Studying for maths

[Nialllovespie]

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to study for maths? I always find that I'm very inefficient and doing questions that are too easy :/ Thank you  in advance

[RuiAce]

Firstly, this is a stickied article which you should definitely consider reading on the 'how to' study.

Be more specific about questions that are 'too easy'. What questions are you doing? Are they from a specific textbook?

Fact is, maths is a skills based subject and continuously practicing and doing questions is the best way to get better at it. Without any assessment tasks really close by, you shouldn't be restraining yourself from looking at how the textbook does questions either. Sometimes, just looking at how a textbook does a question, whilst you do another one that's similar (i.e. probably just different numbers) can train this ability.

And come exam preparation time, you shouldn't be relying on the textbook either. You should be doing as many questions as possible from past papers. Why? Because they reflect the style of exam questions better than anything else.

If you're only doing questions too easy, you need to just force yourself out of it. If you do try harder questions and just don't progress, then you need to break things down. In maths, it is quite common that a question draws on concepts from multiple topics, which is something to be prepared for.

[Nialllovespie]

Thank you heaps for your help!!

The questions are too easy as in when I complete them at home there easy but then when I do the exam the questions are significantly more challenging that the ones we have to complete in class from the textbook our school provides...

Is this just my school making the exams harder or should I revise using a different method other than my text book and past papers?

Thank you again in advance

[RuiAce]

By any chance are you using maths in focus? Because reality is, those questions ARE too easy and DON'T reflect the difficulty of most exams.

Because if so, then either stick with just past papers or change a textbook. Cambridge is generally regarded as the best textbook by most people (occasionally it is overrated but it does have its benefits). The questions reflect the difficulty of the exam significantly better and they're also divided into three sections (I forgot their names but it was somewhere along the lines of foundation, development and extension). The development questions are a better indication of what to expect.

Some other choices could include the new senior maths textbook by Fitzpatrick (specifically the newer version though).


Other than that, during the lead-up to an exam you really should be using past papers all the way. Because even a textbook can't beat a past paper in getting near the level of difficulty you should expect.

[Nialllovespie]

This is so helpful THANKYOU so so so much!!! Yes we do use Maths In Focus however I do have a YR 12 Cambridge book so perhaps I'll swap! Your advice is really greatly appreciated!! THANKYOU so much for your help

[Wales]

Agreed with Rui. 1) MIF is a meh textbook. The questions as a whole were pretty easy. If it's your prescribed textbook, do the work you're set but don't use it for practice. Cambridge is much better, esp with the challenge questions. I've just finished my HSC for 2U and found that doing Past papers and doing ALL the review exercises in Cambridge definitely helped. My teachers were pretty nice so I was able to ask a lot of questions (Don't be afraid) but you've got the thread here for that

I've got some doc's with past HSC questions together if you want them. Just complied HSC 2U questions on a specific topic.

[Nialllovespie]

Hiya! Sorry for the late reply! I really appreciate this piece of advice Yeah is there any chance u can share the docs with the past HSC questions? It would be really appreciated thanks so much

[jamonwindeyer]

Hiya! Sorry for the late reply! I really appreciate this piece of advice Yeah is there any chance u can share the docs with the past HSC questions? It would be really appreciated thanks so much

Wales, if you did want to share, you could upload them to the Notes section! That would be freakin awesome of you