Mathematics is one subject that demands constant practice and revision. Firstly, of all the subjects taught in school, mathematics is arguably the most abstract. Students require constant revision to keep the concepts, formulae, and problem solving techniques fresh in their minds. Secondly, mathematics is a subject in which simpler concepts and problem solving skills must be thoroughly mastered first before the more difficult levels can be tackled. Students who do not grasp a topic fully before moving on to the next can find it increasingly difficult to keep up with school work. Thirdly, mathematics questions posed in exams often ask students to combine knowledge and skills from several different topics. This makes across-the-board mastery all the more important.
Some common-sensical strategies that should be adopted by every student include:
- Keeping up to date with classroom work, lectures, tutorials and assignments
- Starting examination revision early
- Constantly revisiting topics that have been previously taught, during term time, or even during the holidays if necessary
Private math tuition can certainly help students achieve all the above goals.
When examination time comes, it is all the more crucial to adopt and effective revision schedule for mathematics. One possible method (by no means the only way) is as follows:
- Constant practice should be done throughout the year, not just before an exam.
- Start intensive revision no less than three months before the end of year exam or before a national exam. For mid year exams, revision time can be shorted to two months or perhaps one and a half months as fewer topics are generally tested, and students will have to spend a lot of time on their current work as well. At this stage, revision can be topical, that is, students can revise topic by topic, starting with the more difficult topics first. Plan how many topics needs to be covered and allocate time accordingly to each of them.
- In the final one month leading to a major exam, focus on practicing past year papers, as well as questions that span many different topics. Students will need practice with actual questions posed in exams for maximum familiarity during the final paper.
