do questions from the textbook" -i have several textbooks, i do some questions and get them wrong, but theres just way too much im getting wrong and i dont know where to start. start from the beginning ive tried doing that but it frustrates me and i give up...and if i do that when do i finish? october 09?

Yes, yes yes. I recommend Fitzpatrick and Cambridge. I basically do all the questions from Fitzpatrick and they don't have much questions. I reckon all questions in Fitz are worth doing as long as you have time. If you don't understand a particular question, post it up here. People here are damn nice. They are ready to give you full solution working out with a little bit of advice on how to do it. Trust me and try it. You will get the solution posted up in few hours.

I read of one case of a person who went from a low ranking to a high ranking by doing 60 past papers or something. thats something id be bothered to do , but where the hell do i get past papers from? theres only 3 or 4 prelim half yearlies on this site, do i wait for the year to finish and download all the yearlies? and the fact that its both maths AND extension maths is more of a hinderence.

There are more than 4 half-yearlies. I have seen 10-20 of them and did them all. Some come with no solutions, but that's okay. If I don't know the question, I always post it up and let others know. The fact that I finished all questions basically prove that I understand the question to some extent even though I cannot guarantee that I got them right. In this way, you don't need solutions. If in doubt, post your question up here to let others know. They will help you out.

dropping maths or extension maths is NOT an option. because extension is all new stuff, im doing much better in 3U than i am in 2U. but still below average. its just the fact that the teacher reckons i could do welll....any help?? pleeease

You can do better than your current performance. Believe in yourself. No matter how difficult it is, as long as you have that motivation to continue, you will succeed. So, don't just drop all the things you just heard from me. Try to apply them to the real world. I hope to see some Band 6s coming from ya. Good luck

 

[Cerry]

If you're doing as badly in maths as you say you are, then doing 3U really doesn't seem like a particularly good idea.
The first thing to do is talk to your teacher, and see what advice they can give you. Lots of people have that kind of problem with maths, they'll probably have some idea how to help you.

If you're missing basic grounding from early years of maths, go back and try to grasp the basic concepts. Sometimes it really helps - I went right through 9 and 10 not understanding surds (like half the class), got to year 11, my maths teacher spent about 5 minutes on it in class, and all of a sudden, it clicked.
I know that going back and doing year 8 maths sounds kind of crap, but the only way to really understand the more complex stuff is to understand the simple stuff that it's based on. Once you've got that, the harder stuff should get easier.

Also, practise. The best way to do well in maths is to do lots of practise, so that the techniques that you need to use are firmly in your head. And there's not much point in trying doing past papers for stuff that you don't understand, because it's likely to make you more confused, and therefore more convinced that you can't do it.

 

[jockrussell]

ok. if u want to suceed u should be doing atleast 1.5 hrs of homework a day for maths. If you've run out of questions on a particular topic re-do ones that u have already done and c if u r still getting them right.

In years 7-9 i was failing maths until i decided to do homework and study before tests. In year 10 i made a major turn around from coming almost last in Yr 9 i was coming 1st.
Now i am doing extension 1 86% in my half yearly, and im going to be doing extension 2 next year.
This was all achieved by re-doing questions, studying a few days before tests and doind a considerable amount of homework.

Sometimes people adapt better to different teaching styles which might also be a problem with you.



​

 

[marcquelle]

ok. if u want to suceed u should be doing atleast 1.5 hrs of homework a day for maths. If you've run out of questions on a particular to
​

thats actually really good advice i might try that

[/qoute=jockrussell]
Sometimes people adapt better to different teaching styles which might also be a problem with you.
[/quote]

that true my maths teacher makes puns all the time and helps me stay focused in class cause he always makes sure that he has our attention that way
​

 

[Scinery]

thanks for all the help guys

ok a couple of u asked about why im doing extension maths and maths in the first place.

i go to a selective school and all my friends are math freaks so my immediate competition is pretty high. i got 95 for maths in school cert and that was really WTF. and this year i have actually been doing well in extension one maths but badly in 2unit. doing "well" in extension is being about one or two marks below average and "badly" in 2unit being about 59%, when the average is 84%/.

i also want to prove my friends and sometimes my parents wrong when they think that im just generally not smart. cos i know im so much smarter than them. secretly. lol

The thing is, i assumed it would be easy to get back on track around term 2, and i did start doing questions frantically from cambridge, AND doing more homework than last year. and then i got 60% for both 2U and 3U.


