how 2 improve poor math

[TerU]

HI< :D how r everyone here.....
i juz simply came by fate,i'm hving a problem..here,hope some1 can help me...giving some Opinion
I 1 2 ask,:how 2 improve poor math..(myself is weak in math&hving forgetful problem)
is that practise more like others said is the only way?
i'm also a ppl that easy give up when stuck half way,no good friends can help,what shall i do??
thanks everyone> :D :P

[bush]

yes, the only way to improve is by doing exercises when u have finish learning a topic.

If u can't make urself sit down and do it, then i guess u should drop mathematics

[Tasslehoff]

yeaps, just as bush said. You should do lots of exercises and when you get stuck on a question.. keep trying different ways of approaching the question.. do not give up!

[vseehua]

and do ask for help from your friends and teachers if you are really stuck..

mathematics is very dynamic, so do make sure that you understand what a particular equation really means..that'll help you out a lot in the future :)

[yuckfou]

Probably you try to get to indulged into math when you're doing math. That sounds ironic, but you should try not to get too tensed up with math. Try to think outside the box. Maybe you think too much about numbers and equations.

To tell you the truth, I hated math when I was in high school. But then, I was a math tutor at college for 2 years. That's ironic too. I kept telling my students not to get too mathematical with the problems. Many solutions to the problems can be well illustrated using diagrams and drawing graphs. It'll give you a better perspective to look at problem from a different angle.

Peace out...

[Tasslehoff]

I take maths problem as more of a 'challenge' and 'adventure' :P cause sometimes we just have to use different approaches to the question.. and when you solve a really hard question, the reward is satisfaction! :D

[nwx86]

I also believe that maths requires lots and lots of practice...but understanding is even more important, especially in higher level maths, as in pre-U or Uni level. Practise on this matter enhances the understanding and makes recalling of the methods faster.
Should you find some sums particularlt hard and are stuck with it, then perhaps you may try taking a break and come back to it after some time...I helps for me...perseverance should be the word. As you do more correctly, you'll gain the confidence to do more. That's my opinion.

[youngyew]

It really depends on what you want to achieve, how you are faring now, what aspect you are weak at and what level of mathematics you are taking.

IF you are doing SPM maths and you find all the questions unfamiliar to you in the exam, then the fast way to gain more marks is no other than doing more exercise.

However, if you are taking a higher level of mathematical course, or you are simply stuck with "more difficult" questions, then this way doesn't always work. I agree particularly with what yuckfou said, that the more "mathematically orientated" you are while you are doing questions, the more prone you are to see the whole picture of the questions. So in this kind of questions, try to picture the questions in your brain or in a diagram, and think about what it really means before you get into the meaningless algebra. It will always help this way, even up to the level of Olympiad mathematics or university math major.

Hope that helped.

[James_Padfoot]

*Le sigh* I think I may just be doomed to fail math. But I know that, that mentality will not help me any further. I've tried 'thinking outside the box' and practicing it, but somehow, I just cant seem to grasp it. I honestly don't know what's wrong with me. I suppose everyone has the same complaint, and I shall struggle in this perilous journey towards an A1 in Add Math & Math, however I do not know how to reach my goal.

Some people have it, and some people (aka me) dont. However reading your advice was helpful, so I'll keep it in mind.

[day_dreamer]

yo,

all you guys out there preparing for SPM 2006,

just curious....how many Math Tamb questions u guys do weekly ??

Well i pull up my own socks and did 100 questions weekly since Jan 1..(show off) 8)

[DecentMerson]

yo,

all you guys out there preparing for SPM 2006,

just curious....how many Math Tamb questions u guys do weekly ??

Well i pull up my own socks and did 100 questions weekly since Jan 1..(show off) 8)


quality is much more important than quantity... understand what u are doing is much more important than doing it by brute force, and memorizing it(although u will still be able to get ur A in SPM, but it's not going to do u any good because you won't be able to do that forever)... as long as u understand what u are doing... just do the questions from the text will do... after understanding it, just do enough to get a hang of it... and that's good...

[pinkpau]

yo,

all you guys out there preparing for SPM 2006,

just curious....how many Math Tamb questions u guys do weekly ??

