Math Study Skills

Math is a unique subject. It involves symbols, formulas, specific procedures, textbooks that look different, and many unique words and terms. Consequently, it is important to use study skills that apply particularly well to math. Here are some you should use.

• You can't learn math just by reading and listening. Much of math learning involves actively doing. This means that you must do all of your math homework and assignments. This is essential to learning how to use formulas and procedures.

• Math is a sequential subject. What is taught on a given day is based upon what was taught before. Once you fall behind, it is very difficult to catch up. Cramming at the last minute will not help you. Be certain to attend every class and keep up with your teacher.

• Math is a difficult subject that becomes increasingly complex. You may have to spend more study time on this subject than on your other subjects.

• Don't try to memorize your way through math. There are simply too many formulas and procedures. Try to master the key concepts. This will reduce the amount of information you will need to remember.

• Once you learn a procedure for solving a problem, that same procedure can often be used to solve other problems. When presented with a new problem, try to apply your past learning to the new problem.

• Learn the vocabulary of math. Often, a word used in math has a different meaning than that same word when used outside of math. For example, volume in math refers to the amount of space within a solid figure. Outside of math, volume can refer to a book or to loudness. Write new math words and terms and their math meanings in a special place in your notebook.

The Ten Study Habits of Successful Students

Successful students have good study habits. They apply these habits to all of their classes. Read about each study habit. Work to develop any study habit you do not have.
Successful students:

1. Try not to do too much studying at one time.
   
   If you try to do too much studying at one time, you will tire and your studying will not be very effective. Space the work you have to do over shorter periods of time. Taking short breaks will restore your mental energy.       
2. Plan specific times for studying.
   
   Study time is any time you are doing something related to schoolwork. It can be completing assigned reading, working on a paper or project, or studying for a test. Schedule specific times throughout the week for your study time.
3. Try to study at the same times each day.
   
   Studying at the same times each day establishes a routine that becomes a regular part of your life, just like sleeping and eating. When a scheduled study time comes up during the day, you will be mentally prepared to begin studying.
4. Set specific goals for their study times.
   
   Goals will help you stay focused and monitor your progress. Simply sitting down to study has little value. You must be very clear about what you want to accomplish during your study times.
5. Start studying when planned.
   
   You may delay starting your studying because you don't like an assignment or think it is too hard. A delay in studying is called "procrastination." If you procrastinate for any reason, you will find it difficult to get everything done when you need to. You may rush to make up the time you wasted getting started, resulting in careless work and errors.
6. Work on the assignment they find most difficult first.
   
   Your most difficult assignment will require the most effort. Start with your most difficult assignment since this is when you have the most mental energy.
7. Review their notes before beginning an assignment.
   
   Reviewing your notes can help you make sure you are doing an assignment correctly. Also, your notes may include information that will help you complete an assignment.
8. Tell their friends not to call them during their study times.
   
   Two study problems can occur if your friends call you during your study times. First, your work is interrupted. It is not that easy to get back to what you were doing. Second, your friends may talk about things that will distract you from what you need to do. Here's a simple idea - turn off your cell phone during your study times.
9. Call another student when they have difficulty with an assignment.
   
   This is a case where "two heads may be better than one."
10. Review their schoolwork over the weekend.

Yes, weekends should be fun time. But there is also time to do some review. This will help you be ready to go on Monday morning when another school week begins.

These ten study habits can help you throughout your education. Make sure they are your study habits.

The DETER Strategy for Taking Tests

To do well on a test, you must have good knowledge of the information that is being tested. But you must also have a strategy for taking the test that allows you to show what you know. The DETER strategy can help you do your best on any test. Each letter in DETER reminds you what to do.

D = Directions

• Read the test directions very carefully.
• Ask your teacher to explain anything about the test directions you do not understand
• Only by following the directions can you achieve a good score on the test.
• If you do not follow the directions, you will not be able to demonstrate what you know.

E = Examine

• Examine the entire test to see how much you have to do.
• Only by knowing the entire task can you break it down into parts that become manageable for you.

