Exam season is often the toughest period of a student’s life, and the math exam is one tough nut to crack. However, what if I told you that there is a way to get rid of the math anxiety?
Yes, you can get rid of math phobia by preparing diligently and seeking help from online resources like online IB Maths tutor. Thus, I’ve compiled a list of 7 effective ways to help you prepare for your upcoming math exam and excel without much hustle. So, let’s dive straight in!
7 Effective Tips to Prepare for Your Math Exam
To get the best results in exams, the first thing is to cultivate good study habits like starting early and doing your homework daily that help you retain knowledge in the long run. For that, you would have to go through the strategies listed below and implement them in real life to see a drastic change in your grades.
Learning Methods
There are four common learning methods: visual (diagrams or drawings), aural (discussions or stories), verbal (reading or writing), and kinesthetic learning (hands-on activities), which help in deeper understanding.
Many people say that you must adopt a learning method that suits you the best. However, in math, different problems require different learning methods. Thus, you must be open to adopting all practices, depending on the comprehension level of each problem.
For example, sometimes you might understand better after looking at the diagrams, while some other days, you might retain more knowledge by practicing it yourself.
Time Management
Time management is vital during exams, as many students often fail to finish their exams within the designated duration. Thus, you must learn to use the time efficiently to excel in exams. Here is a list of some time management tips that might help you.
- Make a to-do list, set workable goals for each day, and stick to it (Remember to add breaks here and there in the schedule).
- Learn to prioritize tasks that are of greater importance.
- Create a study schedule to help you save time.
- Take the time you need to learn efficiently, be it one hour or three hours for one subject.
- Work on the topics that tend to overwhelm you for 10-15 minutes each day.
- Limit any distractions during the time you are studying.
- Make sure to get plenty of rest and stay hydrated.
- Reward yourself every time you are done with a tough task.
Use these tips to work on difficult concepts and theorems to get a better understanding.
Create a Study Group
The best technique to learn something complex like math is to join a study group, or better yet, you can create a study group yourself by gathering students who share the same interests as yours.
Within a study group, you get to solve your doubts and queries and explore a wider spectrum of knowledge that is far broader than yours. It can help you stay on track, retain more knowledge, promote mutual learning, and get insider tips to prepare for the upcoming exams.
Quick Tip:
However, you must remember that the study group doesn’t get too big, or it can be too loud and hard to organize.
Practice Tests and Mock Exams
If you wish to get rid of your math anxiety, the only ideal solution is to practice, as the more you use your brain, the stronger your muscle memory will become.
You can start by redoing the problems already done before to become better at them. Then, rework the past tests and old homework to increase self-confidence and strengthen the brain muscle. When you become proficient at those problems, start looking for mock exams online to challenge yourself.
Doing this will help you address the issue most students deal with, i.e., understanding which approach to use to solve the problem.
Use Flashcards
Flashcard is an effective revision method where one side of the card contains the question, and the other side has the answer. It uses active recall and trains your brain to find the information you have learned. The best way to use flashcards to succeed in an exam is to:
- Use images and colors and associate a certain topic with them to trigger your memory.
- You can also use it to test yourself and learn better.
- Try to ask a family member to use these flashcards to test you. Doing so will improve interaction and engagement in the test.
- On one side of the card write an acronym that spells out what is on the other side.
- You can also make digital flashcards using the Quizlet app.
These tips for using flashcards will help you succeed in retaining knowledge better than traditional learning methods.
Learn to Improve from Your Mistakes
Math is a subject that is often related to the topic you have previously learned in class. However, if you do forget the previous topic, no worries, as it is very common to forget the older concepts.
But, what is necessary is to understand where you went wrong, why it happened, and how to fix it. If you leave knowledge gaps and move on, you will never be able to get the hang of the concept, and as a result, will start feeling overwhelmed with a lack of knowledge.
Thus, next time you get your graded test back, find your mistakes and note them to understand the areas for improvement. This is also a good strategy that can change your perspective towards life in the long run.
Don’t Hesitate to Get Help
Embracing your struggling self can be hard when you have grown up to believe that struggling is a sign of weakness. However, the truth is that it’s all just a process of learning new things and gaining skills.
Thus, if you ever struggle to solve problems, make sure to seek help from your friends, family, or teachers. You can even seek assistance from the online website or tutoring videos.
In a world that is fueled by technology, there are plenty of resources available that can help you address issues related to difficult concepts and theorems. You can search e-books, and lecture notes, and use video tutorials for learning that aim to offer the required help on your doorstep.
Conclusion
Math can be a complex subject for many students, but it shouldn’t be something that is affecting your student life and causing you immense stress. Thus, I recommend you go through these strategies and implement them in real life to see improvement in your grades.
However, if you ever find yourself struggling with anything during your exam preparation, don’t hesitate to ask for help!
