You can pass many exams in school. But one of the most important is mathematics.
And it's not hard to see why.
Colleges and employers highly value the results from math exams. A top grade in mathematics shows you are somebody who can think clearly, follow instructions, solve problems, and work under pressure. These are all desirable traits in a future employee.
So you need to pass math. You need to crack the tests. You need to get the grades, the higher the better.
Fine. But how?
If you're not naturally gifted at math, what can you do to improve your exam scores?
Answer: you can do more than you realize. Despite its reputation, mathematics is a remarkably human subject. And that means you can learn math like anything else, provided you approach it in the right way. So here are three quick human tips to help you in your math studies.
1. Develop your PMA
Yes, a Positive Mental Attitude does make a huge difference to your grades.
And yet without realizing it, you are mentally beating yourself up with negative phrases like "I can't do this" or "I'm no good at math".
You need to tell this negative little voice to be quiet. Better still, drown it out with some positive self-talk. Say to yourself phrases like "I can do math. I overcome many challenges every day and I can learn some simple math techniques."
Remind yourself that math is all about solving problems. And you've solved plenty of those in your time.
You already have the characteristics of the person who is "good at math".
Remember there is always a solution.
2. It's not "all or nothing"
Closely related to negative thinking is the dreaded "all or nothing" thinking, where you see yourself either as a success in math - or an abject failure.
Math tends to breed this type of thinking thanks to its perennial focus on getting the correct answer.
In math, you're either right or you're wrong.
Fair enough, but when you are learning the subject, ease up on yourself. Realize you are not a binary switch that has two states of "on" or "off".
You are a human being on a journey. And you are neither at the starting line nor at the finishing line. You are somewhere in between. The point is you are always moving forward. And you will get to the finish line if you'll just keep going.
A negative mind says "I can't do math".
A positive mind says "Okay, I might not understand this topic completely. Yet. But I am getting there and I will understand it."
3. Give yourself time
Nobody said you must understand every math lesson immediately.
But it's easy to think this way thanks to today's increasingly fast world. With television beaming instant successes every hour of the day, it's easy to develop a false sense of reality. You can start to believe that your success should come fast and without any challenges. Real success is rarely so easy.
So give yourself time to understand a new math concept. If you don't understand it the first time, look over the lesson again later when your brain has had time to relax.
And if you still can't make sense of the topic? Then do what smart people always do in this situation:
Get a second opinion!
In other words, ask someone else for help.
Whether it's a friend, a mentor, or even an Internet search engine, it's amazing how somebody else can explain the same topic in a different way that suddenly makes perfect sense.
Think positive. Keep going. Give yourself time.
These tips won't make you a 100% math student overnight. But they will change the way you look at mathematics. And your math grades will improve as a result.
And it's not hard to see why.
Colleges and employers highly value the results from math exams. A top grade in mathematics shows you are somebody who can think clearly, follow instructions, solve problems, and work under pressure. These are all desirable traits in a future employee.
So you need to pass math. You need to crack the tests. You need to get the grades, the higher the better.
Fine. But how?
If you're not naturally gifted at math, what can you do to improve your exam scores?
Answer: you can do more than you realize. Despite its reputation, mathematics is a remarkably human subject. And that means you can learn math like anything else, provided you approach it in the right way. So here are three quick human tips to help you in your math studies.
1. Develop your PMA
Yes, a Positive Mental Attitude does make a huge difference to your grades.
And yet without realizing it, you are mentally beating yourself up with negative phrases like "I can't do this" or "I'm no good at math".
You need to tell this negative little voice to be quiet. Better still, drown it out with some positive self-talk. Say to yourself phrases like "I can do math. I overcome many challenges every day and I can learn some simple math techniques."
Remind yourself that math is all about solving problems. And you've solved plenty of those in your time.
You already have the characteristics of the person who is "good at math".
Remember there is always a solution.
2. It's not "all or nothing"
Closely related to negative thinking is the dreaded "all or nothing" thinking, where you see yourself either as a success in math - or an abject failure.
Math tends to breed this type of thinking thanks to its perennial focus on getting the correct answer.
In math, you're either right or you're wrong.
Fair enough, but when you are learning the subject, ease up on yourself. Realize you are not a binary switch that has two states of "on" or "off".
You are a human being on a journey. And you are neither at the starting line nor at the finishing line. You are somewhere in between. The point is you are always moving forward. And you will get to the finish line if you'll just keep going.
A negative mind says "I can't do math".
A positive mind says "Okay, I might not understand this topic completely. Yet. But I am getting there and I will understand it."
3. Give yourself time
Nobody said you must understand every math lesson immediately.
But it's easy to think this way thanks to today's increasingly fast world. With television beaming instant successes every hour of the day, it's easy to develop a false sense of reality. You can start to believe that your success should come fast and without any challenges. Real success is rarely so easy.
So give yourself time to understand a new math concept. If you don't understand it the first time, look over the lesson again later when your brain has had time to relax.
And if you still can't make sense of the topic? Then do what smart people always do in this situation:
Get a second opinion!
In other words, ask someone else for help.
Whether it's a friend, a mentor, or even an Internet search engine, it's amazing how somebody else can explain the same topic in a different way that suddenly makes perfect sense.
Think positive. Keep going. Give yourself time.
These tips won't make you a 100% math student overnight. But they will change the way you look at mathematics. And your math grades will improve as a result.
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