How to Get Better at Mathematics

“Don’t worry if you have difficulties in maths, I can assure you that mine are more important!”, Albert Einstein

Even Einstein said it: there will always be a mathematical problem more complicated than yours.

You may have heard how Galileo struggled with his contemporaries to have people admit that the earth was round (and not flat), or how Issac Newton pierced the secrets of gravity.

For all these discoveries, it was necessary to learn mathematics.

But hey, maybe you don’t want to become a contemporary mathematician, solving the mysteries of the universe, as Stephen Hawking did.

In fact, mathematics is present in your daily life, constantly, whether it is to draw up and interpret the latest balance sheet of the company, or to do your shopping at the supermarket.

So how do you get up to speed in math without losing track? We will explain everything to you!

Is studying maths easy?

It is true that mathematics is often associated with a form of difficulty ( especially for literary souls ), but talking about easy mathematics is not contradictory.

Here, try: 25 x 4 instead. Easy, right?

In truth, it is not complicated to learn math easily, you just need to have the right learning method. And when we talk about method, we are talking about a method adapted to your objective :

• Revision of mathematics at the GCE in order to obtain a good grade,
• Preparation for a math exam with trigonometric identities
• Taking up a position in a company, with a financial or accounting dominance.

Mathematics is divided into several “sections” of learning , mainly:

• Arithmetic,
• Algebra,
• Geometry,
• Analysis (Calculus).

Just like in history or geography, there is no secret: you have to learn by heart and re-read the basics meticulously in order to have a global understanding.

The goal is for you to be able to appreciate all the variants of mathematics, from the Pythagorean theorem, through mental calculation and trigonometric numeration (relative numbers, whole numbers, inequalities).

“For my part, during tutoring, I teach my students to master the multiplication tables by heart: I ask them questions and ask them to add or subtract operations, as quickly as possible. That way, they can tackling bigger math problems without gaps!” says home math teacher Leonel

To learn math easily, you have to choose your method according to:

• Your current knowledge base,
• Your motivation,
• Your degree of learning required,
• The time you have,
• And according to your objectives, but that we have already told you.

So, are we taking stock of the methods now?

Ways to learn math easily

The observation is sometimes staggering, but the performance of mathematics candidates in the Cameroon GCE (both ordinary and advanced level) is a call for concern.

And that is according to a TIMSS study, which compared the level of students in secondary education within the European Union to that in Africa.

Still, there are reliable and easy methods to learn math. And the first is to do exercises, again and again.

Whatever your situation, we will generally distinguish between learning methods: two quick and effective

• With a math teacher,
• Self-taught, using textbooks or pamphlets.

The benefits of studying with a math teacher are many:

• The math teacher offers you suitable math exercises, from the study of the exponential function to the calculation of the sine/cosine in geometry,
• Understanding math goes far beyond simply learning theorems: it also means demonstrating mathematical reasoning, and the teacher will give you the keys to this,
• He will draw up with you a reliable mathematics program, ideal for achieving your goals,
• Private math lessons can include more or less interesting subjects, such as the history of mathematics (who knows, it may inspire you!).

Your teacher may be certified, that is to say, that he has passed the aggregation in maths: in this case, you can trust him to give you a support course to match!

The benefits of studying on your own are just as numerous:

• Do the math at your own pace, without pressure,
• Benefit from free lessons thanks to corrected exercises online,
• Solve math problems in a fun way, thanks to games or applications,
• Test your knowledge of complex numbers or proportionality through interactive exercises.

Ease can’t be improvised: you won’t know how quickly you’ll assimilate the concepts, which is why you should use the right learning tips, with or without a teacher.

Easy math: use the right tricks

If you are not a great mathematician, the best way to learn math easily is to use a mnemonic or fun way to retain information: for that, you have to want to learn.

Many online math exercises challenge your memory skills, and that’s good for certain aspects of math, such as factoring, differentiating, decimals, and calculating a percentage or tangent.

These exercises aim to develop math skills :

• At the primary level, where children will be asked to tell the time or learn numbers,
• At the college level, the student will be exposed to second-degree problems
• While at the high school or university level, the difficulty will be increased with differential equations or applied mathematics.

The key to learning math easily is to use math games, adapted according to the level:

• Classic games to train memory and mathematical reasoning, such as sudoku,
• Complex math games, like math puzzles,
• Logic games, to test yourself,
• Review games online or in the form of an application, such as Sésamath.

For this, you have many tools at your disposal, mainly on the internet. You can therefore rely on:

• specialist books,
• Online math lessons and exercises,
• Specialized mathematics sites.

All of this will enable you to learn math easily!

Educational games are useful for learning quickly and educationally about complex problems. To be effective, remember to make a revision plan, which will guide your way to the ultimate understanding of the secrets of this discipline.

Adopting rules in order to learn math easily

For me, succeeding in doing math requires going through the rule of three :

• Assimilation of knowledge,
• Testing your learning progression,
• Ongoing review to deepen understanding.

You need a study plan so as not to get lost between geometric figures, decimals, or even symmetry or calculation exercises.

It is therefore important to distribute a certain subject in your program, especially if you are learning alone:

• First take stock of your knowledge, with the help of a school teacher. You will see right away if you understand what a polynomial is or not,
• Distinguish your strengths and weaknesses: generally, you have an auditory memory or a visual memory, adapt your learning accordingly,
• Use online math exercises to check your knowledge and skills: distributive property, symmetry, logarithm, addition tables, algebraic, fractional, or algorithmic calculation,
• Make review sheets for each chapter, and quiz yourself regularly.

A school math lesson or a private math lesson will always have the same objective, to help you progress in the field of your choice:

• Calculations: quotient, subtraction, divisor, vector, dividing, multiplying or splitting numbers,
• Logic: calculation of scalar or perpendicular area, of a perimeter, of a quadrilateral,
• Problematization: exponential function, standard deviation, binomial law, function limits, grid, variation table.

How do you effectively learn math, from basic math formulae to neuroscience problems?

For my part, I had to pass the GRE (it’s the Global Reasoning Exam, a certification in mathematics that allows you to apply to universities or obtain research grants), and frankly, that made me a little scared, especially when I saw the scope of the program.

So, even if I was studying alone, I asked for help from a teacher to give me the right methodology, explaining the ins and outs of the exam. And presto, in the pocket!

With or without a teacher, with or without support, learning math easily is within everyone’s reach. You just need to be willing to get started, have a lot of willpower, and know how to organize yourself!