Math can seem daunting to study for due to how complex it can seem at times. As a student taking IB Analysis and Approaches Math, as well as HL Chemistry and SL Physics (two sciences that heavily involve calculations), here are some tips I use to study for these courses. This article will focus on Mathematics, but many tips here will be applicable to other subjects, specifically Chem and Physics.
Note Taking vs Practice
I used to make summary notes before each test as an easy way to review the knowledge of the unit. What I found, however, is that it would become the main focus of my studying and it would consume too much valuable studying time.
“You can’t get buff by looking at pictures of buff people, you get buff by going to the gym and grinding.”
My chemistry teacher said that. Similarly, making summary notes are useful but they’re not the most effective way to study for math - you’re copying things down which isn’t exactly the most engaging for your brain, and so minimum learning occurs. The real learning occurs when you’re actively applying your brain on practice questions. Unlike other subjects like Biology, math tests focus more on skill and application rather than whether or not you’re able to memorize specific facts.
Note taking in general is very time consuming. In Semester 1, I wanted to make individual, pretty notes every day from the (less pretty) notes I took during lessons before going onto the homework. This was very time consuming, and before long I fell behind on the homework. I eventually learned from this mistake and reversed the order - homework first, notes second. I learned to build practice through homework, and reinforced knowledge through taking notes only on the things that I needed to remember. For me, doing the homework and not making any individual notes at all yielded better grades than making nice notes and not doing any homework, because when I practice I’m putting that brain to work.
How to Practice
So how does one practice? The ultimate goal of practice is to build familiarity in the skill as well as to understand the process.
Remember: perfect practice makes perfect. Make sure you’re applying your knowledge correctly, using the methods you’re supposed to be using. Going back to the working out example, doing any sort of exercise is useless if your form isn’t correct. Make sure that you understand the correct process of how to get to the solution - WHY are you doing what you’re doing? Why that specific method? A good rule of thumb I use to see if I understand something is if I try to teach it to someone else. If I can explain something in a way that someone else can understand, then that generally means I also have a good understanding of the topic. Helping your friends with their questions can help you too!
While doing homework, make note of the questions you have the most difficulty with. Always try them first, if you can’t figure out the answer that’s fine - ask peers, friends, your teacher, people on the Internet even. YouTube has some awesome channels that explain math concepts quite well, I find Khan Academy and The Organic Chemistry Tutor (don’t let the name fool you, they make videos on math too like this one on compound interest) quite helpful. Make sure you understand how the solution works for the difficult question. When you’re doing practice problems for the test, go back and do these difficult homework questions again and see if you can do them with less difficulty and more understanding.
When doing homework, don’t cut corners! Small things like rounding might not seem like much, but they’re still worth marks. Don’t tell yourself “I’ll just round on the test.” Start building these habits now so when you do write the test, they come naturally. When doing homework, ask yourself: How would I do this question if it were on a test?
Finally, practice requires consistency for the skills to set in. You can’t just cram these skills all in one night, just like how you can’t do one big workout and expect results. If you find that you can’t make time for all of the homework problems, look through them and choose a couple of the most difficult ones to do.
Making Effective Math Notes
While notes shouldn’t be your main focus, they can be helpful for remembering key concepts. Communication is key: you don’t need to label everything but ensure that you’re able to understand the process by reading it. I like to use arrows and I sometimes label steps so when I’m looking back at them later, I understand how the process flows. You don’t need this level of communication for homework and tests, but it’s helpful for yourself when note taking since it makes it easier to look back on the information.
Tools
Something that I feel like isn’t emphasized enough is being familiar with your tools, especially the ones you’re allowed to use on tests. With mathematics, in most cases that is your graphing calculator and your formula booklet. You don’t want to waste precious test time looking for things in your formula booklet or trying to figure out how to use your calculator. Integrate these tools into your homework - while it may be tempting to use online resources like Desmos (which are easier to use and also free), you won’t be able to access these resources on a test, so be familiar with your tools! I personally primarily use my graphing calculator and formula booklet, and only use online resources like Desmos if I want to check an answer.
To conclude, to study for math tests focus primarily on applying your knowledge through practice. I like to use note-taking only as a way to remember key concepts. Familiarize yourself with these concepts and methods, as well as your tools.
Comments