Of all the classes and subjects in school, math is the one that strikes fear into the hearts of many young students. Even in adults, feelings of fear and anxiety might soon follow if they are faced with the prospect of having to do complex math. It makes it even worse that it will remain a required subject of study for students until they graduate.
Like any other skill, however, your talent at math can be developed. With the right techniques, study, and practice, you could find yourself more comfortable with the subject than you used to be. To that end, we have created this list of techniques devised by tutors at Mathnasium for being better at math.
Without further ado, here they are:
One of the qualities most commonly associated with math is that it is boring. In reality, math exists in nearly every aspect of human life. From the phones you hold in your hand to the construction of your house, math is everywhere. That means there is no limit to the number of ways you can make math interesting.
This could mean trying to find the math behind your video games, or watching interesting science fiction films that make great use of mathematical concepts. If you learn to associate it with excitement, you might be able to absorb the concepts and skills more easily.
There is a reason why your teachers assign homework. It is so that you can navigate the complexities of the subject more easily when the time comes that you’ll need them. Maybe you’ll only ever need these skills during tests, or maybe you’ll be involved in a career that makes heavy use of math. Whatever the case may be, it is still important to practice.
Try to solve problems on your own time if you can. There are also plenty of educational materials on the internet for you to follow should you desire. If you can, ask your teacher for practice problems as well. Who knows—they might even count this as extra credit to boost your marks.
There will come a time when you will have to memorize dozens of formulas in your studies, which can be a daunting task. Where would you even begin with these formulas? How would you be able to commit them to memory?
Luckily, there are plenty of memory tricks you can use to make sure you remember all the formulas, postulates, and theorems you might need to. One is the use of mnemonic devices, such as SOH CAH TOA for trigonometry. Another trick is to write down the formulas on pieces of paper and tape them to your room’s various walls. Related concepts should go on the same walls.
That way, you will create location-based associations in your brain. For example, a specific formula could be placed on the North side of your room, next to your bedroom window. Since it is highly unlikely that you will forget what your room looks like, you might just end up remembering what your room looks like with all these formulas plastered on the walls.
As with any other skill or endeavor, math can get easier if you just take the time to practice. You might not think you’ll need it in the future, but the fact of the matter is, you need it now. With some learning techniques designed by our best Mathnasium tutors, you can become the math whiz you never thought you’d be.
If you do end up needing help, however, Mathnasium tutoring is just around the corner. Just send us at Mathnasium Summerside a message. We help kids in grades 2–12 understand math by teaching in a way that makes sense to them.
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