Working Fast and Efficiently? (1 Viewer)

[Trebla]

Ever since Year 7, I was always one of the last to finish in a Maths test. However, most of the time I got 90+ marks, because I was one of those slow and careful people. I usually did not like going back and checking (it's a bad habit I know), as a result of this. Luckily, in my junior years there was plenty of time given for a Maths test for me to take my time.

Now facing harder tasks set in Preliminary Mathematics Extension, I'm usually in a situation where I either do not finish, or just finish on time. When I try to work fast, I make heaps of unnecessary errors that drag my marks down. If I work at a steady pace, I usually do not finish on time. Apparently, according to my 3U Maths teacher, people who REALLY know their stuff will finish a 3U test JUST ON TIME. Is this even true of the HSC exams or is it just my school pushing us to work harder?
I'm usually in the top ten of the grade and I plan to do Extension 2 Mathematics by Year 12. I've got only two terms left to get my act together and boost my marks and I'm always faced with this difficulty: work slow and carefully and do not finish or work quickly and make lots of silly mistakes?

Does anyone know a good way or method to work fast in Mathematics Extension and still minimise any unnecessary errors?
(Apparently more practice isn't helping much...)

 

[Jago]

It really depends on the test. Generally at my school all the people who get 100% or close to, usually finishes their test with quite a bit to spare, so they check over their answers again and again.

Practice DOES help, just keep doing different types of questions. Speed up your writing speed may help you to gain an extra minute or two as well.

 

[Slidey]

I dunno. I used to be so slow; I'd get almost everything I did correct, but I didn't do a good portion of the test.

Now I finish with half an hour to go for 3unit and on time for 4unit (2unit is one and half hours, but I do 4unit, so...). I think a lot of it has to do not with being good at 3unit (though knowing your stuff WILL HELP. ALOT) but mainly with knowing the basics OFF BY HEART: index laws, log laws, trig, and ESPECIALLY your algebra.

But even then that won't gaurentee you will do well. I think your problem, by the sound of it, is hesitance. Do you find ourself being meticulous, erring on the side of caution in tests, double checking some things? This was one of my problems. Also knowing the basics off by heart should make you confident anyway.

The only way to fix this is by increasing our confidence. How you may ask? Well, perhaps doing lots and lots of practice exercises would be a good idea. Actually, yes, it would be a great idea. And don't time yourself; not yet - do that later.

You say that isn't helping? What type of practice are you doing, exactly?

 

[Trebla]

I usually practice by doing heaps of questions from Maths textbooks in class and for homework, which are often repetitive. In addition to this, there's tutoring practice as well. Obviously in doing so, I'd usually slow down the pace, unless I'm cramming homework and assignments on the same night.

In an ATTEMPT to balance out working fast and being careful, I would tend to be a little hesitant and constantly check for unnecessary errors as I go, while working quickly at the same time, especially in harder questions.

 

[haboozin]

practice will make alot of things automatic...

especially locus..

eg. the gradient for the line x^2 = 4ay at (2ap, ap^2) is p... and so on, when you know something like that, you just automatically write down the process without even thinking then quickly go to the next question.

locus Q with 4 sub Questions, you should be able to do the first 2-3 automatically then think about the last Q..

Induction, with things like inequalities, there is only about 10 or so different ones so if you are really worried memorize all..
theres also very famous induction questions which you can memorize (if you want to get classic famous (and difficault) questions cambridge maths books are the best)

Just find shortcuts?
integration, if you arn't good at "seeing it" just use substitution for all of them, less brain activity and more just doing automatic work which could be done fast and still efficiently, also change the limits with respect to your sub so the "adding" part at the end becomes easier and tougher for you to make mistakes on...

write down all your working dont try n do things in your head n focus on writing them fast (this way you get the mark for showing proof and you wont get confused and make errors)

If you dont see the answer for a question almost instantly (unless its like a circle geometry question, i sugest you try and do it all in one go because you are aware of things you have proved previously) just skip the question and circle it then come back to it at the end. try and send the same amount of time for every 1 mark.

2 hour test 60 marks, 2 minutes a mark.

 

[jm1234567890]

I'm always slow and methodical in a test.

I re-write all the qutestions and write as much working as possible.

