Failing 3 unit Maths: How to Improve? (1 Viewer)

[bunnie]

I'm do 2 unit and 3 unit maths, and I'm get around low 80s for 2 unit, but 3 unit, I'm get around mid 50 per cent.

What should I do to improve my marks? And how much time should I allocate to Maths per day? (It's my weakest subject.)

I want to do 3 unit maths next year, and I am willing to put a lot of effort and time to it, but if I don't improve my maths significantly, I'll probably dropping it.

Thankyou in advance.

 

[Uncouth]

I want to do 3 unit maths next year, and I am willing to put a lot of effort and time to it.

That's all you really need. The longer you spend on it, the quicker things will make a permanent residence in your brain. It'll become second nature to you, like the quadratic formula that you've learnt before, for example.

If you're willing to commit to it, then I don't think you'll have to worry about it. Just work hard.

 

[Opium]

I've been having a bit of trouble in maths extension 1 as well. Maths is probably one of my weaker subjects but it is my most loathed subject. I really hate it, I couldn't care less what x equals. It means nothing to me, it doesn't seem important.
I sometimes wonder why i choose to maths extension, i guess the reason i do it is because if you do well at it you'll get a much better UAI which IS important to me. My maths teacher trys to make us keep a maths formula book (which is an index book that you write all the formulas you use down in with an example of how it works). Perhaps you might find doing something like that useful.

 

[Sarah168]

hmm I was in the same situation as you. Same marks and everything. You seem to like maths and are willing to work hard os it makes things ten times easier. Just do ALL the HW, check answers (there is no point doing a question if you dont check the answers), ask question about thing that u are unsure of. Since you're only in yr 11, practice papers might be good but you wont find many. Maths just required consistent practice and doing all sorts of questions so that nothing fazes you when exam time rolls around.

Like opium, i absolutely hate maths so i did 3u in yr 11 to fill up my lines and dropped ext 1 promptly upon starting yr 12. If you're willing to do well and also like maths to a certain extent, then just do lots of practice and the marks should improve.

 

[evilc]

Practice papers. If you can, try and get ahold of the excel
book of 15 past papers by patel - Really good material to study

 

[Slidey]

Formulae are useless if you don't know how to apply them. Grab a few textbooks and just sit down one day and go through the exercises, referring to exampels when you get stuck, or skipping a question when you get REALLY stuck (and coming back to it later).

 

[truly-in-bliss]

yeha i did 4u mahts.... and at one stage came close to failing both.... but then again i never did my hw.. didnt listen in class.... and dint go to half of my classes... my point is? do all of the above and u will ace it..

 

[fi_babezy]

Just do the exercises that have been set by your teacher...I think that's the only way to learn.

 

[flyin']

Grab a decent textbook. Do as many questions as you can. Ask for help when you can't do it. (If you still have time, grab another textbook/past papers and repeat.) That applies to most Mathematics subjects, it should be said.

 

[JamiL]

drop it... if yu are to far behind it is almost impossible to catch up. u have to work at it constatly... if yu can catch up... then go ahead, but it will be difficult. if yu are failying prelim... good luck next year yu will need it. if u are failing it is a waste of time

 

[Estel]

I agree 3u can be evil, considering it is a simple extension course that takes 3 times the time of the basic course....

A holiday's worth of cramming would get you in business from scratch... 3u is technically only a 120 hr course...

 

[bunnie]

Thanks for the advice!

drop it... if yu are to far behind it is almost impossible to catch up. u have to work at it constatly... if yu can catch up... then go ahead, but it will be difficult. if yu are failying prelim... good luck next year yu will need it. if u are failing it is a waste of time

Like I said, I'll drop it next year if my marks don't improve significantly. I don't see no harm in trying though.

 

[nick1048]

maths is too big of a subject for me to waste my time exploring the intricate patterns of every formula and remembering them. I do 3 unit maths and my teacher tells me that test marks are not important. He is right ofcourse as he can tell wthat we get the content and merely fluster under exam pressure. It's all exam technique, I wouldn't stress so much over it and consume more time on maths then any other subject. You have 5 or 6 subjects, spread your time evenly over each of them or you'll find that maths isn't your only problem come the yearly results. hope it helps

 

[nick1048]

drop it... if yu are to far behind it is almost impossible to catch up. u have to work at it constatly... if yu can catch up... then go ahead, but it will be difficult. if yu are failying prelim... good luck next year yu will need it. if u are failing it is a waste of time

I dont think merely giving up will help. I wouldn't take this guys advice, you have time to get yourself into gear, I'm sure you'll find that most people around you aren't scoring 80's for extention maths... Just know your content, make sure you get plenty of advice from people who know what their on about, i.e. your teachers and some of your brighter peers. Ppl on this forum by any chance don't know your capabilities nor your potential and it would be a complete waste of u'r UAI if you really could have done well in maths.

 

[Estel]

" I do 3 unit maths and my teacher tells me that test marks are not important. He is right ofcourse as he can tell wthat we get the content and merely fluster under exam pressure."
Test marks are important. In Yr 11 as a gauge, in Yr 12 because they count to your final HSC.
It's not just exam technique, it's about knowing your material so well and understanding it to the degree such that you can apply it to unfamiliar situations. This takes effort. Memorising your formulas is step 1 of many.

As for the original questions: spend a lot of time. As much as you can. If you can do it, do 5 a day. 10 a day [nb: not school day]. I get tired after 1/2.

 

[bunnie]

I dont think merely giving up will help. I wouldn't take this guys advice, you have time to get yourself into gear, I'm sure you'll find that most people around you aren't scoring 80's for extention maths... Just know your content, make sure you get plenty of advice from people who know what their on about, i.e. your teachers and some of your brighter peers. Ppl on this forum by any chance don't know your capabilities nor your potential and it would be a complete waste of u'r UAI if you really could have done well in maths.

Yeah, I wasn't planning to take Jamil's advice. I don't want to waste two terms and just give up completely.

As for the original questions: spend a lot of time. As much as you can. If you can do it, do 5 a day. 10 a day [nb: not school day]. I get tired after 1/2.

When you saying 5, do you mean 5 hours a day?
lol I don't think anyone is capable of a 5 hours of Maths a day!

 

[Estel]

I know numerous people who do it on non-school days.

 

[nick1048]

yer... estel but dont go killin your self over a 55% in yr 11... -_-' memorising formulas is useless if you have no idea where to slot in numbers or how to apply them to questions... it's not step one. Step one is the vocab, make sure you can understand the question and content. Step 2 is get a feel for what the typical questions asked would be like and then worry about the formuals. The english and trends in maths is more important than subbing numbers into a formula... anyone can do that.

 

[Huratio]

Try to do every question in ur textbook- i'm coping with this, if ur behind, just give up a weekend or a casual job for a couple hours, to catch up..

 

[JamiL]

drop it isnt my first suggestion on most occations, yu said yu were behind. i have seen 3u yr 12 n it is difficult, im saying if u cant do yr 11 work i dont know how yu are goin 2 get through yr 12. but if yu just arent doin yu work, then catching up is realy yur only other option. and yes i would agree if u dropped it now, that would be stupid, i keep it prob through the 1st couple assesments in yr 12 n see how yu go there, then make yur mind up.