If you would like to study math, then you must know the method that works best for you. Everyone is different and everyone has a different learning style, however there are some things that help a lot when studying math. These are a few tips that I would like to share with you that have helped me and maybe they might help you also inshAllah.
First of all, don’t learn too many math concepts at once. You will get them confused and mixed up. I would recommend learning one concept per day and reviewing and reminding yourself about that concept throughout the day. Learn the concept and understand it well and if there is a formula to be memorized, then memorize it. For example, you might learn the formula for finding the slope of a line, and how the formula was derived and what is its significance.
Second, practice using that concept by doing math problems related to that concept. This is a very important step! Math is really about solving problems, and you can not learn math without doing the practice. There is no set number of problems, but you should do a variety of different problems and do them until you feel comfortable and confident that you understand the concept well. I would recommend doing practice problems that have detailed solutions instead of just answers. This is very helpful when you make a mistake, you can see where you went wrong. So if there is a solutions manual with your book, I would recommend purchasing one. It will make it so much easier and save you so much time inshAllah. So, in our example, if you learned about the concept of slope then you would do a bunch of slope problems until you felt confident that you could handle almost any slope problem that was thrown at you. You could even make up your own real life slope problems for extra practice.
Another tip is to make good math notes so that when the time comes to review for the test, you will have everything ready to study. Notes should be neat and organized and they should make sense to you, so write them in the way that makes it easiest for you to understand and review. Experiment with different note styles, until you find the style that is best for you. You could ask to see your friends’ notes and get ideas from them about taking notes, but remember, what works for your friend might not work best for you. You have to develop the style that works best for you.
The next tip is to pace yourself. Learn small chunks of math at a time, don’t try to cram for math. Math needs to be studied consistently and practiced, practiced, practiced. Set aside a chunk of time to study math everyday. It could be an hour, or thirty minutes, but do it consistently everyday.
Don’t lose hope. You may make a lot of mistakes when doing your practice problems, but this is how you learn. Realize that for every mistake that you make, you have learned something and you are on your way to understanding math better. So if you make a mistake, then take the time to understand what you did wrong. Try and figure it out yourself first, then if you still don’t understand what you did wrong, look at the detailed solution to the problem. If you still can’t figure it out, then ask a friend or instructor, or T.A. Think of yourself as an infant learning to walk. How many times does that infant fall, but he picks himself up and tries again and again until he succeeds. It may takes days or weeks, but that infant has the drive to keep trying until he is walking across the room.
Another really good tip is to read the book and try to learn the math concept by yourself before your teacher or professor goes over it in class. Not only will you understand it better, but you will also be able to pay attention more and get more from the lecture. The lecture will provide a good review for you and if there is something you don’t understand, you will be able to ask the teacher while he is going over the concept. So, remember it is always better to be one step ahead.
So, if math is troubling you, don’t worry. You just have to work at it. Hopefully these tips will help you work smart so you don’t have to work hard.