T = Time

• Once you have examined the entire test, decide how much time you will spend on each item.
• If there are different points for items, plan to spend the most time on the items that count for the most points.
• Planning your time is especially important for essay tests where you must avoid spending so much time on one item that you have little time left for other test items.

E = Easiest

• The second E in DETER reminds you to answer the items you find easiest first.
• If you get stuck on a difficult item that comes up early in the test, you may not get to answer items that test things you know.

R = Review

• If you have planned your time correctly, you will have time to review your answers and make them as complete and accurate as possible.
• Also make sure to review the test directions to be certain you have answered all items required.

Using the DETER strategy will help you do better on tests and get better grades.

Good Listening in Class

It is important for you to be a good listener in class. Much of what you will have to learn will be presented verbally by your teachers. Just hearing what your teachers say is not the same as listening to what they say. Listening is a cognitive act that requires you to pay attention and think about and mentally process what you hear.

Here are some things you should do to be a good listener in class.

• Be Cognitively Ready to Listen When You Come to Class. Make sure you complete all assigned work and readings. Review your notes from previous class sessions. Think about what you know about the topic that will be covered in class that day.

• Be Emotionally Ready to Listen When You Come to Class. Your attitude is important. Make a conscious choice to find the topic useful and interesting. Be committed to learning all that you can.

• Listen with a Purpose. Identify what you expect and hope to learn from the class session. Listen for these things as your teacher talks.

• Listen with an Open Mind. Be receptive to what your teacher says. It is good to question what is said as long as you remain open to points of view other than your own.

• Be Attentive. Focus on what your teacher is saying. Try not to daydream and let your mind wander to other things. It helps to sit in the front and center of the class, and to maintain eye contact with your teacher.

• Be an Active Listener. You can think faster than your teacher can speak. Use this to your advantage by evaluating what is being said and trying to anticipate what will be said next. Take good written notes about what your teacher says. While you can think faster than your teacher can speak, you cannot write faster than your teacher can speak. Taking note requires you to make decisions about what to write, and you have to be an active listener to do this.

• Meet the Challenge. Don't give up and stop listening when you find the information being presented difficult to understand. Listen even more carefully at these times and work hard to understand what is being said. Don't be reluctant to ask questions.

• Triumph Over the Environment. The classroom may too noisy, too hot, too cold, too bright, or too dark. Don't give in to these inconveniences. Stay focused on the big picture

Temperature scales

Temperature is the level of heat in a gas, liquid, or solid. Three scales are commonly used for measuring temperature. The Celsius and Fahrenheit scales are the most common. The Kelvin scale is primarily used in scientific experiments.

Celsius Scale

The Celsius scale was invented in 1742 by the Swedish astronomer, Anders Celsius. This scale divides the range of temperature between the freezing and boiling temperatures of water into 100 equal parts. You will sometimes find this scale identified as the centigrade scale. Temperatures on the Celsius scale are known as degree Celsius (ºC).

Fahrenheit Scale

The Fahrenheit scale was established by the German-Dutch physicist, Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit, in 1724. While many countries now use the Celsius scale, the Fahrenheit scale is widely used in the United States. It divides the difference between the melting and boiling points of water into 180 equal intervals. Temperatures on the Fahrenheit scale are known as degree Fahrenheit (ºF).

Kelvin Scale

The Kelvin scale is named after William Thompson Kelvin, a British physicist who devised it in 1848. It extends the Celsius scale down to absolute zero, a hypothetical temperature characterized by a complete absence of heat energy. Temperatures on this scale are called Kelvins (K).

Converting Temperatures

It is sometimes necessary to convert temperature from one scale to another. Here is how to do this.

1. To convert from ºC to ºF use the formula:  ºF = ºC x 1.8 + 32.
2. To convert from ºF to ºC use the formula:  ºC = (ºF-32) ÷ 1.8.
3. To convert from K to ºC use the formula:  ºC = K – 273.15
4. To convert from ºC to K use the formula: K = ºC + 273.15.
5. To convert from ºF to K use the formula: K = 5/9 (ºF – 32) + 273.15.
6. To convert from K to ºF use the formula:  ºF = 1.8(K – 273.15) + 32.

 

Writing Techniques

Writing is an important form of communication. Good writers use different writing techniques to fit their purpose for writing. To be a good writer, you must master each of the following writing techniques.