Well i pull up my own socks and did 100 questions weekly since Jan 1..(show off) 8)
oh my goodness ... you add maths MACHINE!!!

as for me, i barely do any. hahahaha. out of all my add maths exams (i think there were 8), i only passed once, and even that was like a .. 52%? bloody hell. haha nearing SPM i panicked and started doing latihan, but shit it didnt even go near a 100 questions per week! i think more like 2 sample papers a week or something.

[chenchow]

yo,

all you guys out there preparing for SPM 2006,

just curious....how many Math Tamb questions u guys do weekly ??

Well i pull up my own socks and did 100 questions weekly since Jan 1..(show off) 8)


quality is much more important than quantity... understand what u are doing is much more important than doing it by brute force, and memorizing it(although u will still be able to get ur A in SPM, but it's not going to do u any good because you won't be able to do that forever)... as long as u understand what u are doing... just do the questions from the text will do... after understanding it, just do enough to get a hang of it... and that's good...

Fully agree with decentmerson. It is the quality that matters the most. Do try to understand what you are doing, and don't just do blindly. Being able to solve the questions is just a short term solution, understanding it is a long-term one.

[okaywhy]

Fully agree with decentmerson. It is the quality that matters the most. Do try to understand what you are doing, and don't just do blindly. Being able to solve the questions is just a short term solution, understanding it is a long-term one.

I agree with you, but it does take a lot of time to understand and ponder upon a topic while in the mean time, the peers around have familiarized themselves with loads of pass year questions despite neglecting the understanding process :(

Who's going to score higher in the exams?

[ohmygod]

Fully agree with decentmerson. It is the quality that matters the most. Do try to understand what you are doing, and don't just do blindly. Being able to solve the questions is just a short term solution, understanding it is a long-term one.

I agree with you, but it does take a lot of time to understand and ponder upon a topic while at the mean time, the peers around have familiarized themselves with loads of pass year questions despite neglecting the understanding process :(

Who's going to score higher in the exams?


Math is about passion and patience.

[day_dreamer]

Math is about passion and patience.

The best quote to suit Mathematics, thanks ohmygod, u just gave me the best phrase to describe Mathematics after studying them for 13 years :P .

What drives me to to 100 Add Maths per week? - Passion
What drives me to sit down and solve the questions? - Patience

[okaywhy]

What drives me to to 100 Add Maths per week? - Passion
What drives me to sit down and solve the questions? - Patience

Passion about math or passion about scoring math?

[ohmygod]

Math is about passion and patience.

The best quote to suit Mathematics, thanks ohmygod, u just gave me the best phrase to describe Mathematics after studying them for 13 years :P .

What drives me to to 100 Add Maths per week? - Passion
What drives me to sit down and solve the questions? - Patience

haha....The way you try to interpret my sentence seems interesting.

Well, I once saw a person in my previous college...many people think he is a mathematics genius...

Whether he is a genius or not, this one I can't conclude...But he really have great passion in mathematics. I took several courses with him, every time i stepped inside the classroom, he's the one sitting beside the corner, taking out a piece of paper, indulging into his mathematics world. No matter what classes he was taking, you
can see him solving mathematics problems.

Not to mention he aces the exams. But, he knows the theories beyond the text. He does a lot studies by himself. Once inside class, the lecturer taught us to find the roots of polynomial order 3, using long division, he raised his hand, " why not using XXX rule, much more easier", the lecturer opened the mouth big "What rule is it???, not even heard before"...

[day_dreamer]

ohmygod, that's one good friend you got over there..

i also have a friend who also indulge in maths since primary school....
She had finished the Matematik Moden syllabus since standard 6 , kinda terrible isn't it.
She also represent Malaysia in the annual Olympiad Mathematic Competition in Hong Kong at age 12 , though she only won some consolation prize.. :(

[jiingjiunn]

For me is:
Perseverence.... Always perservere until you got the answer for a certain question

Perception....Always percept the questions like how you percept your life and everything around you. Never look maths as just numbers

Passion....You have to have passion to enable to not hate exam math as it is too repetitive for my taste.

And finally
Patience & Practice....Do lots of excercise is necessary to prepare you mentally. Patience.. practice makes perfect