Suggestion: Pretend to be a professor! 3. Mix it up. Create your own practice test (or find a friend and make tests for each other) by choosing problems from a variety of Although your homework assignments often only cover sections. Reorder them, so when you are one concept at a time, exams usually cover multiple working through the test you won’t know concepts, in no particular order; thus, you will need to what section it came from. know how to quickly identify types of problems and the methods to solve them. Suggestion: Make flashcards with problems on the front and solutions on the back. When studying for an exam, mix up the types of Shuffle them up and quiz yourself! Work problems you’re practicing to practice identifying and through the entire problem or just make sure solving different concepts quickly. you can recall the steps. Suggestion: Look through the problems sections at the end of chapters and try to 4. Combine concepts. identify what techniques are required to solve each problem. Work through In Mathematics courses, concepts and techniques you problems that need more than one. learn later in the course usually build upon things you learned earlier. Suggestion: Ask your professor about connections between concepts and Try to do problems that involve multiple concepts that suggestions for problems that involve are going to be on the exam multiple concepts. 5. Make sure you can do it on your own. Suggestion: Start by doing problems with resources and no time constraint, then move to no resources and no time It’s easy to feel like you know how to solve a problem constraint, and finally try no resources and a when you are looking at solutions, following an time constraint. example, or watching someone else do it. Suggestion: Simulate exam conditions. Sit Before your test, you should be able to work problems down in a place similar to the testing without looking at solutions or using any resources you environment and take a practice test. Time wouldn’t have on an exam (e.g. a calculator or formula yourself and only use resources that you will sheet). be given on the test. Do this long enough before the actual test to continue studying if It’s also important to practice under time pressure, to you’ve determined you aren’t quite ready get yourself used to solving problems more quickly than yet! you might be used to. Additional Resources: Ten Rules of Good/Bad Studying (excerpted from “A Mind for Numbers”) SLU’s handout on “Success in Mathematics”
3. Mix it up. Although your homework assignments often only cover one concept at a time, exams usually cover multiple concepts, in no particular order; thus, you will need to know how to quickly identify types of problems and the methods to solve them. When studying for an exam, mix up the types of problems you’re practicing to practice identifying and solving different concepts quickly. Suggestion: Pretend to be a professor! Create your own practice test (or find a friend and make tests for each other) by choosing problems from a variety of sections. Reorder them, so when you are working through the test you won’t know what section it came from. Suggestion: Make flashcards with problems on the front and solutions on the back. Shuffle them up and quiz yourself! Work through the entire problem or just make sure you can recall the steps. 4. Combine concepts. In Mathematics courses, concepts and techniques you learn later in the course usually build upon things you learned earlier. Try to do problems that involve multiple concepts that are going to be on the exam Suggestion: Look through the problems sections at the end of chapters and try to identify what techniques are required to solve each problem. Work through problems that need more than one. Suggestion: Ask your professor about connections between concepts and suggestions for problems that involve multiple concepts. 5. Make sure you can do it on your own. It’s easy to feel like you know how to solve a problem when you are looking at solutions, following an example, or watching someone else do it. Before your test, you should be able to work problems without looking at solutions or using any resources you wouldn’t have on an exam (e.g. a calculator or formula sheet). It’s also important to practice under time pressure, to get yourself used to solving problems more quickly than you might be used to. Suggestion: Start by doing problems with resources and no time constraint, then move to no resources and no time constraint, and finally try no resources and a time constraint. Suggestion: Simulate exam conditions. Sit down in a place similar to the testing environment and take a practice test. Time yourself and only use resources that you will be given on the test. Do this long enough before the actual test to continue studying if you’ve determined you aren’t quite ready yet! Additional Resources: Ten Rules of Good/Bad Studying (excerpted from “A Mind for Numbers”) SLU’s handout on “Success in Mathematics”
How-to-Study-for-Math-Classes-v4.docx