Linda Lando is an expert on all things math. Thank you for sharing!
TAKING A MATH TEST AT ANY AGE/GRADE LEVEL: PRIORITIZE,
STREAMLINE, OPTIMIZE
Whether you’re an adult, teenager, or
school-age student, taking math tests is a normal part of your school
life. Regardless of your age, you’re busy with multiple commitments
between work, family, and extra-curricular activities. Here are a few
tips that will help you to get a strong result by prioritizing, streamlining,
and optimizing the precious time that you put into studying and into taking the
test itself.
Math tests are different from history,
English, and other exams. Rather than memorizing a lot of important facts
and concepts and then matching or writing or filling-in-the-blanks, math and
math tests expect you to perform. What does that mean? It’s not
enough to just define what something is—although that’s essential to
understanding—you have to apply your understanding of those definitions by
working through actual math exercises where you absolutely must show your work.
For that reason, you can never cram for a
math test or even a quiz. This bears repeating— CRAMMING FOR MATH TESTS
DOES NOT WORK! It can actually cause more problems as you draw
conclusions/hunt for patterns without sufficient background. It can also
lead to misconceptions that take more time to undo than they did to do.
The best way to study for a math test is to
keep up with your class work, and to ask for help from your teacher or
professor, when needed. Even if you can’t get your questions answered
during the scheduled, class time, most teachers are willing to meet with you
outside of class. Many have office hours or will make an
appointment. Generally speaking, they want to help; they’re not usually
in it for the money. If you show them that you are motivated and current
with your work, that goes A LOT further with them than if you’re just trying to
find an easy way out.
PRIORITIZE
Make your homework sessions a priority.
Your study area should be well lit and free of clutter. Your tummy
should not be completely empty or filled with fruit loops or gummy bears.
Give your brain a chance; you know what’s good for it.
As you do your regularly scheduled
homework, check your answers in the back of the book. Don’t check each
exercise each time, unless you’re having a lot of difficulty. Complete
each section or sub-section, and then check. Most textbooks have odd
answers in the back. And it’s not cheating to check your work. It’s
what ethical, smart people do. It’s like driving at night with your
headlights on.
Keep a list of the exercises/concepts that
are giving you some trouble. Give yourself a chance to process the
information. Math can take a little time to sink in, especially as it
gets more challenging. Go back to those problematic exercises at the end
of your homework session or even the next day when you’re fresh. Your
brain processes a lot of difficult information when you’re not thinking
directly about it. So take a break, and then see if it makes more sense.
If you still don’t get it, take your list
to class and be sure to ask during the homework review. If you absolutely
can’t get your question answered then, or no one else has asked the same
question, contact your teacher/professor ASAP (right after class). Don’t
wait; don’t let it go. The class will move on, and you’ll remain
stuck. Your teachers want to help you. Most of them chose their
profession for just that reason.
Once you’ve gotten help—although you may
still not understand what you were missing completely—find some homework
exercises (assigned or not) that are
exact replicas of the kind that are giving you trouble. Try to find
the odd numbered exercises, and make sure to look up the answers. If you
still need more help, ask for it. Try to take some time, and then do some
more exercises. It will come to you.
STREAMLINE
Learn how to streamline your
approach. Stay focused in class. Bikram says that this is the most
difficult part of yoga. Your math class may not be at the best time of
day for your biological clock. Welcome to the real world. Your
teacher may not have the best speaking voice, or may not give the greatest/most
intriguing presentations. That’s life.
Take notes that are neither post-its nor
novels. A good rule of thumb is that if the teacher/professor is writing
it, you should too. You don’t have to copy the board or the power point
presentation word-for-word, but pay special attention to what is presented to
you in writing, especially the specific examples. Those examples can save
you. Don’t be lazy and think, that it is probably in the text; I’ll look it
up later. The text may not be written in a style that’s all that easy to
comprehend. Your teacher is your translator. The more you write,
listen, and practice, the better and more deeply you’ll understand.
You know the cliché--it’s not “rocket science”.
Use all your resources when doing your
homework. Have the textbook for reference (or even emergencies); have
your class notes at hand. Don’t be afraid/unwilling to take a minute and
look something up. Math is a foreign language, and begins with
vocabulary. Math vocabulary is a technical language at any level, and you
won’t be able to either understand or communicate the concepts clearly if you
don’t know what the words mean. If you’re taking geometry or linear algebra
for the first time, you should have a specific section in your binder just for
vocabulary. It is key to your understanding!
OPTIMIZE
Optimize your results through
preparation. Hopefully you have plenty of warning before the
test. Whether you do or don’t, there should be a review section at
the end of each chapter. If you’re really lucky, your instructor has
given you a review guide or a set of review problems. Whether a review
has been assigned or not, it is up to you to prepare. Don’t be fooled
into thinking that you don’t have to do anything the week or night before the
test because the teacher didn’t assign anything. Hello! When an
instructor doesn’t assign work before a test, it’s because he or she wants you
to review on your own. I know that’s hard to imagine, but some teachers
will expect you to be self-regulating, and they don’t have the time to be
responsible for you. But you do have that time. If you’re wondering
what will be covered on the test, ask your teacher. If a review has not
been assigned, take your textbook/notes up to him/her and ask what you should
be focusing on in order to prepare well.
Do your test review in the same, conscious
manner you’ve done all your previous homework—regardless of whether or not your
review exercises are getting a separate grade. Make sure to look up
anything that looks foreign, or anything that has been giving you more
trouble. Your test grade, which is usually worth more weight than
homework, will improve because of your quality time and effort.
After a good night’s sleep and healthy
breakfast or lunch, you’re ready to go. Calmly peruse the exam before you
begin. Check to see how many exercises there are, and estimate the time
you’ll need for each. Don’t be afraid to look at the more difficult
exercises. It’s usually not a good idea to do those first or to leave
them for the last minutes. Don’t let those shake your confidence.
If you read them carefully at the beginning of the test session, and then go
back and read them again as you’re taking the test, your wonderful, mysterious
brain will begin to process the information in ways that the most sophisticated
of scientists cannot understand. Use the margins of the test to
write any formulas you may need and had to memorize. Show all your
work. If you need more space to show your work, find out if you can use
extra paper and make sure to turn it all in together.
Don’t let your time get sucked away by one
or two exercises. If something is giving you trouble, do what you
can. Then go back to it later.
Do not leave early! Use all your
time. As you go through the test, put a little mark next to any exercises
that you could not do or that were giving you trouble. Then go back to
those at the end, when you have time. Unless it’s the SAT or some other
standardized test that deducts more points for a wrong answer than a blank one,
don’t leave anything blank.
Breathe deeply to oxygenate your valuable
brain cells. Feel good about yourself. No matter what the outcome,
you’ve done your personal best. If you haven’t put in the quality time,
make some changes in your schedule and prepare better in the future.
By using these techniques, your grade and
understanding will improve.
If you still need more help, give me a
call. I’ve been through all that you are going through now, and I have
helped myself and many others to get a strong result.
twitter: @LindaLando
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