How To Study For Math

How to Study For Math

Hi guys! I’m not the best person at math, and i’m doing okay in my classes, but i’ve found some tips that could help you improve in math and your habits!

1. DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Teachers are not lying when they say: “If you dont practice, you’ll fall behind.” Especially as you enter highschool. If you do your homework, you’ll realize that some of the questions in your homework (usually word problems) end up on the test! And when you’re done your homework, try doing even more and practice! 

2. PATTERN RECOGNITON

Math is literally about patterns. If you understand the pattern, it helps you apply it to different questions. If you do not understand a concept or you do, but you didn’t really grasp it, find something within the concept that triggers a pattern or recognition for you. This ESPECIALLY goes for word problems. What I do is I keep repeating the word problem till I literally memorized it. Then I go through my textbook and try to find a question very similar to it, and keep practicing. 

3. COPY THE KEY CONCEPTS 

I know a lot of people say copy the examples, but I think when you copy the examples at the same time during a lesson, it’s hard to keep up. My recommendation is to copy the key concept first, and THEN watch the teacher do the problem on the board, so you can ask questions. When you do your homework, you can go back and practice the question, and if you ever forget the main idea, you can simply go back to the notes.

4. IF YOUR TEACHER SUCKS, GOOGLE IS HERE FOR YOU

The problem with math teachers is that they either suck ass, they’re okay, or they’re fucking brilliant. If your math teacher was the first two, i’ve got some resources for you. 

- khan academy is your best friend

- if you have a yahoo account, you can go on yahoo answers and type in your questions! There is most likely someone that will answer for you.

- cymath and mathway really help if you want to double check your answers. I personally like cymath more because it’s less complicated for me. 

- if you want to practice some of the stuff you learned, IXL is for you! (Sadly, I think it only goes up to Grade 12). 

5. MATH IS ONE  OF (OR IS) THE MOST HARDEST SUBJECT TO UNDERSTAND.

Math is not easy. And for anybody who tells you ‘how don’t you understand math?’ is a fucking dick. Math is like learning a new language, you’ve got to practice is multiple times before it comes naturally to you. Math is also different from other subjects because it builds on what you’ve learned. It takes the most basic concepts and twists and fucks up your brain, but we don’t recognize it because it’s written in a different form. I have a 70% in math right now, and it’s defiantly not my best subject, but I still try my hardest in it. Just remember that math is for everyone! It’s not easy, but it’s not a secluded type of people who get it. You can be brilliant at math. Don’t let your mark define you. 

So there are some math tips! If you got some questions, ask me in my askbox!

A Visual Learner’s Guide to Textbook Note Taking

Read the textbook before taking notes. The purpose of note taking is to synthesize information, not writing every fact that comes your way. Reading the book first allows you to discern what information is useful and what isn’t.

Don’t take traditional notes. In other words, don’t just write your note down the page with bullet points and whatnot. It’s a good way to organize information (at least, while you’re taking them), but it doesn’t make use of spatial memory. And since everything looks the same in rows, it’s harder to pick out specific points so you’d probably be better off just rereading the book.

Make use of space. Don’t just write down the margin. Make webs, boxes, bubbles, anything to help you further organize information. By doing it on paper, you’ll do it in your head.

Doodle. Seriously, do it. Draw pictures, sketch diagrams, make silly stick figures saying silly things. It’ll give you a sense of context and drawing it out will make you remember it longer.

Use arrows. You probably already do this. It helps flow your notes for your eyes and brain.

If possible, use color. Not only does it make your notes more exciting, but you’ll be able to associate and organize information better mentally (e.g. color coding “Ferdinand” and “Frederick” in AP Euro notes so you don’t mix up the two). It’s preferable to use a color scheme so your page of notes doesn’t look as if a unicorn barfed all over it.

Insert personal thoughts. Be weird. Weird things are easier to remember.

#PrayforBrazil

In light of all the recent tragedies the world has been facing, please take your time to also pray for Brazil, which is currently going through one of the biggest environmental disasters in its history.

For those of you who dont know, on November 5, two huge water dams between Mariana and Ouro Preto, in the state of Minas Gerais, broke. The dams were located in a very industrial region, thus the dam water is filled with manganese and iron dejects, and these are lethal to both animals and nature. With the breaking of the dams, a huge surge of mud has washed over these cities, as well as many others,destroying everything in its way. More than 2000 people have been affected, although the number is continuously growing. The nature that once used to grow there is completely covered, and many plants and animals will probably become extinct.

As of right now, the mud has already affected two states (MG and ES). However, that is not the biggest problem. The mud is close to reaching the Rio Doce. This river is the main water supplier of the region, if not the only. Once the mud reaches the river, it will disappear and there will no longer be water for those who depend on it. As many brazilians are saying, “A morte do Rio Doce”, or Rio Doce´s death. The consequences will most likely be deadly.

This is, of course, a very brief summary of what is happening. But please, #PrayforBrazil.

x/x/x/x

22:33 | revising bio🌿💚

New class, new exam: how to organize your study schedule

Hi guys, i decided to write this post for all the students who want to organize a new study session and make a schedule for a new exam. Actually this is my personal method, and it works for me so I thought it could work for you as well :)

First of all: prepare all the material you’ll have to study. Books, notes etc… and make a list of all the requested arguments for the exam - professors usually make a list or a programm of the whole course. When in doubt, ask the professor.

Before organizing a new schedule, read everything. Literally, everything and try to cut and edit all the things you won’t need or usless stuff (it happens to me that when I have to study from a huge text book and I have also my notes I took during the lessons, I have a lot of stuff I actually don’t need)

Now that you have your own material prepared and you know what you’re talking about because you read it, you’re ready to make your schedule. 

Scheduling Tips

Always, ALWAYS, set a timetable. Use a planner, a journal, whatever you prefer, but don’t think that you’ll be able to do all the things without planning them first. As you complete tasks, mark them and go ahead, and if you can mark or make a list of all the things you find more difficult or complicated and spend more time later to analyze and understend them.

For your fist study session with a new subject, don’t even try to study/repeat all the programm in two or three days, unless it’s a very very small exam. Your first (actually, second) approach has to be: learn it in the most effective way, not in the shortest time. So, take your time and pay attention to this reading/learning part of your schedule. 

When you’re still learning and not repeating the subject, it may be useful to write down important things, drawing mind maps, starting orgazing your summaries and notes and post-it etc…and this is the perfect time to do it. If you try to create mind maps and summaries when you’re at two or three days from the exam, you won’t be able to use them and so it will be a waste of time!