How To Study For Math And Most School's Subjects

Here are some straegies to study for the peopel who have a hard time getting through a subject. These are very helpful tips and shortbuts to help the student do better.

Study Habits

Test Taking Skills

Have a Friends

Have a friend that is more successful in the subject. Get their number, screen name, ICQ number, anyways to contact them. Ask for help when you need it (not on tests!). Dont forget to give something back in return like take them to the movies or something, do somthing nice!

Teacher hints

Teachers WILL give hints on how to do better in the class. Even if they are a teacher that hates kids they still will give hints because they do not want all their kids to fail and have a bad record. They will always want to see a student secceed. An example of a hint is that when a teacher is telling the class what he/she will be teaching mext week will be a hint that the student should read over that part so they could do better.

Read Chapter Before it is Taught

Be sure to read teh chapter or lesson before it is taught by the teacher, that way the student can use the lesson taught by the teacher as a review. Before you review try to get the homework (for the future lessons) from the teacher, if a person do not have such luck in getting the homework then predict what will be. Skim the chapter/lesson once then read it agin. This way you can improve your skills and free up more time for run or studys. By doing this your classwork, homeowork, and tests will be easier. Besure to review your lessons and books every night.

Homework

Homework should be done before or on the day that it is assigned. That way a person do not have to do all of them on the night before the homework check. Which are almost on days of the test. Instead of studing your homeowork you could be doing what you normally do or studing. Which means an easier A.

Constant Flow of Studing

Do not make a habit of scattering time. Do not 'relax' for a couple weeks and then cram on the night before the test. Keep a constant flow of studying, study a little everyday so you do not have to freak out on the days before a test. Always assume the teacher will give a pop-quiz teh nextr day, even if the teacher does nnot like pop-quizes. This technique will be most rewarding.

Notes

It is always helpful to take down good notes in class.

Review

When reviewing for a quiz/test, review you past work and quizes. Try to figure out what you got wrong and why. Study for ecery type of tests no matter whar; open book, choice of questions, take home, etc..

Double Check Answers

Always double check your answers on quizes or homeowork.

Team-Studing

One of the best ways to study is to study as a group. Have group sessions. If it works in college, why can't it work in high school? This is a good was to study.

Test Taking Skills

Read Carefully

Read all your questions carefuilly and know what it si asking. A lot of students have trouble reading the problem and get the answer wrong. If you cannot understand tehm then move on to the easier questions first then come back to this question at then edn that way you can garentee the highest possible score.

From E to A

On a mutiple choice test read the answers from the last choice to the first choice. This is because there is a higher percentage that the test makers will try and tconfuse you thinking on choice A (first choice) than the choice E (last choice).

Translation on Verbal Problems

On verbal problems convert the verbal language into math so it will be easier to read. An example would be...

Some key words of this problem and many other problems are...

Now let's look at the problem (J - Jeff, I - Ike, K - Kenny)

Step 1 - J = 3 x I

Step 2 - I = 2 + K

Step 3 - S = y

Step 4 - J = 3 x I = 3 x (2 + y)

Which means the answer is 6 + 3y which is B.

Careful Subsitution

When making more than one subsitution, be careful how you solve it. The best way is usually to solve for one varible first then solve for the seocond with the first varible's value in place.

Start with parts with most information

In mutiple parts questions, start with the parts that contains the most amount of information and then move on to the parts with less information. That way it would be easier to do the problems.

Factoring Out Common Quantities

Often an equation in which compiund expressions are multiplied can be solved by factoring out common quanitites from each compound expression. Meaning you can factor out the value and the exponent from an equation to make it easier and more simple to solve.

Use Simple Subsitution

Do not get confused with unfamiliar symbols, use simple subsitution to solve this problem. Do not think the symbol means something that has meaning becuase most unfamiliar symbols susally have little meaning. If they dohave meaning the symbol is usually define in the problem. Unless a person do not know the chapter the that is the only reason it would be unfamiliar with meaning.

Try to Get Rid of Fractions

A person should always try to simplify the problems. A method of doing this would be to take out the fractions. For example which is easier to solve? (solve for C)

1/2b=12c

b=24c

The answers to this problem would be c = b/24 which was easily solved with the second equation.

Choice without element

When a question asks you to find an exception, look for some element common to four of the five choices (SAT). THe chocice without that elemenet is your answer. It does not have to be four of five, it can be three of 4, or 2 of 3 etc. The different ones with the different value or varible is usually the answer. Not that this is rare and does not show itself often. Becareful using the method.

Unneccessary Information

Unneccessary information can hurt you, be sure to be careful when reading problems with a lot of information. NOt all problems require all the information given. Solve for the answer with as limited resources as possible. If you find yourself thinking, "How does this fit in with the problem?" Simpliy write down the answer you got and move on. Come back to it when you are done with the test.

Don't Waste Time Picking Strategies

Never spend too much time trying to figure out which is the best strategy or shortbut you need to solve a problem. If you think up of mutiple ways, and the first one you thought up of let's you solve for hte answer, then go for it!

Common Sense

Sometimes you will find the common sense or logic can be easier to solving a question. If you see it plain an simple then just answer it, but be sure you are right. The only exception to this is if your teacher requires you to show the work.

Factoring Makes The Difference

Factoring often makes comparison possible. For example,

Which is larger?

999 x 1001 or 1000 x 1000

If you cannuse a calculation on this problem you would factor them and finally get the answer that the second on is larger than the first one.

X Can be 0

Just a simple reminder that Xs can be anything. It can be 0s or a nagative number.