how to study MATH EFFECTIVELY | get STRAIGHT A's in exams

Summary

In this video, the host shares personal tips for excelling in math, emphasizing the importance of understanding concepts over mere memorization. They discuss the necessity of mastering foundational knowledge to tackle more complex problems in algebra, calculus, and other math branches. The host advises consistent practice, using resources like textbooks and online questions, and understanding solutions to enhance learning. They stress breaking down problems and foundational concepts, encouraging viewers to seek help from teachers and utilize available resources to improve their math skills. The video aims to help viewers achieve better grades by focusing on comprehension and practice.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Understanding is Key: The speaker emphasizes the importance of truly understanding math concepts rather than just memorizing them.
• 🏗️ Building a Strong Foundation: The script suggests that a solid base in fundamental math concepts is crucial for tackling more complex problems.
• 🔍 Deep Dive into Algebra: The video focuses on the need to comprehend algebraic expressions and the process of isolating variables to solve equations.
• 📚 Utilize Textbooks: It is recommended to use textbooks for practice, especially the initial questions in chapters that lay the groundwork for more complex topics.
• 🤯 Breaking Down Complex Problems: When faced with difficult questions, breaking them down into simpler parts and applying basic knowledge is advised.
• 📉 The Importance of Basics in All Math Branches: The script highlights that a basic understanding is essential across all areas of mathematics, including calculus and geometry.
• 🚫 Avoid Memorization: The speaker warns against merely memorizing solutions and instead encourages understanding the underlying principles.
• 📈 Practice Makes Perfect: Consistent practice is stressed as a way to improve in math and to develop muscle memory for problem-solving.
• 🔎 Seek Help When Stuck: If a problem is too challenging, it's suggested to look at solutions to understand them, rather than spending excessive time on one question.
• 🌐 Online Resources: The video mentions using online resources and teachers for additional practice questions and to check understanding.
• 🛎️ Importance of Feedback: The script suggests getting feedback on practice work, either from teachers or by using answer keys, to ensure correct understanding.

Q & A

Why does the speaker feel the need to clarify their proficiency in math is not solely due to their ethnicity?

The speaker feels the need to clarify this because they have experienced people attributing their math skills to their Asian heritage rather than the effort they put into understanding and learning math.

What is the primary focus of the speaker's tips for understanding math?

The primary focus is on the importance of truly understanding the foundational concepts of math, rather than just memorizing formulas or procedures.

Why is understanding the 'why' behind mathematical operations important according to the speaker?

Understanding the 'why' is important because it allows one to apply mathematical concepts flexibly and solve a variety of problems, not just those they have memorized.

What analogy does the speaker use to explain the importance of a strong foundation in math?

The speaker uses the analogy of a building, stating that without a strong foundation, the building will not stand, similarly, without understanding the basics, one cannot excel in math.

How does the speaker suggest dealing with difficult algebraic questions during an exam?

The speaker suggests breaking down the problem and applying foundational algebraic knowledge to simplify and solve the problem step by step.

What is the speaker's advice on how to approach practicing math problems?

The speaker advises to practice consistently, starting with the basics, and to use solutions as a guide to understand the process if one gets stuck.

Why is it beneficial to write down equations and place them at the front of your reference?

Writing down equations helps to reinforce the foundational concepts and serves as a quick reference for understanding and solving problems.

What should one do if they encounter a challenging question while studying for a math exam?

One should attempt the question, and if unable to solve it, look at the solutions to understand the process, ensuring not to just memorize but to comprehend the solution.

How does the speaker emphasize the universality of math?

The speaker emphasizes the universality of math by stating that it is a language that everyone understands, implying that math concepts are consistent and recognizable across different cultures and regions.

What is the speaker's view on the relationship between practice and understanding in math?

The speaker believes that consistent practice leads to muscle memory and a deeper understanding of math concepts, making problem-solving more intuitive.

What is the speaker's recommendation for students who are pressed for time before an exam?

The speaker recommends focusing on understanding the basic laws and concepts of the subject, as this foundational knowledge can still help secure some marks even if the rest of the content is not fully learned.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Understanding the Fundamentals of Math

The speaker emphasizes the importance of truly understanding the basics of math rather than just memorizing formulas. They share personal experiences of excelling in math due to self-teaching and comprehension rather than racial stereotypes. The video aims to provide tips for grasping mathematical concepts, starting with the foundation and building upon it. The speaker uses the analogy of a building's foundation to explain the necessity of a strong base for advanced topics. They suggest writing down equations and practicing foundational problems from textbooks to reinforce understanding. The summary also touches on the importance of tackling difficult problems by breaking them down and applying foundational knowledge, which is applicable across all areas of mathematics.

05:04

🧠 The Power of Practice in Mastering Math

Keywords

💡Math

Math refers to the study of numbers, quantities, and shapes using logical reasoning and critical thinking. In the video's context, it is the subject the speaker is discussing, emphasizing the importance of understanding its concepts rather than just memorizing formulas. The speaker shares personal experiences and tips on how to excel in math, highlighting the subject as a central theme of the video.