1. Description

   Through description, a writer helps the reader use the senses of feeling, seeing, hearing, smelling, and tasting to experience what the writer experiences. Description helps the reader more clearly understand the people, places, and things about which the writer is writing. It is the most common form of writing. You will find descriptive writing in newspapers, magazines, books, and most other forms of written communication.

2. Exposition

   Through exposition, a writer informs, explains, and clarifies his/her ideas and thoughts. Exposition goes beyond description to help the reader understand with greater clarity and depth the ideas and thoughts of the writer. Expository writing, like descriptive writing, is commonly found in newspapers, magazines, books, and most other forms of written communication.

3. Narration

   Through narration, a writer tells a story. A story has characters, a setting, a time, a problem, attempts at solving the problem, and a solution to the problem. Bedtime stories are examples of short stories while novels are examples of long stories. The scripts written for movies and plays are further examples of narrative writing.

4. Persuasion

   Through persuasion, a writer tries to change a reader's point of view on a topic, subject, or position. The writer presents facts and opinions to get the reader to understand why something is right, wrong, or in between. Editorials, letters to the editor in newspapers and magazines, and the text for a political speech are examples of persuasive writing.

   
   
   
5. Comparison and Contrast

   Through comparison and contrast, a writer points out the similarities and differences about a topic. Comparison is used to show what is alike or in common. Contrast is used to show what is not alike or not in common. Describing living conditions in 1900 and living conditions today would allow for much comparison and contrast.

By using the writing technique that fits your purpose, you will be able to communicate your ideas effectively.

Making an Oral Presentation

When making an oral presentation in class, you must know your subject well and convince your audience that they have something to gain from listening to you. Here are some things you can do to make an effective oral presentation.

• Be prepared. Research your subject to ensure that you are knowledgeable. Practice your presentation until you feel comfortable. Make sure you can present your information within whatever time limits you will have. Anticipate questions you may be asked and prepare answers to these.

• Know your audience. Tailor your presentation to your audience's level of knowledge about the subject of your presentation, what they need to know, and their interests.

• Be positive. Make it clear that you are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about your subject.

• Don't read your presentation. Talk to your audience. Use your notes as prompts as needed.

• Provide examples. Try to make your presentation as concrete and "down to earth" as possible. Add appropriate anecdotes and humor to drive home a point.

• Use visual aids. Supplement what you say with visual aids such as handouts, charts, transparencies, and slides. Make sure that everyone can easily see the visual aids. Don't use visual aids that are so complex that the audience will spend its time trying to read them instead of listening to you. Visual aids are supplements to what you say, not replacements for what you say.

• Maintain eye contact. Shift your eye contact around the room so that everyone feels that you are talking to them.

• Actively involve your audience. People can only listen so long without their attention wandering. Making your presentation interesting will help you to capture and keep your audience's attention for a while, but you must do more. Build in some simple and quick activities for your audience so that they are actively involved in your presentation. Ask questions that you are confident your audience will be able to answer.

• Use your voice effectively. Vary the tone of your voice and be careful not to talk too quickly.

• End on a high note. Leave your audience feeling upbeat about what they have just heard

EXAMINATION TIPS

1.    Use your revision time effectively. Prepare a revision time table.

2.    When is your energy level the highest. This is the time to tackle the difficult bits.

3.    Do not postpone the difficult topics.

4.    Attend to routine things like tidying up, at low energy times of the day.

5.    Do not just read. Make notes. In fact summarizing and condensing notes focuses your mind.

6.    Discuss topics, after having revised them, with your classmates.

7.    Use diagrammatic representation where ever possible. You may find this easier to retain.

8.    Take a 5 minutes break after every 40 minutes (Certainly after an hour!).

9.    Take a longer break after every 3 hours of study.

10.  Eat well.

11.  Play some game when you find time. This helps you relax.

                                                             

12.  Do your best during the revision.

13.  On the examination day, do not worry, even if you feel that you remember nothing! Give it your best shot, you will be able to recall once the questions are in front of you.

14.  Answer all questions. Ensure that you plan your time well during the examination.