There’s no way to avoid math in Singapore. From primary all the way to tertiary, math is one of the key subjects. Many of my students have a frustrating time studying and preparing for math exams, but it doesn’t always have to be so. Here are 8 tips to make studying for math a little less painful and get one step closer to ace your math exams!
1. Start from the basics
Start from the basics and make sure you get them right before progressing on to more advanced topics. This isn’t something you can do at the last minute. Be conscientious from the start of the new school year and. Trying the advanced topics without having a strong foundation will make you lost and frustrated.
2. Stay attentive in class
When I’m teaching, there will always be some students who are day dreaming, secretly using their mobile phones or just talking with them friends. This is a huge waste of time and makes studying for their exams an uphill battle. Make sure that you are attentive in class. If for any reason you have to skip any classes, ensure that you catch up with it soon. Take notes from fellow students or talk to the teacher if you have to.
3. Always ask questions
Many students are too shy to ask questions, even if it is one of the best ways to clear their doubts. If you are looking to ace your math exams, make sure that you ask questions in class. You can ask questions during class or privately after the lesson. Many students in Singapore have private tuition or attend lessons at tuition centres. These lessons typically have lesser students, which makes it easier to ask the tutor to explain and clear any doubts.
4. Always complete your homework
Completing homework on time at all times is one of the best ways to learn the concepts of mathematics. This allows you to follow what your teacher is teaching and makes your time in school so much more productive! If you are doing your homework on time, you will be able to cover majority of the topics even before you start revising for the exams.
5. Designate a space to study for math exams
This applies not just to math, but to revising for exams in general. This is the reason why you need immense amount of focus and concentration. So, isolate a place for yourself to study where you can avoid all the distractions. Create a habit of studying in the same place at the same time.
6. Practice a lot
If you want to ace math exams just make sure that you practice the a lot of math problems. Try all kinds of questions, not just questions that you can solve. When you will have practiced a particular problem in all different forms you will have no difficulty solving them during the exam.
One additional tip that I give my students is to remember which questions they got wrong. After learning the correct way to answer the question, try doing the question again the next day. If you are able to do the question, you have learnt well and is now one step closer to acing your exams.
7. Sleep and eat well
Make sure that you sleep and eat well before the exam. You will want to be completely relaxed at the time of the exam. Lack of sleep will not allow you to focus properly. Also, do not go empty stomach inside the exam room. Eat something light and healthy.
8. Calm yourself before the exams
Once you are at your desk in the examination hall or room, breathe deeply a few times before the question paper is handed to you in order to calm yourself. When you are calm and relaxed you will be able to focus better. Try not to do last minute revision and be furiously flipping through your notes right before entering the exam hall. This makes you frazzled and not in the right frame of mind.
Apply these 8 tips and take a big step towards acing math!