Pass Maths Help

senordingdong

Im doing pass maths and im really ****ed. As i mentioned before i have piss poor retention but it seems particularly worse with maths, i can never concentrate when im doing it.
Im getting seriously freaked out this stage so i was wondering could anyone provide any suggestions on how to study it better, how to better my concentration on the subject or any other helpull advice?

subway_ie

Well, to be honest, it's useless trying to learn the whole course right now. You need to pass maths, so you should be working towards that. Papers - lots and lots of papers. Get used to the exam questions - download marking schemes (SEC and Department of Education and Science both have them), if you can't get all the marks for a question, then get the attempt marks at least. That's usually 3/10, which means if you make a decent attempt at all questions, and have a rough idea of what's going on, then you can pass. Right now, you should be revising, not learning off new stuff. I suppose it depends on just how little you know, but it's going to be a lot more useful revising stuff you kind of know already than trying to teach yourself stuff you don't know at all.

[EDIT] Sev mentioned it below, but becareful with the marking schemes. Make sure you've done the full paper before you even download them. The temptation's gonna be there to just look up the answer and that just wastes the paper. After you've attempted all the questions as best you can, then look at the solutions/scheme. Try and stick to the timing as well - don't keep at a question for more than the allotted time, you'l just skimp on time for the easier questions you still have to do. [/EDIT]

Sev

Practice, practice, practice. Don't just study how to do questions, and learn the theory... do the questions. And before you go looking up the solutions to see how something is done, give a good stab at it yourself. If you can answer tough questions that youve never seen before, by yourself, at home.. then you can do the same thing in exams. Make sure you can do every question from all the previous exam papers and know how to answer every type of question conceivable.

And then you're ready.

senordingdong

Thanks for the suggestions but it gets worse, i need a c3, but ill try what you guys suggested.
Thanks again.

subway_ie

Well, I was assuming the worst when I said about trying to pass... for all I know you were exaggerating and aren't anywhere near failing - but still, do as much as you can from now until Thursday/Monday, mainly papers and you should be ok.

senordingdong

I appreciate all your advice but thats what Iv been doing for ages now and i cant seem to retain any of the work i do, it feels like theres some other element missing.
I forget how things are done even if iv just done the exact same question the day before.

Its diffcult to explain but when i have a teacher over my shoulder or someone to nudge me in the right direction i get in great. But when im on my own i havent even a ****ing clue what im being asked.
If theres any known reason or solution for this that anybody knows id love to hear it.

subway_ie

Are you actually doing questions, or just reading through examples? Practicing the actual questions (WITHOUT solutions) is the only way to learn it properly.

senordingdong

Originally posted by subway_ie
Are you actually doing questions, or just reading through examples? Practicing the actual questions (WITHOUT solutions) is the only way to learn it properly.

Oh i agree whole heartedly, but when i get stuck (i get stuck ALOT) i cant see another way around other than looking at the solution to get the next step and continuing on.

subway_ie

If you're going straight to the solutions, without trying for a few minutes (even 10-15 minutes) then that's probably what's wrong. You're not thinking about it, not actually practicing properly.

senordingdong

Originally posted by subway_ie
If you're going straight to the solutions, without trying for a few minutes (even 10-15 minutes) then that's probably what's wrong. You're not thinking about it, not actually practicing properly.

I understand why you would think that, but i od try and i dont go straight to the solutions, but most of this just seems like double dutch to me. I probably spell dutch incorrectly too.

Kold

someone post up all the formulae needed for the paper..

subway_ie

Originally posted by Kold
someone post up all the formulae needed for the paper..

Or maybe write them out yourself and learn them in the process...

senordingdong

Well i suppose a better way to ask what i was asking is, can anyone that has experience in the matter, (someone whos sat a maths paper or two or even a teacher) give their opinion (based on theire experience) of what the best way to be prepared is?

Or the best way for someone who feels like a turkey at christmas to scrap through?