Not Changing These 5 Math Study Habits Will Soon Be Your Demise

If you’re not getting good grades in math, bad habits may be the culprit. The good news is that you can recognize these poor practices and change them. Anyone can do well in math, even those who may think they “just don’t have the aptitude for numbers.”

The No. 1 suggestion, then, is to dump this false belief right now. It’s important. Stop telling yourself you’re just no good at math. This is demonstrably not true. Mathematics is a universal system of knowledge that everyone has equal access to.

Bad Habit No. 2:

Lack of Neatness and Accuracy

There is just something about the discipline of numbers that favors those who adopt an approach that is neat, organized, detail-oriented and accurate. Before you dig into a math assignment, take a few minutes to look over your notes and check the book to get a clear idea of what your challenge is.

Then get started on a clean sheet of paper. Always work problems vertically. Every new line should have one clear and neat step. It takes more paper to work vertically but working horizontally is a recipe for disaster – it makes things less neat and clear.

By the way, never work math problems with a pen. Use a pencil with a good eraser that erases without smudges or leaving marks. Neatness counts (no pun intended) in math!

Bad Habit No. 3:

Moving On Before Understanding Step You Are Working On

It is essential that you do not plunge ahead without complete clarity about a necessary step or function. A good example from algebra is a variable. These are letters that serve as place holders for numbers you don’t know. It’s important to master the manipulation of variables and understand how to use them before you move to the next step.

Math is always a step-by-step process toward building complexity. For example, you must master arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry and geometry before you can start in on calculus. If your trig is still shaky, you will struggle in calculus. Be patient! Learn each step thoroughly before plunging ahead.

Bad Habit No. 4

Rushing Through Assignments

Even if you solve math problems satisfactorily, rushing through your assignments and then forgetting about it immediately afterward will weaken test performance. Wanting to “just get it done” so you can get on with playing Cultist Simulator on the web diminishes the effort you made to do the homework. Take time to absorb lessons, including gaining an understanding of why a solution was derived, not just how.

Bad Habit No. 5:

Not Breaking Big Problems Down to Smaller Ones

The brilliant physicist Enrico Fermi was passionate about this approach. It helped him develop the world’s first nuclear reactor. He said the early lesson he learned about math was that breaking down complex problems to a series of small problems was the key to mastery.

This means first getting an overview of the problem and then isolating concepts. For example, if the problem has fractional components, solve them first. Then put them aside and work on the other components of the problem. You will find tough math problems get a lot easier.

Don’t Give Up

Remember that persistence and patience is the key to getting good at math. Brian O’Leary was a NASA astronaut who was once selected to be the first man on Mars. O’Leary had a Ph.D. in astronomy, but he said nearly failed math in high school. He used sheer will power to persist in learning math. He said your brain “eventually learns to do math easily” if you keep at it and don’t give up.