💡Memorizing

Memorizing is the act of committing information to memory. The video script contrasts memorizing with true understanding, suggesting that while memorization can be helpful, a deeper comprehension of math concepts is essential for success. The speaker uses the example of knowing '2 x 2 = 4' but questioning whether one understands why it equals 4, illustrating the difference between memorization and understanding.

💡Understanding

Understanding in the video script is presented as a higher level of knowledge acquisition compared to memorization. It implies a deep grasp of the principles and concepts in math. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding why certain mathematical operations or equations work the way they do, as it forms the foundation for tackling more complex problems.

💡Algebra

Algebra is a branch of mathematics concerning the study of mathematical symbols and the rules for manipulating these symbols. It is an essential part of the script where the speaker discusses the importance of understanding variables and their relationships in equations. The video uses algebra as an example to illustrate the concept of understanding foundational math principles.

💡Foundation

In the context of the video, a foundation refers to the basic principles or initial concepts of a subject that are necessary to build upon for advanced learning. The speaker stresses that without a solid foundation in math, one cannot excel in more complex topics, comparing it to a building that needs a strong base to stand firm.

💡Variable

A variable in math is a symbol, often a letter, that represents an unknown quantity in an equation or expression. The video script uses variables to explain the concept of solving for an unknown, emphasizing that understanding how to isolate a variable is crucial for solving algebraic equations.

💡Simultaneous Equations

Simultaneous equations are a set of equations that involve multiple unknowns and are solved together to find the values of all variables. The speaker uses simultaneous equations as an example of a more complex math problem that requires a foundational understanding of algebra to solve.

💡Quadratics

Quadratics refer to equations of the second degree, typically in the form of ax² + bx + c = 0. The video script briefly mentions quadratics as a more advanced algebraic topic that requires understanding of concepts like the quadratic formula and factorization, which are built upon foundational algebraic knowledge.

💡Practice

Practice, as discussed in the video, is the act of repeatedly performing an activity or set of activities to improve or master a skill. The speaker emphasizes that consistent practice in math is key to becoming proficient, as it helps to internalize the concepts and problem-solving strategies.

💡Derivatives

Derivatives in calculus are a measure of how a function changes as its input changes. The video script mentions derivatives as an example of a foundational concept in calculus that, if not understood, can hinder one's ability to grasp more advanced topics in the field.

💡Efficiency

Efficiency in the context of the video refers to the ability to study or learn in a way that maximizes understanding and minimizes wasted time or effort. The speaker advises not to spend too much time on a single question, suggesting that understanding solutions is more efficient than trying to solve every problem from scratch.

Highlights

The speaker emphasizes that their math skills are not due to ethnicity but self-taught understanding.

The importance of understanding math concepts over mere memorization is stressed.

The analogy of a child's times table chart to explain the difference between memorization and understanding.

The concept that algebraic variables can change and understanding this variability is crucial.

The foundational knowledge in math is compared to the base of a building, essential for stability and growth.

The necessity to understand basic algebraic expressions to progress in more complex topics.

The strategy of writing down and practicing equations to solidify understanding.

Using textbook questions as a starting point for learning and practicing math topics.

The scenario of encountering a difficult algebraic question during an exam and the approach to tackle it.

The advice to break down complex problems into simpler parts to understand and solve them.

The speaker's personal experience and tips for dealing with challenging math questions.

The principle that understanding fundamental concepts applies to all branches of math, including calculus and geometry.

The recommendation to learn basic laws in subjects like calculus even when short on time.

The old adage 'practice makes perfect' is applied to math and the importance of consistent practice.

The suggestion to use solutions to understand difficult questions and not just memorize them.

The idea of approaching teachers or using online resources for additional math practice questions.

The importance of having an answer key for practice questions to check understanding and correctness.

The final encouragement for viewers to engage with the content, subscribe, and follow for more educational videos.

Transcripts

now throughout my years of Uni and High  School math has always been one of my  

strongest subjects however whenever I get a  good grade on a math test people are like oh  

my god it must be because you're Asian...  um that's not true... mostly it's because  

growing up I taught myself to understand  math and today I'm going to share with  

you some of my tips so you can understand  math as well and get a pluses on every exam

hey guys welcome back to my channel  and today we are going to talk about  

math and how to study it math  is everyone's favourite subject

I lied and likewise with math time is of the  

essence so I'm going to get  straight into the first tip

so with math memorizing is one thing but  understanding is the next level of things  

because 2 x 2 = 4 but do you understand why  it equals 4 or do you just remember from that  

childhood times table chart that every kid had in  the back of their bathroom door for some reason  

or every Primary School had it as well same with  algebra like if you remember that x = 2 for one of  

the questions that doesn't necessarily mean that  you understand every algebraic question because  

in every algebraic expression X isn't always going  to equal two and the variable isn't always going  

to be X either it could be A it could be B it  could be C XYZ blah blah blah blah blah now  

this is why you might not understand what's  going on because often with math one concept  

that base foundation links to everything else  that you will be taught in that topic because  

