| Do you or your child find it difficult studying math | | | | you to know your limit on any particular topic. |
| effectively? Do you continually have low grades in | | | | When I say limit I mean areas you're not |
| math? Do you feel your performance needs to | | | | supposed to touch under any particular topic. |
| be improved upon? If you answer YES to these | | | | For example, a second year secondary/college |
| questions, then this article is for you. I have | | | | student is not expected to go beyond the use of |
| compiled math study habits secrets for you or | | | | measuring instruments to find angles of elevation |
| your child. | | | | and depression. The calculation aspect of this will |
| USE THE SYLLABUS / SCHEME OF WORK | | | | be done later. So a misinformed student would |
| If you don't know where you are going, you will | | | | waste precious time looking for ways to calculate |
| probably find yourself somewhere else. You can't | | | | angles of elevation and depression instead of |
| do everything at every point in time. It is | | | | measuring them. |
| advisable you do required things at every stage | | | | During my school days, I don't toy with the idea |
| of your life. | | | | of not working with my syllabus / scheme of |
| You are not expected to pick a text book and | | | | work. It is always with me at the beginning of |
| begin to learn how to differentiate or integrate a | | | | any personal study period. It is a useful tool which |
| mathematical equation in your first year in | | | | many students are not using presently. |
| secondary school. You are also not expected to | | | | SEEK HELP |
| waste most of your time solving problems on | | | | At particular times in our lives we need the helping |
| addition and subtraction of Directed numbers in | | | | hands of somebody. This is applicable to |
| your final year in secondary school. | | | | everybody so it is not out of place for anybody |
| There are things that are necessary for you to | | | | to seek help from the right quarters. |
| do at every point of your academic life. You can | | | | Help can come from your mates. You don't have |
| get to know what is required of you at every | | | | to be ashamed going to your mates for help. |
| stage of your academic life through a detailed | | | | They are the closest to offer help. It is only when |
| syllabus or the scheme of work. | | | | they cannot find solution to your problem, you |
| A student in an examination class (a student | | | | can then pay a visit to your teacher - you may |
| preparing for a final external examination) should | | | | even consider getting the needed help from |
| get the detailed syllabus of the examination he | | | | students in higher classes before you go to your |
| intends to write. In the same vein, all students | | | | teacher. |
| should have the terms' scheme of work on the | | | | During my days in school, I feel comfortable |
| first page of their mathematics note books. If the | | | | seeking help / assistance from my mates. We're |
| teacher fails to give it to them, they should ask | | | | familiar with each other and so we can help each |
| or request for it. | | | | other whenever the need arises. Today, I always |
| It is not advisable for you to go into a personal | | | | instruct my students to seek help from their |
| study period without the syllabus / scheme of | | | | mates before coming to me. This way a lot of |
| work by your side. I will state the advantages of | | | | work must have been done in the process of |
| working with the syllabus / scheme of work as | | | | solving a problem before coming to me. |
| mathematics students. Firstly, the syllabus / | | | | When it finally dawn on you that you can't find a |
| scheme of work show you at a glance what | | | | solution to your problem, go after your teacher |
| you're expected to know at every stage of your | | | | immediately. Your teacher will be in a position to |
| mathematics life in school. If you know this, you | | | | provide solution to the problem. You should not |
| won't waste your time doing what you're not | | | | relent on your effort to solve the problem if the |
| expected to do. Even though you will still end up | | | | teacher turns you down or fix another |
| doing it in future but you have succeeded in | | | | appointment with you on your first visit, go to |
| wasting your precious time on what you'll not be | | | | him/her again and again. You may also go to |
| examined on at that particular time. If after your | | | | other mathematics teachers in the school if you |
| first year in secondary school, you should have | | | | find it difficult getting the attention of your math |
| successfully completed ten topics, but you find | | | | teacher. Your major goal is to solve a problem, so |
| yourself as a result of misinformation struggling | | | | you should be ready to go to any length to |
| with a topic that is to be offered in the third | | | | achieve your aim. |
| year, then you'll have yourself to blame if you | | | | You can also belong to a study group. You can |
| can't master or have a good understanding of | | | | get sufficient help from your study group. You |
| those ten topics. | | | | must be sure people in your study group have |
| The syllabus / scheme of work present you the | | | | like minds as yourself. They must be students |
| domain where you're to reside at a point in time | | | | you know are capable of helping whenever you |
| in your academic life. You may move out of this | | | | need help. It is of no use belonging to a study |
| domain when you must have understood all the | | | | group where most of the students are below |
| topics in your present domain. | | | | average. At least in a study group of six for |
| Secondly, the syllabus / scheme of work give | | | | example, four of the students must be above |
| you the opportunity to look at a glance those | | | | average. |
| topics that are given you problems and which you | | | | Help can also come from some other quarters like |
| may require help. You're to tick any topic that | | | | your brother, sister, your parent, a neighbor, the |
| you have understood the concept and also that | | | | internet and so on. |
| you can easily be examined on. You're also | | | | So my dear student, seek help today when you |
| required to note those you're still struggling to | | | | need one and avoid committing a great blunder on |
| grasp. | | | | the day of the examination. |
| Thirdly, the syllabus / scheme of work also help | | | | |