BUT!!
I asked a friend last night for help as well and he gave some good advice. he reminded me that the school simply recycles cambridge questions in every exam...so that kind of motivated me to do more work this morning than i usually would.
its like i feel ive found a way to cheat and beat the system, much similar to the way i felt when i discovered the BOS resource section LMAO

but seriously if anyone else has improved a fair bit or has some good advice id love to.

~THANKSxVixx

 

[kurt.physics]

thanks for all the help guys

ok a couple of u asked about why im doing extension maths and maths in the first place.

i go to a selective school and all my friends are math freaks so my immediate competition is pretty high. i got 95 for maths in school cert and that was really WTF. and this year i have actually been doing well in extension one maths but badly in 2unit. doing "well" in extension is being about one or two marks below average and "badly" in 2unit being about 59%, when the average is 84%/.

i also want to prove my friends and sometimes my parents wrong when they think that im just generally not smart. cos i know im so much smarter than them. secretly. lol

The thing is, i assumed it would be easy to get back on track around term 2, and i did start doing questions frantically from cambridge, AND doing more homework than last year. and then i got 60% for both 2U and 3U.


BUT!!
I asked a friend last night for help as well and he gave some good advice. he reminded me that the school simply recycles cambridge questions in every exam...so that kind of motivated me to do more work this morning than i usually would.
its like i feel ive found a way to cheat and beat the system, much similar to the way i felt when i discovered the BOS resource section LMAO

but seriously if anyone else has improved a fair bit or has some good advice id love to.

~THANKSxVixx

Its all about hard work. I used to be ranked something like 8th or something but the next year i found that i enjoyed mathematics and that motivated me to learn and understand more, then i came 1st and then accelerated.

So its really about effort, you have to want to learn to learn.

Going to the best teacher in the math staff is the best thing you can do, or after class. They really dont mind if your willing to put in the effort.

If you dont understand something, dont stop and think your useless, go back a few steps and think about it more. Is there any symbols i dont understand or i dont really know how to do such thing. If that doesnt work, see your teacher.

 

[kaz1]

OK. ive been trialling and tribulating for 2 years trying to improve in maths. and ive searched the ends of this site trying to find what i need.

The Issue: i cant do better in maths

Why not : ive failed maths (figuratively) since year 8, and so because i havent been able to grasp essential concepts, such as simple algebra, i havent been able to grasp newer concepts and cant be fucked doing every question in a textbook.

Ive read on this site study TECHNIQUES such as linking subject matter to daily life, keeping a record of how much ive achieved, writing up mindmaps and colour coding them and sticking them onto my wall. these dont apply to maths.

The maths thread just goes on about the bullshit ive heard toooooo many times before-

"pay attention in class". - i dont understand whats happening in class, my tutor explains it to me later. thats why i get above 50%.

"do homework" - LOL do homework? yeah so ive started doing homework, but what do i do about the 3 years of homework ive missed?

"do questions from the textbook" -i have several textbooks, i do some questions and get them wrong, but theres just way too much im getting wrong and i dont know where to start. start from the beginning ive tried doing that but it frustrates me and i give up...and if i do that when do i finish? october 09?

I read of one case of a person who went from a low ranking to a high ranking by doing 60 past papers or something. thats something id be bothered to do , but where the hell do i get past papers from? theres only 3 or 4 prelim half yearlies on this site, do i wait for the year to finish and download all the yearlies? and the fact that its both maths AND extension maths is more of a hinderence.

dropping maths or extension maths is NOT an option. because extension is all new stuff, im doing much better in 3U than i am in 2U. but still below average. its just the fact that the teacher reckons i could do welll....any help?? pleeease

~LOVExVixx

If you can't to do Algebra why the hell did you do 3 unit. If you seriously are this fucked up in maths talk to your teacher about extra lessons at lunchtime or after school.

