Math is Different

 

Math requires different study processes.  In other courses, you learn and understand the material, but you're seldom asked to APPLY IT.  You have to apply the math to problems, however, by actually figuring them out. Math involves a linear learning process.  What you learn one day is used the next, and so forth.  In history, perhaps you can learn chapter 2 and not 3 and do OK on 4.  But in math, you must understand the material in chapter 1 before you go on to chapter 2. Math is much like a foreign language.  It needs to be practiced EVERY DAY, and often the VOCABULARY is unfamiliar. Math in the university is different from high school.  Instead of going to class every day as you did in high school, you go only two or three times a week in college.  And what took a year to learn in high school is now covered in only fifteen weeks or less.

 

 Reasons Why People Have Math Anxiety

· People don't try to understand; they just memorize.

· They are often under prepared, because learning math is

cumulative.

· How to Study Math

· Keep up--review notes after class.

· Take good notes--put everything from the board on paper.

· Read the text--and if you don't understand, get help.

· Find a study friend.

· Have a set time for completing your math homework. Treat it as a scheduled class. The math lab is a good place to do homework.

· How to Study for Math Exams

· Start at Day One--Do your homework.

· Memorize formulas--and use flashcards.

· Rework problems that you missed on the homework.

· Math is Problem Solving

· Read the full question.

· Analyze and compute.

· In each math problem, determine:

· What is given?

· What do you need to find?

· What do you need to do to solve the problem?

· Draw pictures--they can simplify the problem.

· Use calculator--do calculations twice.

· Check your results--then do the problem again, another way.

Test Taking Strategies Guidebook