The vast majority of high school students will have to study maths at some point, and a lot of them will find it super difficult. Chances are, you’re one of those students. If you want to learn how to study maths effectively and still get good grades, then you’re in the right place.
Understand the content
Maths questions require you to apply concepts to lots of different situations, so you have to understand what you’re doing. The best way to not get lost is to ask your teacher for help. They’ll be happy to explain anything you need for you. If you still don’t get what you’re meant to be doing, there’s tons of Youtube videos explaining maths out there: my personal favourite is corbettmaths.
Focus on weaknesses
There’s probably a maths topic that you absolutely despise: Statistics? Algebra? Integrals? Whatever it is, focus your attention on that topic. You don’t want to sit your maths exam, only to find out the 6 marker is on your worst topic. You can very easily find topic-specific questions on websites like physicsandmathstutor or you can read through past papers to find your own.
Don’t take shortcuts
One of the biggest mistakes people make when studying maths is looking at a question and thinking, “yeah, I know this,” then moving to the next one. Don’t cut corners – do each question, no matter how easy you think it is. You might find yourself making silly mistakes, so practice the simple things too. If you find yourself constantly looking for a reason to cut corners, then you might be demotivated. This post can help you with that.
Practice makes perfect
In order to do well on maths exams, you need to regularly practice your skills. The best way is to do a few minutes of maths questions a day – even 15 minutes is enough. Focus on the topic you’re learning in school, but make sure to revise older topics too. If you don’t know where to find practice questions, your textbook probably has some, but physicsandmathstutor is also a great resource for revision.
Past papers
Past papers are a great way to study because they’re literally a simulation of the real exam. To find past papers online, just search your exam board and the paper component. Aim to do all of the available papers before your final exam, and if you finish those, you can find some shadow papers online as well. While doing past papers, you might notice patterns in the types of questions the examiners ask, which can prepare you even more for the real thing.