without a foundation you can't excel and you  can't build on top of it it's like a building  

if you don't have that foundation it just topples  down and it *extra noise* explodes because you're  

not going to be able to answer the question now in  algebraic terms if you don't understand the basic  

algebraic expression like let's say 10 = 2x + 5  how are you going to get the answer for that if  

you don't understand the fact that you need to get  X by itself and when you move on to harder topics  

in algebra such as simultaneous equations where  you have two or two or more variables that you  

don't know or if you move on to quadratics where  you need to understand the quadratic formula and  

also the idea of like factorization and stuff  like that you're not going to be able to do it  

because you don't understand that base concept  of getting an unknown variable by itself so you  

can find the answer so your best bet with maths  is to truly understand the basics like even if  

it means that you're a little bit behind your  class understanding the basics will set you up  

to at least get a few marks even if you don't  learn the rest of the content so long as you  

have that foundation you're bound to get a few  more marks and even if it means you might have  

to put a bit of extra hours into studying or a bit  more effort into studying you'll still be able to  

excel so long as you learn the foundation and the  best way to understand the basics is if you have  

equations and stuff like that write them down put  them at the front of your reference and then you  

can do some questions so the best place to find  questions is in your textbook if you have one  

and go to the chapter that concerns you and do the  first few questions because usually the first few  

questions of a textbook chapter is the foundation  the basics basically getting you comfortable with  

that topic that you're learning and then you  can move on to the other questions okay now  

picture this you're in a test or exam room and  you're going through the questions you smashed  

out most of the questions you're halfway through  the exam and it's been really easy so far smooth  

sailing because you understand the foundation and  then boom you hit with a hard algebraic question  

a simultaneous equation but you don't know how  to do this because you've only spent your time  

studying how to do single equations where  you just have to find one variable so what  

you should what should you do now what do what  do you do you're stressing out you're about to  

start crying what should you do you need to  break everything down I'm sure you've heard  

this a lot but breaking it down is the B all or  end all of this question and you're looking at  

it I'm like how the hell am I supposed to find  two variables and why am I given two equations

oh stress oh my god stress oh my god

well think about it you go to to your go to  your base algebraic knowledge you're you need  

to understand what you're being asked first you're  asked to find X and Y well if I use my algebraic  

knowledge I can probably still try to get X by  itself like what can I do with this well maybe  

I can put it into the second equation oh look  at that there's no more X variables now in the  

second equation it's just y so maybe I can get y  by itself now and then after you find y you can  

put it back into equation one and you're like  hey I can find X wow so amazing and yeah like  

even if you don't do all of this you're still  bound to get one or two marks for that because  

you're still showing that foundational algebraic  knowledge and you're still showing some sort of  

understanding of the fact that you should should  be getting an unknown variable by itself now this  

rule of breaking things down and this rule of  understanding fundamental concepts applies to  

all branches of math calculus geometry Etc like  with Calculus for example if you don't understand  

the basic laws of derivatives or anti-derivatives  there's a very high chance that you're not going  

to be able to understand the rest of the calculus  topics that you're doing which is why it is so  

important to have that base ground for yourself  even if you don't learn the rest of the subject  

as I said earlier you're still bound to get a  few marks because of your base understanding of  

calculus I wouldn't recommend that but if you are  really stretched on time and it's one day before  

your exam and you haven't studied one bit just  try to learn the law basic laws and you should  

still be able to apply some of that knowledge  to even holler questions as well now as all  

the oldies say practice makes perfect with math  and many problem-based subjects such as segments  

of chemistry and physics practice practice  practice you will get good at the subject if you  

consistently practice expose yourself to that good  old vitamin M M is for math if in case you didn't  

assume that already like if you consistently  practice math the questions will become muscle  

memory for you even if there are different values  different numbers and different things you have to  

find you will be able to find it because you  understand all of them unfortunately I just  

have to say it straight up you need to do the  questions even if it's a challenging questions  

you have to do them I have said this in my how to  study smart video which should show up here or in  

the description but to practice I recommend you  do do the question first look at the solutions you  

if you want to study efficiently you don't want  to spend too much time on one question because  

there are like an abundance of other questions  so if you can't understand it do it with the  

help of the solutions and try to understand those  Solutions you need to look at the solutions and  

understand it otherwise it'll just get to the  point where you're just memorizing questions  

again and you don't want to do that you want to  understand the question not memorize them if you  

want more practice questions than what the course  already provides you approach your teacher or use  

Google as I said earlier there will be heaps  of questions online because as I said math is  

a universal language that everyone understands  now if you should make sure that there is a good  

answer key in the in under the questions because  you want to be able to see the solutions basically  

and if there isn't an answer key and you still  want to do the questions you can approach your  

teacher to mark the questions whether or not you  did it right now I hope this video helped you guys  

in some way check out my socials and don't forget  to like and subscribe and click the notification  

Bell so you are notified every Friday when I  release a video and I'll see you in the next one

k bye

mmm she a devil she a bad little b**** she a rebel  

she put the foot to the pedal it'll  take a whole lot for me to settle