 

[Aplus]

Yeah, if you can't even grasp the concepts of basic algebra, you shouldn't just leave it. Everything you learn will just continue to become much more harder, and if you do not address this problem now, don't expect to grasp the concepts of future topics either. Also, by doing Extension 1, you should be showing a flair, love and appreciation for Mathematics. Extension 1 students should be excelling at Mathematics because they love the subject, not trying to understand the most basic of concepts. Also, I've noticed certain phrases in your post:

"do homework" - LOL do homework? yeah so ive started doing homework, but what do i do about the 3 years of homework ive missed?

i havent been able to grasp essential concepts, such as simple algebra, i havent been able to grasp newer concepts and cant be fucked doing every question in a textbook.

So my question is, why are you even studying Extension 1 subject which you have displayed a lack of interest in Mathematics for many years?

 

[Scinery]

lol omg i can do algebra. but like last week i did a topic test on Basic Algebra and Arithmetic (1st topic prelim) and got 77% which just doesnt cut it for me when ive been learning it since year 7. its FRUSTRATING.

ohhh im doing extension 1 in the first place because i didnt want to do 13 units and be seperated from all my friends.... u cant blame me for that. getting 95 in school cert was like and my tutor told me that ill do fine. and then theres all that stuff about scaling that we like to think is bullshit but we know its not. Maths scales well.... a fair bit better than drama.

I dont mind extension one at all which is why im doing alright in it. yes i dont completely enjoy maths which is why i cbf doing questions over and over. obviously im aware that ill start enjoying it when i get better at it...it worked that way for science/chem.

im not stupid, im stupid to the expectations of my friends and myself. they are all class 1 and i am class 7. i know that when i start doing well ill do well consistently. i just need that kick off the ground. and getting low marks despite how hard i try isnt very motivating lol

but im getting there

 

[marcquelle]

thats the spirit you need to get. MOTIVATION is the key. Trust me i was like you am still am in some aspects. i always loved maths in primary, then year 7 hit i ws like i hate maths but i love english which was always reversed lol. Then last year i started to enjoy maths again. Then at the beginning of this year i Hated maths again, but now i'm finding that i look forward to going to maths. i have found as soon as i understand something fully, i enjoy it more. And my tip at the mo would be, read ahead slightly, say next set of concepts etc. and you'll find that in class you'll understand it better and want to do more work related to it.

thats my piece of pie.

 

[X-terc]

im definately having trouble in maths right now. Year 7 and 8 was great ranked top 5. Year 9,10 and probably year 11 was horrible with rankings and marks. I was lucky if i passed. -_-'' I feel like as if I've gone dumber literally.

But I tried to bounced back -- didnt work failed my maths half yearlies by 1. It sucks pretty hard. I went through a phased - hate english loved maths, now its like hate english and hate maths.

But you know I keep thinking positive and try to work harder and now if i fail my fucking yearlies i swear to god...

 

[tommykins]

回复: Re: How to study maths?

Want a motivational story?

My rankings in math were as follows

Year 7 - 3rd/148
Year 8 - 40th/151
Year 9 - 92nd/152
Year 10 - 128/160
SC Mark - 89

Got into 3unit maths (haha don't even know why? best decision ever though)

Year 11 - 30/110
Huge improvement, went on with extension 2.

Year 12 - 6/35 in Extension 2, and will be around 20/88 in Extension 1.

You can pick yourself up with Math, it requires hard work. If you don't have the foundations, I suggest taking a break from the hard stuff and learning it now (yes, algebra, graphs etc.) before you enter year 12.

 

[jaychouf4n]

I think the best thing to do is to start maths from year 7 and move to where you are now. Everything in maths is about building a wall, without the base you can't go anywhere.

