How do I get better at math ?

Question

How do I get better at math ?

Answer 1

Math is like a building. Every level is totally dependent an lower levels being sound. Make SURE you're grasp of each step is as clear as possible before moving on. If so, the following lessons will seem pretty logical, but if you're hazy about something it can be murder.

Ask your teacher to help clear up any problem areas, do extra problems even if you don't get extra credit, and pay attention in class.

I know all this sounds obvious, but if all my students followed these guidelines they'd do much better.

Answer 2

I'm not sure what part of math you're having trouble with, but I can tell you a remedy my dad applied to me during the summer between my sixth and seventh grade that had an incredibly long lasting positive effect.  The first day after school let out for the summer, my dad gave me 10 very simple math problems to do.  He said, "Son, have these done by the time I get home this evening.  And remember, for every one you get wrong, you'll have ten  more to do."  So, that I had 70 problems given to me the second day of summer, with the same instructions, should tell you that I got 7 out of those 10 wrong.  Now, as "crushed" as I felt, because I couldn't go out and play with my friends until I got my problems done, the third morning I was given only 90 problems to do.  I say "only" because that means I only got 9 out of 70 problems wrong.  That was one helluv'an improvement.  And then the fourth morning I only got 110 problems to do, which, as horrible as that sounds, meant that I only got 11 out of 90 problems wrong.  This went on all the way through the middle of July, when I finally got them all right. Sounds "tough and cruel"?  Decades later (yes, I'm that old now), when I was standing next to a banker friend of mine who was going through a long list of numbers and had to add and subtract, and using a nice new adding machine / calculator, he became aghast that I told him the answer before he came to it, and I was just looking at the numbers and doing it all in my head.  He asked me, "How did you do that?"  "You didn't know my father did you?", I replied.  In short, in the words used by a piano  teacher in the movie "Sneakers", "Practice, practice, practice".  It may seem hard work, but I can rip through numbers all day if I wanted to, but that always seemed too boring to me, so, I've been a mental health professional and a railroad man and an urban planner and a few other things in my life.  Math can be boring and stressful, if you let it.  But math is just another language, and it's much more predictable than English or spanish or any other spoken language, and it's a  very useful tool, so, "Practice, practice, practice."  God Bless you.

Answer 3

I agree with all the previous answers and would like to add another way to help you get better at math. Use your computer.

There are great web sites that will explain math topics and principles even better than even your teacher could ever do it.

One great web site is www.purplemath,com

another one is www.math.com

Just visit these web sites and pick a topic, read it and solve problems in that area.

You can also google a math principle and let the resulting web sites explain the ideas to you.

Repetition and investment of time as well as dedication to master the ideas are all essential to getting good at math.

Plus convincing youself that math is a lot of fun and a great and fascinating way to exercise your brain.

Answer 4

practice practice practice.

And don't just memorize a set of steps.  Work to understand why you do those steps.

Answer 5

Stop posting these questions on "Yahoo! Answers" and start reading the math books.  Study your math now or you will get no dessert!

signed by your mother!  I'm watching!