now i don’t know about you, but i struggle a lot in maths and it takes me a crazy amount of time to grasp topics.
last year, i was doing great in the subject and thought it would be a good idea to take EXTENDED mathematics in IGCSE and god i was so freaking wrong, because it hit me like a brick. however, i did not give up (even though i admit that i did cry a couple of times when i practically failed tests) and worked hard until i managed to get an A*. yep, i went from getting an E or D to getting A or A*. since this progress is so dear to me, i thought i would make a post about how i study maths and how i improved. so here goes:
well to be entirely honest, i didn’t. i spent a lot of time crying and stressing over my terrible grades or creating scenarios in my head as to what subject i could switch extended mathematics with.
i know, this isn’t quite the model example to be giving you, but i want to be completely frank to you and let you know that no one is perfect. those negative thoughts that linger in your mind? they happen to everyone and it is okay to cry or feel sad about it, because containing those feelings will simply worsen things since they can just emerge later on and affect your life and grades in the future. so let the tears, frustration and anger come out. come to terms with your disappointment and take it as a reason to work towards improving.
for me, talking to my family and friends was really helpful because they reminded me that anything is possible and that it’s not the end. as well, since i am quite close to my teacher, i also spoke to her regarding my difficulties and she helped me work on certain points that i hadn’t grasped and gave me some past paper questions to practice. so make sure to reach out for help because that’s what your teachers are there for!
maths is all about practice. so i do practice a ton of questions from my textbooks, revision guides and past papers. but, if the unit was long or if i am revising for an end of year exam that compiles a whole year’s topics, i need to go over the methods/rules before practicing because i’ll be straight up clueless.
2. write examples and add notes/instructions to them:
now i don’t know if this is the same for everyone, but in my case simply having numerical workings in my copybook does not prove to be helpful and when i look back at them, i just don’t know what on earth is going on. so instead, i’ve found that writing details notes and instructions (kind of like a how-to tutorial) next to my workings help me in retaining the different concepts and mastering varying methods to solve the problems. i usually do this in class as my teacher demonstrates the method or the second i get home after class (since i often don’t have enough time and because it’s best to focus on understanding what the teacher is demonstrating).
so i definitely advise you to try that out, because it is super super helpful especially when you revise your old topics after a long time. i’ll try to post an extract of notes where i practice this technique so that y’all get a clearer image of what i mean.
3. make sure to jot down key terms/points and formulas that your teacher mentions
4. understanding>writing:
also, as i just mentioned, it’s best to focus on understanding what the teacher is demonstrating and how they solve the question, this way you can identify the steps and apply them yourself. trust me, looking at them as they apply the given method is a lot more useful than looking at the plain workings in your notes.
5. i know this may seem obvious but do your homework:
homework and other assignments ensure that you practice the methods regularly so that you are able to grasp the topics well. also make sure to solve the problems on the day that they are assigned, that way the lesson is still fresh in your mind and you can easily enhance your understanding of it.
6. from time-to-time, review previous lessons:
this will make sure that you don’t forget the topic so as to not end up crying when you open up your copybook and realize that you don’t recall anything ( not that it happened to me of course… haha *smiles awkwardly before running away*). a good way is to review the topics ever weekend or follow the “overcoming the curve of forgetting” technique which i discuss in my [1/58 days of motivation] post (or check out @studyquill ‘s printables).
7. don’t hesitate to ask for help
i am so glad to have reached out to my teacher and asked for help because if it weren’t for her help, i would definitely have quit extended mathematics by now. also, my parents and friends were an amazing source of motivation for me, where their support really pushed me to believe in myself. so don’t be scared or ashamed to talk about your struggles and reach out for help.
Artline brush marker (in black and brown)
cello Finegrip (in black, blue and red)
