The Untold Secret To Mastering Algebra In Just 3 Days

Ah, algebra, don’t you just love it? We don’t either. That’s why we’ve come up with the following suggestions to help you master this challenging subject in only three days. That assumes you have some basic foundational knowledge of the subject and are willing to dig in to hit pay dirt.

Study Homework Exhaustively

Don’t just read the assigned textbook chapters. Reread them, review them, and comprehend them. It’s not unusual to read something completely and still not understand it. You can’t let that happen with algebra. If you are struggling, go back to earlier chapters and review the foundational principles and redo the introductory problems. As your knowledge deepens, so will your skill.

Review the Principles with a Knowledgeable Friend

Some uncertainties about the course material will probably linger. Meet with someone who knows algebra frontward and backward, possibly a student who has taken a couple of algebra courses or more advanced math classes. You could even offer to pay the individual as a personal tutor in a crash course session. If that doesn’t work, meet with the campus math tutor who can explain things in basic detail that you should be able to understand. You may also be given access to video tutorials you can watch in the LC or check out for your dorm room.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice makes perfect, so keep at it consistently for the next three days. Set everything else that is non-essential aside to focus on algebra. Organize your readings and assignments into manageable time segments of about an hour each with breaks between, as students typically need a break anywhere between 50 and 70 minutes during a class or study session. Rework any algebra problems you have missed on homework or tests until you understand why you missed them and how to do them correctly now.

Search Online Tips for Mastery

After poring over your textbook and reworking the problems you missed before, if you still have questions, search online. There are many effective algebra tutorials and videos that can help. Many are brief and easy to grasp. Sometimes a certain teaching style will make more sense than another, so find those that clarify this important subject for you.

Memorize Key Strategies and Formulas

Memorization is no longer the most popular or effective learning strategy that educators used to believe it was. However, there is a place for memorization in subjects that use similar formulas or principles over and over. This may be the case in the way your instructor teaches algebra. Possibly memorizing a few critical approaches will help you work through most homework assignments and tests. Get familiar with the terms and definitions so that you can quickly read through assignments and immediately understand what is meant by certain phrases or directions rather than having to look them up repeatedly.

For many students, algebra is not the easiest subject in college, but it can be survivable. You have to be willing to invest extra time, especially at the beginning, to get grounded in the basics before progressing to more complex aspects. With focus and effort, in a few days’ time you can bend algebra to your will by learning all there is to know and applying it effectively to solving algebraic problems.