Math is hard – there is no way around it. Math is frustrating. Math is incredibly complicated and gets more so the more you study it. We know it, you know it – otherwise, you probably would not have been here, reading this article. Unfortunately, math is also one of the most important disciplines to study if you intend to pursue any kind of career-related to technology. You simply cannot do without it.
While some people take to it naturally and seem to be thoroughly enjoying themselves throughout their time studying it, others are not so lucky. Every bit of homework is torture. Every new topic looks completely incomprehensible. After an hour of solving problems, you feel like you have spent this time hauling cinderblocks. Does it feel familiar? Some students believe that if you have a hard time studying math, it is simply not for you. However, in reality, things are not that simple. Chances are, you can get noticeably better at math irrespectively of your age – if you really want to. Just like most other skills, math is something that you acquire in the course of life, not something you are born with. Apply enough effort, and you will get better at it. But how do you do it? Let’s take a closer look.
Work on Your Weaknesses
If you run into trouble when solving a particular type of problem, you have to focus on it until you deal with this obstacle. If you cannot solve a problem or need help working on a project, get all the help you need. Consult your teacher/professor, ask a classmate who is better at math than you are, contact an online math assignment help service – do whatever is necessary to get you through your current predicament. However, after that, you should make a note to return to the troublesome problem a few days later and see if you can solve it on your own. Make a point of solving similar problems on a regular basis until you are sure you can easily deal with tasks of this kind.
Practice
The time you spend on math in class is not nearly enough to achieve any noticeable increase in your mastery of this discipline. For every hour you spend in math classes, you have to spend at least three hours independently solving problems, brushing up your theory, and performing other math-related activities. It is not enough to understand how something is done – you have to make it automatic, make it your second nature. You will not achieve anything if you only start practicing when you prepare for a test. Just like mastering piano or violin comes from practicing it daily, the same is true for math.
Learn from Your Failures
If you do badly on an important test or exam, do not simply hope for the next one to be easier. Do not try to forget this humiliation. Instead, go through everything you did wrong during the exam and try to work out the right solutions. Go to your instructor and discuss what went wrong and how you can set it right. Ask someone with a better understanding of the problematic topic to help you out with it. Do not move on until you are 100 percent sure you are not going to make the same mistakes again.
Learn to Take Tests
How well you do at college tests is not determined solely by your knowledge of math. Test-taking is a skill in and of itself, and as tests play an important role in determining your final grade, you should put some effort into learning how to do it. Do not charge blindly through your test. Look through it first and start with problems that seem to be the easiest. It is not a good idea to spend half of your time trying to solve the most difficult problem, finally, decide that you cannot do it after all and discover that you do not have enough time to deal with problems you actually can solve.
Do not Get Behind
Math classes tend to progress fast and are interconnected. If you miss a lecture, you do not just miss the material taught during this particular class – chances are, the contents of the next class will build upon what you were supposed to learn during the previous one. Even if you had to skip a class, always make a point of going through its materials before the next one. Borrow someone’s notes, read through the relevant textbook chapters, practice solving problems.
Strive to Attend All Classes
Do not tell yourself that you are going to catch up later. Maybe you will, maybe you won’t. However, numerous studies show that attendance is heavily intertwined with grades. The more classes a student misses, the more likely he/she is to get a lower grade. Do not let yourself fall into this trap. Do not compromise with yourself. Attend class.
Math can be a brutal and tiring discipline to study, even if you have an aptitude for it. However, it is also extremely rewarding – in terms of both the experience itself and the future benefits you can reap if you master it. Follow these tips, and you will find that it is much less challenging and difficult than you may have been led to believe.