Mathematics is essentially a subject that requires students to create an interest in learning new concepts and to practice with determination and persistence in order to master the skills of problem-solving. The challenging nature of it has compelled many students to find for maths tuition teachers in Singapore and many even opt for online math tuition.
Unlike other subjects, mathematics is unique as it does not require students to memorise content (maybe at most formulas; but even that can be derived easily), and it requires students to have a deep understanding of concepts as well as to be able to mentally link one concept to another.
Students often doubt their self-worth after they receive a bunch of bad grades on test papers. The problem however does not lie in the subject; the fault is the kind of study techniques used or the lack of usage of any of such strategies.
So, here are top 10 tips to achieve excellent grades in Mathematics!
#1: Homework
Discipline is of paramount of importance if one wants to succeed in his or her endeavours. The idea behind giving homework is to give students the opportunity to put their newly-learnt theory knowledge into practical use.
When students make the effort to complete that homework on that day it has been assigned, they are more likely to retain the information taught for a longer period of time, and they will be able to understand the concept well when trying to recall the content taught in school to finish their homework back at home.
#2: Mathematics Tuition
Math tuition has been gaining significance over the past decade as more and more children struggle with doing well in the subject. The rigour of the subject as multiplied by several folds and this has caused students to struggle with maintaining their competency and struggle with keeping up with the expectations that the syllabus holds.
Math tuition teachers have the knowledge and expertise to guide children in a specific manner, customised to meet the needs of every child. This enables students to progress at a much faster pace and students can achieve good scores should they put in the effort and discipline in completing the work assigned and doing revision whenever possible.
#3: Asking Questions
As students, doubts will arise and there may be many instances where confusions and misconceptions might get in the way of trying to understand a concept. It is important for students to be critical thinkers and to ask questions based on what they learn.
In order to be knowledgeable, it is important to be inquisitive and beyond that, it is important for students to also ask questions uninhibitedly. Should students fear asking questions or feel shy to clear their doubts with their tutors, it may not be possible to learn as effectively as they could if they had actually found ways to seek help from their math tutors.
#4: Conceptual Linking
In mathematics, though it may seem as though one topic is independent of another, in actual fact, every topic is linked with each other in one way or another. Some questions may integrate geometry, rate of change, and calculus all into one and students may not be able to pick up the link between these topics.
It is no mean feat to understand conceptual linkage as it requires a good depth of knowledge of each topic in order to see the correlations. Hence, it is of utmost importance to master each topic and think about the significance and real-life application of each topic. Good math tutors will be able to easily draw the link between concepts and make the blurry picture a lot clearer.
#5: Logic Gaps
The 5 Ws and 1 H (Who, what, where, when, why, How) are indeed useful tools which is not just useful for English, but also for mathematics. When learning about a concept, say differentiation, it is essential to think about the significance of the concept, why it exists, how it is being applied, what kind of questions can be asked from the topic, and so on.
Though the theory may seem to be abstract, the practical technique requires a whole lot of algebraic manipulations as far as Differentiation as a topic is concerned. As such, every derivation and its practical use has its own meaning and significance and if students do not study in detail, they will run into hurdles due to the logic gaps that they have. Seeking some clarification from mathematics tutor would be the best approach to solve this problem.
#6: Analyse And Understand
Some students are heavily dependent on a “fixed” method of solving problem sums using formulas and unfortunately that is not how mathematics work. One of the biggest mistakes that students make is their failure to analyse the questions being asked in their examinations.
Every piece of information presented in the question has to be dissected and analysed before coming up with a method to solve and derive an answer.
#7: Seek Help
Struggling in denial does no good and has no benefits at the end of the day. Students who struggle with the subject need to voice out their inconvenience and fears and that is the only way to find a proper solution.
Mathematics online tuition, maths private home tuition and groups tuitions are some fantastic options for students to clear their doubts as well as to get some extra practice. Rather than suffering in silence, it is better to find the best help available to pick up and progress at a rapid rate.
#8: Algebra
Algebra is one of the most fundamental skills that needs to be mastered by students and in fact, it is the absolute gateway to solving questions in mathematics all the way beyond secondary school. Should students have a weak foundation in algebra, they would undoubtedly suffer to a great extent in various other aspects in mathematics.
It is essential to strengthen the foundation as every other topic and concepts in mathematics is built upon the basics.
#9: Discipline
Discipline is one of the most essential qualities to excel in everything that we do and hence students need to be strict with their study as well as revision schedule in order to stay on track. A lack of discipline means that students would not be able to finish getting through all the topics in time and there would not be sufficient time to get enough practice as well.
#10: Persistance
Every challenge can be an arduous journey and it can be exhausting to get through every hurdle with a positive mindset. Nonetheless, students need to be persistent and consistent with their effort as it that will be the true way to achieve good grades. Math tutors would be a great moral support and guidance as well so students should also consider them as their pillar of strength!
Bottom Line
Some of the most successful individuals who have exceeded everyone’s expectations are those who practice discipline, remain persistent, seek help from the right individuals and have a never-say-die attitude. Mathematics is indeed a intricate and beautiful subject; it’s one that students need not fear and its possible to excel in it with the right amount of guidance and effort!
