High school students have to perform brilliantly in their math courses to improve their chances of getting into the college or university of their choice. Your math skills represent your ability to solve problems and use logic, both skills that are essential to get ahead in life.
Math skills are essential not only when you are in high school but also when you become an adult. You need these skills to create a budget, manage finances, utilize time wisely, estimate distances, and even analyse a sports event. Fluency in math enriches your life and gives you the success you desire, which is why your parents and teachers want you to do better at math.
They teach you to solve quadratic equations through algebra when you are in high school. This is also the time to learn the basics of graphing and advanced geometric concepts. The focus on trigonometry gets stronger as you need it to learn advanced mathematical concepts and computer programming.
Advanced high school math includes probability distribution, complex numbers, series math, vector math, and the basics of calculus. You will have to take a course on calculus before your graduate as you need it for engineering, science, and information technology degrees. Ambitious students might also prefer getting an introduction to negative numbers in trigonometry along with Euler’s formula.
Does all this sound formidable? Are you a high school student struggling with your math course? Here are a few tips that may help you to improve your math skills.
Create a Group of Like-minded Friends
Studying in a group is not only effective but also fun. Create a group of friends who would like to improve their math skills and get together to complete your assignments and review the lessons of the day.
Group study isn’t every student’s cup of tea, but you have to try it at least once to find out if it works for you. It may help you to get a fresh perspective on baffling mathematical problems and squeeze some fun out of learning.
Connect Math to Real Life
Initially, you may not understand the relationship between high school math and your day-to-day life. You will notice the connection only if you pay close attention to it.
For example, one of the word problems in your textbook may require you to find the volume of a container. Get hold of one of the containers in your house and try to find its volume before tackling the problem in your textbook.
Relating math to real life may take longer, but it helps you to understand the problem deeply, improve your knowledge, and solve problems better.
Take Your Teacher’s Help
Teachers are always willing to help you with problems you may not understand in the classroom. They may even change their techniques so that you can grasp the concepts faster.
Take your teacher’s help if you are a slow learner, a fast learner, or just a student who wants someone to guide them through the concepts in a different way. Be willing to stay after class and put in a few extra hours of work.
You may also request a math tutor to give you math lessons online in a way that suits your style of learning. This way, you can learn math from an expert in the comfort of your home and create a learning schedule that suits you.
Mobile apps and websites also go a long way to help you grasp complex math concepts through study packages, interactive videos, quizzes, games, and other teaching tools. We suggest online learning platforms such as Khan Academy, CueThink, MindSpark, and Math Nation.
Focus on Your Mistakes
Instead of ignoring your mistakes, pay special attention to them. Examine the mistakes you made in your tests, assignments, projects, and so on and understand why you made them. This is the only way to avoid repeating them. Figure out the faulty thinking behind each mistake and learn to do solve the problem correctly. Take your teacher’s help if required.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions
Asking questions is one of the best ways to acquire knowledge. If you have a question, go right ahead and ask it. When you ask questions in class, you will be helping others who may have the same question.
Don’t be afraid of asking silly questions as asking questions is a skill that you need to develop and the safest place to practice is your math class. Moreover, great teachers respect all questions and never embarrass students who ask them.
Master the Basics
Basic math skills are of great importance. For example, you have to know the multiplication tables as they form the foundation of all math questions. If you don’t know them, practice them every day. Use tools such as computer programs, apps, flashcards, and others if necessary.
Here is another example. You have to master the basic algebra course as you cannot master advanced math courses without it. Mastering skills such as graphing, solving equations, simplifying radicals, and others are of great importance in high school. However, avoid taking a course till you are ready for it.
Learn to Focus
Mastering math requires focus. You just cannot learn math when your mobile phone buzzes, pings, or rings all the time. Checking social media posts while studying math is a big no-no. Eliminate anything and everything that distracts you when you are trying to grasp a complex mathematical concept.
Start from the End
The problems in your textbook involve several steps that may overwhelm you. A mistake made at any step leads to the wrong answer. We suggest working through the problem from the end after you complete it as we have found it to be an effective way to identify mistakes and understand the effectiveness of the method used to solve the problem.
Conclusion - Improving Math Skills Has Many Advantages
The best way to improve your math skills is to enjoy studying math. Understand the importance of learning math and take great pleasure in doing it.
After all, you need math to manage your finances, enjoy a sports event, understand a recipe, and much more. Developing math skills opens a floodgate of opportunities in the future, guarantees academic success, and prepares you for the career and the college you desire.
Improving math skills boosts your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. It teaches you to identify the root of a problem and develop strategies to find solutions for the problem. When you wrestle with math problems with friends, you develop the social skills essential for success. Successfully solving math problems also boosts your self-confidence.