 

[Doctor Jolly]

I think the best thing to do is to start maths from year 7 and move to where you are now. Everything in maths is about building a wall, without the base you can't go anywhere.

Exactly. You need to build your foundations. I remember earlier this year, before even learning the foundations of 3U maths, I jumped straight into Cambridge and I crashed and burned. I didn't get a thing and thought that 3U maths was the hardest thing ever. But then I started going to easier textbooks with bigger and better explanations to suit my needs and viola, I love 3U maths now. I can even do the Cambridge questions that I died in.

Oh and, jaychouf4n, HI-5 - Jay ftw!!

 

[minijumbuk]

You're doing better in 3u than 2u?
That's nonsense. 3U is basically 2U, except different topics. You never touched any 2u nor 3u in junior years anyway. Also, if you fail 2u, you really shouldn't be doing 3u. 3u in year 12 can get extremely difficult. I was doing pretty well in year 11 in 3u, but I have just came to realise how much harder it is.
And yet, I still see people who always ask me simple questions in maths. They're not even familiar with algebra and exponentials- all the basics, in summary.

So my suggestion to you is: either drop to general, where you basically get to revise your basics, OR, get some exercise books to revise your algebra, and all the essential basics. In maths, algebra is extremely important, and I cannot stress that enough. Yes, it's true that there are different topics, but they all come down to applying mathematical concepts, and adapting it to answer questions. Most of the times, you'd need to use algebra to complete your answer.

 

[kaz1]

You're doing better in 3u than 2u?
That's nonsense. 3U is basically 2U, except different topics. You never touched any 2u nor 3u in junior years anyway. Also, if you fail 2u, you really shouldn't be doing 3u. 3u in year 12 can get extremely difficult. I was doing pretty well in year 11 in 3u, but I have just came to realise how much harder it is.
And yet, I still see people who always ask me simple questions in maths. They're not even familiar with algebra and exponentials- all the basics, in summary.

So my suggestion to you is: either drop to general, where you basically get to revise your basics, OR, get some exercise books to revise your algebra, and all the essential basics. In maths, algebra is extremely important, and I cannot stress that enough. Yes, it's true that there are different topics, but they all come down to applying mathematical concepts, and adapting it to answer questions. Most of the times, you'd need to use algebra to complete your answer.

That's not entirely true you do Curve Sketching, Circle Geometry, Polynomials and Functions in year 10.

 

[Scinery]

Re: 回复: Re: How to study maths?

Year 10 - 128/160
SC Mark - 89

Got into 3unit maths (haha don't even know why? best decision ever though)

Year 11 - 30/110
Huge improvement, went on with extension 2.

Year 12 - 6/35 in Extension 2, and will be around 20/88 in Extension 1.
.

Thats motivational! lol yep yep graphs and algebra is exactly what i've been doing. aaand arithmetic.

You're doing better in 3u than 2u?
That's nonsense. 3U is basically 2U, except different topics. You never touched any 2u nor 3u in junior years anyway. Also, if you fail 2u, you really shouldn't be doing 3u. 3u in year 12 can get extremely difficult. I was doing pretty well in year 11 in 3u, but I have just came to realise how much harder it is.
And yet, I still see people who always ask me simple questions in maths. They're not even familiar with algebra and exponentials- all the basics, in summary.

So my suggestion to you is: either drop to general, where you basically get to revise your basics, OR, get some exercise books to revise your algebra, and all the essential basics. In maths, algebra is extremely important, and I cannot stress that enough. Yes, it's true that there are different topics, but they all come down to applying mathematical concepts, and adapting it to answer questions. Most of the times, you'd need to use algebra to complete your answer.

.

LOL, it cant be nonsense if it's true, but no our school doesnt offer general maths; and covered virtually 2/3's of the 2unit course in year 10..which is why im not doing as well. 3U so far = Proofs & identities which im good at. 2Unit = careless mistakes lol.

but okk tommykins is officially my idol. i completely ruled out extension 2 and now im working towards it...i OWNED sc lol.

~CheeeersxVixx