Math Strategies

Math courses are not like other courses. They need different study methods. In other courses, you must learn and understand the material, but you’re seldom asked to apply it. In a math course, you must be able to:

1. understand the material,
2. process it, and
3. apply it to correctly solve a problem.

Another reason learning math is different from learning other subjects is that it is cumulative. Material learned on one day is used the next day and the next, and so forth. It is very hard to catch up if you get behind.

Many students do not realize that learning math is like learning a foreign language. Math has unfamiliar words and symbols that must be studied. Like a foreign language, math needs daily practice.

Math is more than just rules and formulas. It is problem-solving, communication, and reasoning. Math is not a spectator sport.

These techniques will help you become a more active learner in math.

Tips for Listening & Note-Taking

Tips for Reading a Math Textbook

Tips for Doing Math Homework

Tips for Preparing for a Math Test

Tips for Taking a Math Test

What to do with a Returned Math Test

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Tips for Listening & Note-Taking

1. Sit near the front of the class. This will minimize distractions and force you to focus on the teacher.
2. Do a mental warm-up before class. Review the previous day’s notes, textbook sections, or homework problems. Prepare any questions to ask in class.
3. While taking notes, copy each and every step of the problem. If you get lost or confused, keep taking notes, and put a question mark next to the steps you did not understand. After class, review the steps you did not understand with the instructor, a tutor, or a classmate.
4. When copying a problem that the instructor shows on the board, do not just write the math. Write the words that accompany each step. When you review your notes later, they will be much more meaningful. For example:
   
   

   2x + 3	=	17
   -3		-3	Subtract 3 from both sides to isolate the variable
   2x	=	14
   			Divide both sides by 2
   2		2
   x	=	7

   
   
5. Rework your notes as soon after class as possible. Rewrite anything you cannot read. Fill in gaps. Add additional words and ideas.
6. Review the major points. Combine your new notes with your previous knowledge.

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Tips for Reading a Math Textbook

1. Review the previous section before reading new material.
2. Skim the assigned section to get a general idea of major topics.
3. Concentrate on the reading. Highlight important concepts.
   Reading a math textbook is hard. It may take half an hour to read and understand just one page.
4. Go through each step of the examples.
5. Mark any words and concepts that you do not understand.
6. If you are still having difficulty:
   a. Reread the previous page.
   b. Read ahead to the next page.
   c. Locate any diagrams, rules, or examples.
   d. Read the misunderstood sections aloud.
   e. Refer to your notes.
   f. Refer to another textbook or similar resource.
   g. Define what you do not understand and consult with a study partner.
   h. Meet with a tutor or your math instructor.
7. Think about what you have read.

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Tips for Doing Math Homework

1. Review related textbook material and class notes.
2. Do homework as neatly as possible.
3. Write down every step of the problems. Understand the reasons for each step.
4. Check your answers after each problem.
5. If you cannot do a problem, review the textbook, notes, and similar problems. Ask a study partner or tutor.
6. Always end your homework session with a problem you have completed successfully, even if this means reworking a problem from the beginning of the assignment.
7. After finishing your homework, recall to yourself or write down important concepts.
8. Make up note cards with hard problems.
9. DO NOT GET BEHIND IN YOUR MATH HOMEWORK!

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Tips for Preparing for a Math Test

1. Determine the rules and scope of the test. Check your syllabus or ask your instructor.
2. Make a list of possible topics.
3. Study the meanings of relevant vocabulary terms such as evaluate, simplify, and factor.
4. Develop specific problems for each topic. The problems may come from class notes, the textbook, or your homework.
5. Write solutions for your practice problems.
6. On an index card, write any formulas, rules, steps, or diagrams that you need to remember. Study and memorize them.

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Tips for Taking a Math Test

1. Upon receiving the test, immediately write down (on the back or in the margins) any information you have memorized. This is called a memory dump.
2. Preview the test, observing the different types of problems and their point values.
3. Do a second memory dump. Add any new information to the first.
4. Develop a schedule that will let you get the most points in the least time.
5. Answer the easiest problems first.
6. Skip hard problems.
7. Review skipped problems.
8. Guess at the remaining problems. Write down whatever you can.
9. Review the test. Correct careless errors.
10. Use all the allowed time.

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What to do with a Returned Math Test

1. Analyze your mistakes.
   • Did you lose points because of carelessness?
   • Did you miscopy your work from scrap paper?
   • Did you misunderstand a key concept?
   • Did you study the right material?
   • Did you leave anything blank or incomplete?
     Knowing the type of mistakes you made can help you avoid repeating them on the next test.
2. Rework all incorrect problems. Review your new solutions with a tutor or study partner.
3. Save all returned tests. Often, test items reappear on the final exam.
4. If your teacher uses multiple forms of the test, request the alternate form to use for extra practice.

For more information

http://www.webmath.com/