What's the best way to study maths?

[ZF Lee]

It's all about motivation. Funny how people learn how to add or subtract as soon as they feel like the cashier didn't give them back the right amount of change.

Please post a sample problem here and let's go through your thought process on solving it.

I hope its a tax question!

In my country, apparently the SST tax has more paperwork. More oversight and records to be sent to the officer. Even selling scrap, which are basically residuals from industrial processes, is TAXED. I'm pretty sure there are legal ways to reduce it, but the folks just say no and shake their heads.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[MJ DeMarco]

Math is the language of the universe so it is recommended you know it pretty well. Perhaps not Calculus, but a good understanding of it, like probability, statistics, etc.

As someone who trades options regularly, I use math daily, several times per day. Especially expected value calculations.

 

[hoponthebop]

Math is the language of the universe so it is recommended you know it pretty well. Perhaps not Calculus, but a good understanding of it, like probability, statistics, etc.

As someone who trades options regularly, I use math daily, several times per day. Especially expected value calculations.

But how did you learn maths?

 

[MJ DeMarco]

But how did you learn maths?

By taking math classes that I hated. Calculus, trig -- I did the work.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[TheCj]

The beauty of math is that there is a concrete answer and process. So if you find yourself guessing then need to go back and learn so that you know what to do, and not guess.

1. Basically learn concept, process.
2. Solve Problem
3. Check Answer
4. If incorrect find where you deviated
5. Learn what is the correct process and why
6. Attempt again or another problem
7. Repeat till you know

Once you know you don't need to study as hard later since you know.

One key is to make sure you learn/understand as you go. As math then later physics, chemistry all start to merge and build on each other. So you may be able to get through your earlier years not fully understanding. Then as the concepts build on top of the previous will create more trouble moving forward.

Yes you don't need math for day to day life. However applying math concepts, and the various ways of approaching a problem is used by people who can for a reason. It can save or create more time, money and help make better decisions.

 

[hoponthebop]

By taking math classes that I hated. Calculus, trig -- I did the work.

And how did you study for it?

Also guys idfk whata my problem. I aced physics but i struggle with a C in maths

 

[Xeon]

Also guys idfk whata my problem. I aced physics but i struggle with a C in maths

This post from Quora will answer your question: https://qr.ae/TWpYHX

And this post from Reddit:

And this except below from this post might make an interesting read for you and me:
If You Can’t Learn Math, Maybe It’s Not Your Fault : The Art of Non-Conformity

From Wikipedia:

Dyscalculia is characterized by difficulties with common arithmetic tasks. These difficulties may include:

• Difficulty reading analog clocks[12]
• Difficulty stating which of two numbers is larger
• Sequencing issues
• Inability to comprehend financial planning or budgeting, sometimes even at a basic level; for example, estimating the cost of the items in a shopping basket or balancing a checkbook
• Inconsistent results in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
• Visualizing numbers as meaningless or nonsensical symbols, rather than perceiving them as characters indicating a numerical value (hence the misnomer, "math dyslexia")
• Difficulty with multiplication, subtraction, addition, and division tables, mental arithmetic, etc.
• Problems with differentiating between left and right
• A "warped" sense of spatial awareness, or an understanding of shapes, distance, or volume that seems more like guesswork than actual comprehension
• Difficulty with time, directions, recalling schedules, sequences of events, keeping track of time, frequently late or early
• Poor memory (retention and retrieval) of math concepts; may be able to perform math operations one day, but draw a blank the next; may be able to do book work but then fails tests
• Ability to grasp math on a conceptual level, but an inability to put those concepts into practice
• Difficulty recalling the names of numbers, or thinking that certain different numbers "feel" the same (e.g. frequently interchanging the same two numbers for each other when reading or recalling them)
• Difficulty reading musical notation
• Difficulty with choreographed dance steps
• Difficulty working backwards in time (e.g. What time to leave if needing to be somewhere at 'X' time)
• Having particular difficulty mentally estimating the measurement of an object or distance (e.g., whether something is 3 or 6 meters (10 or 20 feet) away)
• When writing, reading and recalling numbers, mistakes may occur in the areas such as: number additions, substitutions, transpositions, omissions, and reversals
• Inability to grasp and remember mathematical concepts, rules, formulae, and sequences
• Inability to concentrate on mentally intensive tasks
• Mistaken recollection of names, poor name/face retrieval, may substitute names beginning with same letter.[13]

