Math Study Skills

Hi!

Currently in honors pre-calc this year, I get you. I'm going to give the best advice I can (hopefully it helps!).

First and foremost is to try and understand the content BEYOND simple memorization or "correct" answers. This can be through asking questions, learning from your mistakes, etc. If you have a kind teacher who is willing to go through that with you, you can succeed! If your school offers tutoring, feel free to go there too! I like to think of the content I learn as a picture: what we learn or test on is the zoomed-in portion, but plenty in the background also exists! Oftentimes if you can begin to understand the background, the things you're being tested on will be clearer. (Granted, this is easier with some concepts than others. Trig identities + proofs are easier to understand on the whole than perhaps how to graph various non-linear functions since those have so many moving parts.) Review videos and explanations exist on Youtube as well. I haven't watched any videos yet but the Organic Chemistry Tutor helps a lot with math and science! Lastly, don't be afraid to ask a "dumb" question or to get questions wrong. STEM is a field that requires mistakes in order to learn. Number one would be to ask for help from a teacher or a tutor. If you have a friend in class who "gets it", maybe ask them for help too! I could also recommend certain skill-based programs like Brilliant, but those cost money and may not directly help you. If you are interested, however, they certainly are available! In general, see if you can zoom out of the content you're required to learn and instead focus on the ideas below all of that. Find a space where learning, growing, and mistakes are encouraged and get some hands-on help. Results will come if you stay consistent.

Hope this helps!! :)