Distraction is causing me a big trouble

[Hobold]

First of all, I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this kind of thread, but I couldn't find anywhere better.

So, here's what's happening to me: I on a big load of distraction in exams. I'm not sure if this happens to anyone else besides me, but I rarely complete an exam without making a very stupid mistake. It's really rare to find a test that I cannot solve, but when it comes to writing down the numbers and calculating, I get everything wrong. It's usually algebraic and fraction mistakes, and it's pissing me off, mainly because it's nothing I cannot or do not know how to solve.

My mistakes includes things like 1/2 - 1/4 = 3/4 or just simple algebraic manipulation (in fact, complex manipulations are usually easy to me) such as x+y = 0 -> x=y

I know, it's ridiculous and I've tried a lot of things to stop doing those stupidities, but even when I recheck the solution, I go through the whole problem again and again without finding the mistake. I only notice that when someone actually points to me.

The problem is: it's lowering my "GPA" a lot.

What can I do? I thought about getting back to Middle School books but I wasn't sure that would be the best solution.

 

[╔(σ_σ)╝]

I have exactly the same problem as you do. A few weeks ago I was asked for the roots of some polynomials they were 1/5, 3/5and wrote down 4/5 and -3/5 these mistakes took from from a 90% to 80% since the lab was out of 20.

What I found to help was after I finished all my solutions and redo the solutions at the back and then compare. However, this doesn't work for long exams that do not give me enough time to redo solutions.

My other solution to my problem is write out all intermediate steps and not doing too much mental algebra; but ofcourse this slows my pace on exams.

Basically, there is no absolute "solution" to this problem except been prudent.

 

[SEngstrom]

I think that being careful when you do the work is a skill, and as such it is something you can practice consciously. Practice problems that require this kind of precision when it is not counting against your grade - and try to focus on the aspect you need to improve on.

The other thing you can do is to go back over your work after solving a problem. It can be easier to spot silly mistakes when you don't have to simultaneously work towards the overall solution. Also, try to do the steps in an alternate way (doesn't even have to be exact). In your 1/2-1/4 for example, you could think of it as decimals or some approximation if it was a more complex number and have check the details of your work that way.

 

[MathematicalPhysicist]

You can try writing more slowly on your exams, maybe getting extra time if it's possible.

Because these kind of errors look to me to be from anxiety from your time cap in the exam.

 

[nlsherrill]

You can try writing more slowly on your exams, maybe getting extra time if it's possible.

Because these kind of errors look to me to be from anxiety from your time cap in the exam.

I definitely have this problem. I am 100% sure I perform worse on exams than I do if I just "sit down" with some problems at home. In fact, I am really dealing with this problem this semester, because the mulivariable calculus class I'm in is only 50 mins long, and my professor gives us a test that is 5-6 multi step questions. So even if I know how to solve all the problems right when I see them, it still literally takes at least 45 mins to evaluate them. By "evaluate" I mean write out all the steps to solving some horrible triple integral in spherical coordinates with u substitution and integration by parts used everywhere.

And like the thread starter, it seems like even when I know what to do in the problems and I'm thinking "oh this is easy, but its just going to take a page of writing to get the answer", I will almost definitely make 1 little error at some point in the problem. Luckily though, the professor only takes off like 1 point from a 20 point problem if you miss a negative sign. Other professors though are less forgiving.

The only thing you really can do besides being calmer and therefore more careful about your mistakes is to use all the time you have during an exam. I have done this for almost all of my exams, and I almost always catch a mistake. I think its easier to catch a mistake AFTER you have solved all the problems you can, because even if you don't catch a careless error, you have still done all the problems, so you don't have time pending on you trying to figure out anything.

 

[lurky]

I have this problem. What I have found works is this:
- practice, practice, practice
- pay attention to, and double check each step. Make sure that the results you get at each step make sense.
- don't race. Keep an eye on the time. If you start spending too much time on one problem, leave it and move on. Go back to it later if you have time.

And this is for me, so it may not work for you:
- picture the numbers

I'm a strongly visual person so picturing the numbers really works. Other people have to feel the numbers or maybe have a color associated with them or whatever, or maybe just speak them in their minds. Me, I have to do it visually or I'll mess up. All of the questions I get totally wrong are ones I couldn't build a mental picture for.

 

[JyN]

It's a skill that requires practice. It's the same as learning an instrument, start really really REALLLLLYYY slowly. Be sure that you are doing everything right no matter how trivial what your doing is. Start practicing consistence, then the speed can come naturally. Also, don't try to finish all the exams.

 

[Hobold]

Thanks for all replies.

I will be trying to answer the exams slower, though in most times I really don't have much time, but it's somehow good to know that I'm not alone with this problem.

I had another exam today, I answered more carefully, but I am 100% that I have made some of those kinds of mistakes...Thanks again