Get Over Failure: Strategies & Math Tips

[thehollow89]

Have you ever blanked on a test and got a below average grade on said test? How did you get over it? What did you tell yourself? Also, how do you learn Math? Do you learn on your own and get help only when you absolutely need it? At what point do you accept that you need help? I know it's a lot of questions, but they're just examples for this thread.

 

[Mentallic]

I had two math exams to study for. There was the easier extension 1 exam and then the harder extension 2 a day later (NSW, Australia high school system). I naturally studied much more for the harder exam, thinking I had the other one handled. After I finished the first, I could just feel that I went terribly. Much worse than I should have done. I felt I went really well in the harder exam. Results come in and they confirm my grief. 1st in harder exam, below average in easier exam.
So how did I get over this? I just accepted that the lack of study was to blame and that I could do heaps better next time.
I learn math by the book, and - if possible - answer questions I conceive for myself. The teacher only comes into the picture to teach the basics to get me started and for confirmation on any questions I feel skeptical about.
I accept I need help as soon as my gut doesn't feel it's 100% sure it has the right answer

 

[Gib Z]

You seem to have a lot of pride to question when you should accept that you need help. There are two extremes - either, you never asked for help. This will be the death of you. For some difficult problems, someones help will be required, and will teach you something. The other extreme is asking for help too often, not giving the problems long or deep enough thought, or just giving up. To see if you are straying down this path, check if the problems are ask help for are similar, on the same topics, or done using similar methods. If so, then this is also not good, as at this point, you are no longer really learning anything and relying on other people to not poke, but drag you in the right direction. There are several people in the homework section that should be reading this.

What you need to develop on your own is the maturity to correctly judge when you honestly believe help will be beneficial to your learning and when it won't.

When you perform below your expectations in a test, judge whether or not this is due to a lack of general understanding of the theory - if so, go back to your notes and textbook and learn it again - or if there were errors on certain special/important cases, careless errors and other certain details. If so, go over the errors in your test, make sure you know exactly why you got the question wrong and learn how to do it correctly. You will truly learn from these errors. Many times I find myself thinking "Ahh make sure to do this, that's what I screwed up last time", honestly.

Oddly enough, I have my EXT 1 and 2 exams coming up next week ( I live in Sydney) lol.

 

[Mentallic]

...The other extreme is asking for help too often, not giving the problems long or deep enough thought, or just giving up... at this point, you are no longer really learning anything and relying on other people to not poke, but drag you in the right direction...

Very well put.

...Oddly enough, I have my EXT 1 and 2 exams coming up next week ( I live in Sydney) lol

hehe so do I! That circle geometry is going to be the hell of me, but those complex numbers - awesome stuff.

 

[Dadface]

I often find that people who excel at their studies are dissapointed with their performance in exams.Some of these are perfectionists and tend to dwell on the few things they mess up rather than the many things they get right.

 

[thehollow89]

I often find that people who excel at their studies are dissapointed with their performance in exams.Some of these are perfectionists and tend to dwell on the few things they mess up rather than the many things they get right.

I think I fall into this category at times. I get down on myself because I'm not the best in my class. I'm really trying to accept that genetics play an important role. I keep thinking that I should be able to do effectively no studying and still get 100% or close to it. Anyone else have trouble accepting differences in genetics?

 

[uart]

Oddly enough, I have my EXT 1 and 2 exams coming up next week ( I live in Sydney) lol.

Hi Gib Z. Is that mid-year exams already. Or is it something else?

BTW. I'm also from NSW.

 

[Gib Z]

Hi Gib Z. Is that mid-year exams already. Or is it something else?

BTW. I'm also from NSW.

Yup that's right, the second term assessments. This year is going by faster than I thought it would, everyone always says the HSC is a painful year lol. Well, it is, just not as bad as I thought.

 

[Mentallic]

I often find that people who excel at their studies are dissapointed with their performance in exams.Some of these are perfectionists and tend to dwell on the few things they mess up rather than the many things they get right.

This is very true. At times it can be painful even. The bulk of the stress comes after the exams - "Oh no! Did I recheck every little detail, I didn't leave any stupid mistakes like forgetting to simplify, did I?!"

Yup that's right, the second term assessments. This year is going by faster than I thought it would, everyone always says the HSC is a painful year lol. Well, it is, just not as bad as I thought.

I'm assuming you're a good mathematician too. Else, you wouldn't be taking ext 2 I must agree, the year is flying by, and I can't wait to get into uni. I've always thought of English as being the opposite to Maths, and usually if you're gifted in one, you would be terrible in the other. So how do you fair with essay writing compared to problem solving?

 

[Gib Z]

I don't completely agree with that statement. I would say I'm fairly talented at problem solving, and whilst my essay writing is not as strong, it is still around average at my school, and my school is regularly ranked as the best performing boys school at English (in this state at least). I have several friends who are very well rounded - to be honest they aren't as good at maths or physics as I am, but still perform near the top in those subjects, as well as every other subject they do, including English. Sometimes I envy them lol.