General Math On-line

 Math Tips

 Write Things Down:

Show your work. You may run into a similar problem later. Solving a second problem is easier if you have a model to refer to.

Writing down information from the problem can help generate ideas for solving the problem. Diagrams, numbers, ideas can help jog your memory and possibly point you to a solution.

Many instructors give partial credit for work in progress. Leaving a question blank guarantees you will lose all the points.

Writing things down helps people focus on the problem. It helps keep you from getting distracted or letting anxiety take over.

 

Write Neatly and Be Organized:

Give yourself enough room on your paper to work out the problem. Just because there are 20 problems on a half page in your text doesn't mean that you can fit the work for all 20 problems on a half page.

Label your problems. You may want to refer to previous work to help with a later problem. You can't do that if you can't find where you worked out the problem.

 

Understand the Problem:

Read the problem a couple of times before you start working on it. Make sure you know what the problem is asking you to do.

Once you know what the problem is asking, estimate the answer. Ask yourself, "What kind of answer can I expect?" Your estimation doesn't have to be perfect it should just be close enough to tell you if your final answer is reasonable. (ex. If you were asked to convert 6.5 feet into inches, you should say, "Inches are smaller than feet therefore I will need more inches than feet. My final answer must be larger than 6.5")

After you calculate your final answer, step back and ask yourself, "does my answer make sense?" It's very easy to make a simple calculation error such as putting a decimal in the wrong place. If you take a second look at your answer, you can catch these simple errors.

 

Understand Yourself:

Give yourself a chance to solve the problem. Most real-world problems can't be solved in a matter of a few seconds.  You may have to reread and try a problem several times.  There is nothing wrong with making a mistake or two in trying to solve a problem.  The idea is to learn from your mistakes and keep trying.

Check your answers against the answer key frequently. If you do 20 problems before you check your answers, you may have done 20 problems the wrong way. This is not only wasting your time but you are also reinforcing bad habits.

Be honest with yourself when you check your answers. Checking your answer and finding you got it right, probably means that you know how to do that problem. Checking your answer, finding you were wrong, and saying "Oh I know how to do it now", isn't the same as getting it right the first time. You probably need to study some more.

Ask for help when you need it. Don't give up on a problem too quickly but, at the same time, don't spend hours trying to solve a single problem. If you have made an honest effort at trying to solve the problem, don't hesitate to ask for help when things aren't working out.

Thanks to John Pluemer for writing this page.

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