Top Tips for Learning Maths

While Maths is considered a difficult subject by many, it is actually easier to master than a lot of other subjects as it is a logical subject and the correct answers are not subjective.

Because of this it is important to understand that getting good at Maths requires a different approach to that of subjects such as History or English Literature. Here are our top tips for learning Maths.

Confidence

To do well at maths you need to believe that you can master the subject – and you can! Anyone can get good at maths if they put in the work and have the confidence to persevere.

We often think we are “rubbish at maths” because of things we’ve been told (e.g. girls aren’t good at maths, creative people are bad at maths, it doesn’t run in your family, etc) but it’s important to know that these are just opinions, not facts, and approach learning maths with a positive attitude.

Start with the basics

If you find maths difficult then you need to go back to the basics. Make sure you understand the maths you learned in earlier years before you worry about your current syllabus, as maths continues to build on itself as you progress.

Having a good foundation will make it much easier to understand more complicated concepts later on.

It is also helpful to work on your mental arithmetic. Being able to work out simple sums in your head will give you confidence and help you to solve problems faster.

Knowing your times tables off by heart so that you don’t have to think about the answer (you just know it) will similarly be a huge help when you’re working on more sophisticated maths.

Build step by step on your foundation

Maths is cumulative so, once you’ve built a strong foundation with the basics, you always need to ensure that you understand each concept completely before moving forwards.

Any gaps in your understanding will make it harder and harder to learn the maths that builds on these concepts in the future. Identify these gaps and get help as soon as you can so that you can continue progressing.

It is also important to do homework as soon as possible after the class where it is given so that you can get help in plenty of time if needed.

Maths requires knowledge and understanding

There are some elements of maths that you will need to learn off by heart. You will need to know the relevant mathematical vocabulary and definitions and geometry theorems for instance.

It can be helpful to create flashcards, charts or lists that contain all this type of information. These will be a useful reference when solving problems that need this knowledge, and you can also use them to practice committing this knowledge to memory.

However knowledge is not enough in maths, understanding is just as important. When it comes to the processes used to solve problems, you need to understand them rather than just learn them off by heart, or you will struggle to apply them to different problems.

Understanding the concepts and processes used is vital when it comes to learning maths.

Get feedback

When you are struggling with a particular concept, write down your process step by step and then get feedback on it. By writing it down it will be easier for your teacher, tutor or parent to identify where you are going wrong and give you feedback that will set you back in the right direction.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes as this is the best way to learn as long as you then get the feedback you need to correct yourself.

Blutick’s online tutoring system is invaluable for this. You get instant, line by line feedback as you go along. When you enter your working out, you get immediate, intelligent feedback if you make a mistake so you know straight away when you have gone wrong and what to do about it.

Practice

The most important tip we can give you for learning maths is to keep practising. The more you practice, the more you will learn from any mistakes you make and the quicker you will start to understand how to go about solving different problems.

Because maths is as practical as it is theoretical, you need to be able to apply it rather than just know it and the only way to get good at this is by practising.

Use an online system like Blutick to practice applying specific concepts and work on plenty of past exam papers to get used to the way questions are asked and the different types of problems you will be expected to solve.

Revise

Finally, when it comes to learning maths you will need to revise regularly and consistently. Expecting to ‘learn your maths’ the night before a test or exam is a recipe for failure.

Always give yourself plenty of time to go back over concepts you learned previously and to practise all the knowledge you’ve acquired.

If you’re a little fuzzy on something you learned a few months or years ago that is now being built on, go back and revise the earlier work you did.

If you apply these tips for learning maths you’ll soon find that not only are you finding it easy to pass the subject, you’ll also start to enjoy and become very good at it.

While Maths is considered a difficult subject by many, it is actually easier to master than a lot of other subjects as it is a logical subject and the correct answers are not subjective.

Because of this it is important to understand that getting good at Maths requires a different approach to that of subjects such as History or English Literature.

Here are our top tips for learning Maths.

Confidence

To do well at maths you need to believe that you can master the subject – and you can! Anyone can get good at maths if they put in the work and have the confidence to persevere.

We often think we are “rubbish at maths” because of things we’ve been told (e.g. girls aren’t good at maths, creative people are bad at maths, it doesn’t run in your family, etc) but it’s important to know that these are just opinions, not facts, and approach learning maths with a positive attitude.

Start with the basics

If you find maths difficult then you need to go back to the basics. Make sure you understand the maths you learned in earlier years before you worry about your current syllabus, as maths continues to build on itself as you progress.

Having a good foundation will make it much easier to understand more complicated concepts later on.

It is also helpful to work on your mental arithmetic. Being able to work out simple sums in your head will give you confidence and help you to solve problems faster.

Knowing your times tables off by heart so that you don’t have to think about the answer (you just know it) will similarly be a huge help when you’re working on more sophisticated maths.

Build step by step on your foundation

Maths is cumulative so, once you’ve built a strong foundation with the basics, you always need to ensure that you understand each concept completely before moving forwards.

Any gaps in your understanding will make it harder and harder to learn the maths that builds on these concepts in the future.

Identify these gaps and get help as soon as you can so that you can continue progressing. It is also important to do homework as soon as possible after the class where it is given so that you can get help in plenty of time if needed.

Maths requires knowledge and understanding

There are some elements of maths that you will need to learn off by heart. You will need to know the relevant mathematical vocabulary and definitions and geometry theorems for instance.

It can be helpful to create flashcards, charts or lists that contain all this type of information. These will be a useful reference when solving problems that need this knowledge, and you can also use them to practice committing this knowledge to memory.

However knowledge is not enough in maths, understanding is just as important. When it comes to the processes used to solve problems, you need to understand them rather than just learn them off by heart, or you will struggle to apply them to different problems.

Understanding the concepts and processes used is vital when it comes to learning maths.

Get feedback

When you are struggling with a particular concept, write down your process step by step and then get feedback on it. By writing it down it will be easier for your teacher, tutor or parent to identify where you are going wrong and give you feedback that will set you back in the right direction.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes as this is the best way to learn as long as you then get the feedback you need to correct yourself.

Blutick’s online tutoring system is invaluable for this. You get instant, line by line feedback as you go along. When you enter your working out, you get immediate, intelligent feedback if you make a mistake so you know straight away when you have gone wrong and what to do about it.

Practice

The most important tip we can give you for learning maths is to keep practising. The more you practice, the more you will learn from any mistakes you make and the quicker you will start to understand how to go about solving different problems.

Because maths is as practical as it is theoretical, you need to be able to apply it rather than just know it and the only way to get good at this is by practising.

Use an online system like Blutick to practice applying specific concepts and work on plenty of past exam papers to get used to the way questions are asked and the different types of problems you will be expected to solve.

Revise

Finally, when it comes to learning maths you will need to revise regularly and consistently. Expecting to ‘learn your maths’ the night before a test or exam is a recipe for failure.

Always give yourself plenty of time to go back over concepts you learned previously and to practise all the knowledge you’ve acquired. If you’re a little fuzzy on something you learned a few months or years ago that is now being built on, go back and revise the earlier work you did.

If you apply these tips for learning maths you’ll soon find that not only are you finding it easy to pass the subject, you’ll also start to enjoy and become very good at it.