Just play up your strengths.
PS: Out of the 21 symptoms above, I actually have 12 of those lol

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[MJ DeMarco]

And how did you study for it?

I can't recall that far ago, but I just remember it was a struggle. Didn't like it at all. And then I went to college and got a finance degree, so go figure.

In the end you just have to do your best and try to grasp the concepts that will serve you in life. That might not be calculus, but it might be simple statistics, ratios, percentages, ROI, that kind of thing.

 

[The-J]

I mean I always good at maths. Always a straight A student with minimum effort until last year when my math grades just (idk if it was anxiety or depression but i can cope with that stuff now but my grades wont go up) and Im having a C now, with not much left for it to drop to a F (I dont think it will but im afraid it will though)

You don't have dyscalculia. If you did, you'd have always been VERY bad at math, to the point where you'd have given up as soon as you saw complex fractions.

I learned math by practicing problems. First easy ones, then hard ones. You start with a predefined list of steps, and then you eventually learn to find patterns. Teachers like to trick you by putting in problems that require knowledge of a 'proven-but-impossible-to-calculate-for-a-student' identity that's been taught to you in class. You'll recognize those too once you get the practice.

It took hours. Algebra was a struggle for me until I learned why, for example, you do an operation to both sides.

I learned up to integral calculus in 3 variables, which roughly corresponds to 1st year university math (I did it in my 3rd because I'm slow). But that required me to get past algebra. And yes, I had to take a few Fs until I got with the program. I needed to ask people for help. And I needed to practice.

If your problem is motivation, then you need a boot to the a$$ or you need to accept your shit grades.

 

[scottmsul]

There are example exercises on mt book with all the steps. Should I try solve those and then check the steps if i cant and try to understand it?

I should be more specific about how I practiced on my own. In a math or physics textbook, most chapters are divided into 3 sections:
- Deriving some general idea or tool
- Applying the idea or tool to example problems
- List of actual problems

For the first part (derivation), I would follow along with my own pencil and paper as if it were a problem in itself. To the point where I understood every last step. If the book left any steps out, I would fill them in as if it were a homework problem. You can usually break down individual steps to smaller and smaller steps, to the point where each step is trivial, like "add 3 to both sides" or "divide both sides by y."

Then you can do the same for the example problems.

Once you get to the actual problems, DO NOT look at the solution! Ever! This will replicate the actual test conditions as much as possible. If the assigned homework is too difficult, start with un-assigned easier problems. Usually the first couple problems in a textbook chapter set are the easiest and you can work your way up. DO look at the examples though - try to figure out what tricks were used in the examples, and how you can apply them to the actual problems.

Sometimes you will feel lost when doing a problem set, and that's ok. That's part of learning. If you get lost, try solving easier problems or going over the examples again, or go for a walk and come back later. Sometimes I would sleep on a problem and realize the answer the next day in the shower. But no matter what you have to cross the knowledge gap yourself. There are no shortcuts, and looking at the solutions will set you up to fail during the test.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Jack Hammer]

Are you getting the material fine in your study sessions but then underperforming on tests? Or are you doing about as well in tests as in study sessions?

 

[Deleted50669]

Khan Academy is about as good as you can do for an online resource

 

[The Abundant Man]

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[vasanthanju]

When it comes to maths homework, it’s best not to wait too long so the concepts are still fresh in your mind. If you complete your homework and assignments after each class, you will likely find it easier to master the concepts and identify your problem areas.