If you think about it, it doesn't take extra time cause you basicly putting your thoughts on paper rather than just keeping them in your brain.

oh yeah, copying the question saved me a few times when I read the question wrong, hehe.

 

[hasterz]

i strongly recommend you never ever copy the question down.....

 

[nick1048]

I dunno. I used to be so slow; I'd get almost everything I did correct, but I didn't do a good portion of the test.

Now I finish with half an hour to go for 3unit and on time for 4unit (2unit is one and half hours, but I do 4unit, so...). I think a lot of it has to do not with being good at 3unit (though knowing your stuff WILL HELP. ALOT) but mainly with knowing the basics OFF BY HEART: index laws, log laws, trig, and ESPECIALLY your algebra.

But even then that won't gaurentee you will do well. I think your problem, by the sound of it, is hesitance. Do you find ourself being meticulous, erring on the side of caution in tests, double checking some things? This was one of my problems. Also knowing the basics off by heart should make you confident anyway.

The only way to fix this is by increasing our confidence. How you may ask? Well, perhaps doing lots and lots of practice exercises would be a good idea. Actually, yes, it would be a great idea. And don't time yourself; not yet - do that later.

You say that isn't helping? What type of practice are you doing, exactly?

I really agree with this. Past papers are the way to go

 

[Jago]

Yes practice past HSC papers. personally i like to write down the question if it's a really tough question, it gets my pen flowing and my mind racing. Then the answer just dawns on me

 

[Slidey]

I would never ever write down the question myself. I would write down key points, perhaps write P(x)=lalala so that I don't need to keep looking at the question paper, but I think it is otherwise a bad idea to write down the question.

Past papers are a good idea, but they should be what you turn to when you know what you're donig reasonably well. To actually undertstand a concept, generic textbook exercises would be more fruitful, I think.

 

[Estel]

Slide Rule is entirely correct; I am loath to advise doing many past papers unless you're someone who already has a clue or someone who can get a clue reasonably quickly.

 

[llamasohee]

Just know your work and the rest comes naturally. NEVER rush and know the integration sheet so u dont waste time checking for formulas on it. And use ur head for easy equations so u dont waste time writing it down.

 

[Templar]

Just like eveyone else I would recommend doing lots of past papers for practice.

Apparently, according to my 3U Maths teacher, people who REALLY know their stuff will finish a 3U test JUST ON TIME. Is this even true of the HSC exams or is it just my school pushing us to work harder?

Generally the people that I know that really know their stuff will finish with a few minutes to spare (although this information may be biased).

 

[zenger69]

wouldn't that depend on the test?

some teachers at my school set tests that they expect no one will finish. Some teachers set tests so everyone could finish and another teacher.

So it would really depend on the test.

A girl who get 98% for 3U at my school last year said she finished the test just as the supervisor said pen's down and never got a chance to double check. So maybe your teacher i right.

 

[Sphyx]

i strongly recommend you never ever copy the question down.....

i strongly support this. in the past ive made countless mistakes copying down questions. I kept telling myself that next time i would be fully alert, etc. but it still happened in every test, so please, dont copy the questions, there isnt much point. Plus, you save time, perhaps overall only a minute or two, but these few minutes could be used to find a mistake in another question.

 

[dawso]

I'm always slow and methodical in a test.

I re-write all the qutestions and write as much working as possible.

If you think about it, it doesn't take extra time cause you basicly putting your thoughts on paper rather than just keeping them in your brain.

oh yeah, copying the question saved me a few times when I read the question wrong, hehe.

sorry, but im gunna listen 2 this guy, he is pro guys, listen 2 wat he says....

 

[Slidey]

To follow somebody's advice blindly, that is folly. Encouraging others to do the same is worthy of revilement.

So much for the HSC teaching you how to critically evaluate.

 

[KFunk]

I agree with you but I just felt I needed to point out how self defeating your advice is .

 

[Slidey]

I do not desire my advice to take precedence over jm's. I would much prefer if a person could instead read each piece of advice here and objectively form their own conclusions based on this.

I would be just as appalled if somebody blindly accepted my advice. In fact, I have been in the past.

 

[jm1234567890]

sorry, but im gunna listen 2 this guy, he is pro guys, listen 2 wat he says....

lol, I agree with slide rule...

If you can't write fast enough, don't follow my advice.

Besides, slide rules sound like he will beat me in ext1 and 2