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Math Student - Blog Posts
I'm going to one of the most prestigious schools in my country. I don't want to go there because I like the studies or because I'll be well paid when I leave. Not just because there's a ball where you can carry a real sword (need I ask for a better reason?).
Exam season = chaos
(Actually I have exams every weeks so it’s always chaos)
Crying in front of mechanics or mathematics was not my idea of how I was going to spend my evenings as a university student…
More alcohol and fewer theorems would be better
Thanks to the person who thought it was more fun to add a letter instead of a number. Thanks to you, I have to study for days just to do a silly little equation without a number.
If I don’t answer tomorrow don’t worry I will probably just cry for bit because of my math exam.
a (very rare) math/science post.
hey! so i'm a british student but you'll see me putting things in brackets to help clarify things for my non british readers. so i did my GCSEs (i think the american equivalent is SATs?) back in may and june and one thing about me during my last year of school is i was in some deep shit. so i didn't really do that well. I got a bunch of 6s (B+s) and7 (A) in eng lit. i found i was couple marks off of a grade 7 (A ) in almost all my subjects including math and science. now i can deal with a B in art and a B in sociology because I'm doing them for A levels ( google tells me the americn equivalent is AP examinations) so doing well in them means that my gcse grade will be dismissed since i did better at A level today i asked my math teacher if there was any way i could resit and he cut me the following deal: if i resat my exams in either november or june of next year and got a better grade then he'd cover the fees and same goes for science. now, i just started sixth form/college so i'd have to learn in my own time somehow. i don't have anyone to teach me and i can't afford tutoring but i was offered to sit in the back of lessons during my free period every tuesday and that afterschool i can ask whatever available teacher for help for anything i really really can't teach myself should i go for it? please interact and tell me what you think.
Math Tips
(Pictures are not mine)
Well, let me tell you, we all have this love-hate relationship with this subject, right? The worst part is that when you don't know what the heck is going on, so, as a girl who studied maths (2 Volumes/textbooks) on her own during the year she was homeschooled, here are some tips and tricks that I did to get an A+ in my math finals!
Get your syllabus together
In the beginning I had no damn idea what was going on and it was just confusing. I had to do the first thing I did was taken my index/table of contents and mark the chapters which i knew very well and the ones I had no clue about. And then i arranged them with the marking scheme, like which one carries the most marks etc etc and study accordingly.
Complete lessons/chapters that you already know
When you finish off the things you already know then that's gonna give you the confidence you need even if you know only 1-2 chapters, learn it throughout and make sure that you'll get the answer no matter how twisted the sum is. If you're doubtful about the whole textbook like any normal person.... Start with the easy ones. (I know there are literally really no "easy" chapters, spare me)
Harder chapters need hard work
Most chapters like Trigonometry proofs, Geometry proofs, Algebra, Graphs, Mensuration and Calculus etc need more than minimum effort but here's a trick, what is the common thing in this? Yes, they're all formulae and theorem based which goes to my next point. These chapters are completely based on how much you've understood your basics.
Formulae and theorem cheatsheets
Make a list of all formulae and the theorem used in the book, write them chapter wise and no printouts or digital notes. Take a paper and write it down, no excuses. It helps you while you're practicing, revising and in the last minute review, it helped me damn much. Remember, maths is a sport. The basic formulae must come to you like reflexes.
YouTube is your best friend.
For every single chapter, go and watch the basics and how a sum is done step by step. A recommendation for this is Organic Chemistry Tutor who literally is one of the reasons i passed. He has videos from basic geometry, trigonometry, statistics to calculus. Search for your own YouTubers and be clear with concepts.
Math is fully memorization
Memorize formulae and theorems with the back of your hand, you should be able to recall them within seconds. Be thorough.
Memorize basic math values (if calculator isn't allowed)
Do this if you have a majority of chapters like Statistics, Mensuration, Profit/loss calculation etc, where large numbers are concerned. Memorize the first 10 square, cube, decimal and multiplication values. It may be dry but there are literally songs available for these things, I'm serious, i learnt the first 10 cube roots by listening to Senorita xD Search for rhymes and they'll definitely be many!!
Work it out!!!!!!
Can't stress this enough, atleast 30-40 mins is the minimum for maths. I'm serious, work out each sum, don't ever think it's a waste, you'll see the results. Practice makes perfect. Work out every single sum, from examples to exercise ones cause let's be honest, our examiners love to take problems from every nook and cranny of the book.
Whiteboard method
So, I made this up and it actually works, if you have a whiteboard or anything else, once you completed a chapter, take a random page and whatever sums you have on those two pages, you need to complete within a given time limit. It helps you to identify your weak points and where the hell you're losing both time and effort and not to mention that it gives you confidence boost up.
Hope this helps :))