Studying Made Easy

The study of mathematics is important to all subject areas as it relates to so many fields in our lives. Many people find mathematics quite difficult to understand, and arguably mathematics can be the most difficult subject to study for. My time as a tutor has showed me that understanding and passing mathematics has a large impact on the continued academic successes of my students.

The majority of my students come to me to support their studies and help them develop their understanding of difficult topics that are not deeply covered, or glossed over at school. I always aim to do my best to transform their knowledge to the point where the student wants to be the best in class, not because they can be, but because it brings them joy to pursue the topics and gain further knowledge. How is this achievable? By making learning simple. Most students approach exams by opening their textbooks and being overwhelmed by the amount of information they have learnt over the year. Studying should be accomplished in a systematic way. Each textbook is broken down into segments with sub-topics relating to the segment. Students should know their strengths and mark down what topics they recognise and can explain. Grab a tutor, parent or friend and explain the topic to them. Then ask that person to quickly read over the section and tell you if you were right. This will indicate if you truly know what you are talking about.

Collect a list of all the topics that you either didn`t know, or explained incorrectly. These are the topics you can now work through from start to finish. This doesn`t apply to only mathematics but can be an excellent technique to apply at university and further. All other study techniques apply, however this should be the basis for approaching both the subject and exams.