How to Pass a Math Class Portland OR

Steps

1. Pay attention to your teacher or professor. If you're in a fast paced math class, they'll probably only teach a concept once and move on. This means that if you don't pay attention, you've just missed your one chance to learn it.
2. Do your homework. This will help you know the concepts much better. Your homework will probably be the only time you get to practice what you just learned before a test, so you need to make sure you do it! If you miss a day, make sure to get the homework you missed as soon as possible.
3. Talk to your teacher when you don't understand something. A math class is not a class you want to only think you know what you're doing.
4. Learn the terminology. Knowing what is asked of you is half the problem. Math is its own language (solve, expand, simplify, etc.). Becoming accustomed to this will really benefit you. Highlight key words in the question to ascertain what you need to find out. Attempting past exam papers will give you a feel of what to expect, many are available for download from the examining board.
5. Buy a good calculator depending on the class you're taking. If you're taking a basic algebra class, a scientific calculator should suffice. If you're taking a calculus class, a graphing calculator will probably be necessary. Your teacher or professor should have a good idea of what's necessary as well, so asking them at the beginning of the term would be a good idea.
6. Know how to use your calculator. It doesn't matter if your calculator can do all this fancy stuff; if you don't even know how to add with it, you're wasting all of its features.
7. Sit next to friendly, positive people. These should be people you can turn to when you have a question about something, or don't know what to do for a certain problem. However, make sure they won't just give you the answer.
8. Find extra learning materials. Oftentimes, different sources will be better explaining some things than others. If you can expose yourself to a different explanation of a concept, you may understand something a lot better. Only use "cheat books" to check your answer.
9. Show all your work. Most of the time, your teachers don't care as much about what you put down as an answer as the work that you show. Many will only give partial credit for the correct answer; the rest must be earned by showing your work correctly.

Tips

• Produce formulae flash cards. For example on one side you would write the question "What is the area of a triangle" and on the other side you would have "Width x Height / 2 ". Keep a pile with you and go over them when you find some free time, for instance when you're at the bus stop.
• Do as many questions as possible, you will eventually see the steps you need to follow to solve particular problem. Going above and beyond and doing more problems than assigned will not only boost your understanding of the concept, but will put you on your teacher's good side.
• If someone you know has taken the class before you, try talking to them for tips or notes.
• Don't be too shy to ask questions

Warnings

• Don't sit in the back or next to the class boffin, unless s/he is helpful.
• If the class that you are trying to pass is International Baccaleureate Mathematics Higher Level, these recommendations may not be sufficient.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to How to Pass a Math Class. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.