You can learn a lot from teachers, but you are going to have to learn a lot by yourself, sitting alone in a room.
- Dr. Seuss
How to Study for a Math Test
Have you ever done poorly on a math test even though you thought you understood all the material? If so, you don't have a math problem; you have a studying problem. I have taken many math courses over the years, and on this page, I will tell you what works for me. If you try it (really try it), I'm sure it will work for you as well. As you will see, studying for a math test does NOT begin the night before the test. It is an ongoing process.
The first step to easier, better studying is to keep an organized notebook. You should write anything that the teacher puts on the board. If she did not think it was important, she wouldn't bother to put it on the board. Keep your papers in order by date, and keep all of your graded papers. These are your study sheet! This way, when you begin to study for the test, you will have everything in order.
In addition, unless your teacher states otherwise, you should copy the instructions for each problem set, and copy the original problem. Every homework assignment you do is a study sheet for the test, but your study sheet will be worthless if it contains only answers and no questions. How helpful would it be if you were studying for a history test and I gave you a study sheet that said, "George Washington, Teddy Roosevelt, and Martin Van Buren." Not very helpful at all! You can't learn just the answers; you must also learn the questions, so make your job easier by keeping questions and answers together.
While you are doing your homework, you should also be sure to show all your work. I don't mean you have to do every single operation on paper. Your teacher understands that you will do some things mentally, but you should show enough of your work that someone who didn't know how to do the problem could get a good idea of how to do it by reading your work. You are actually helping yourself study when you do this.
Now, it is two nights before the test, and you are ready to study. "What?? Two nights?!" you say. "Yes, two nights," I say. If you wait until the night before the test to begin studying, you are "cramming" and not studying. Start early so that if there are problems, you have time to discuss them with your teacher before the day of the test.
So how should you study? Most people begin by reading over the work they have done. They make a mental list: "I remember how to do this one, and that one, and whenever a problem looks like that, the answer is zero....." The person using this method is just asking for trouble! No, the best way to study is to REWORK PROBLEMS! Do not just look at them. Sit down with a stack of blank paper and literally recopy and rework them until you can do them without looking back at the answers. Yes, it is more work, but you will be rewarded with better grades and longer lasting understanding of the material. (And by the way, you will find it easier to work if you have plenty of paper to write on. Do not be afraid to use some paper! You will learn a lot by just writing things down. Surprising, isn't it?)
Why does this method work? It is because when you rework the problems, you are forced to deal with the details that you forget when you read a finished problem. It is always easier to follow existing work than it is to think up the steps on your own. If you do not rework from scratch, then you may realize in the middle of the test that you have forgotten some of the steps. You will suddenly realize that you have questions you never thought about before. You will certainly be more likely to doubt yourself, and doubt causes you to block out what you really do know. On the other hand, confidence comes from practice, practice, practice, and practice means using some paper, writing some problems down and really working them from start to finish.
Reading previously worked problems is not the same as studying, just as reading a previously written essay is not the same as writing one. Trust me on this. I am the voice of experience here! While you are only reading, it is very easy to fool yourself into believing you know how to do the work.
Reprinted with permission from Randy Glasbergen.
Taking a math test is like giving a performance. You must practice to make the performance good. For example, when band people practice a piece of music, do they just read over the music? No! They actually get out their instruments and play the music just as it will be played in performance. When a football team practices, do they just walk through all their plays? No! The coach will tell you that "practice" means everyone puts on pads and does some running and hitting. Certainly, mathematics is no different.
To review: The best way to study for a math test is
1. Take good notes and keep them organized by
date.
2. When you do homework, copy the instructions
and problems.
3. Show your work so that the problem makes
sense.
4. Keep your graded homework and quizzes
organized.
5. Begin studying two nights before the test.
6. Rework your problems from start to finish. Use
some paper!
I wish you not luck, but success! Good luck is simply the result of good preparation.