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Carroll High School Blog
Nine Tips to Help you Ace your Next Math Exam and Four Bad Habits to Avoid
Preparing for a math test can be stressful, but every student is capable of earning good grades. Try out these proven methods to start boosting your test scores. Many of these study skills apply to other subjects, too!
Gather all formulas/identities onto one notes sheet
...whether it can be used on the exam or not. It will make it easier to study those facts you need to know.
Study vocabulary
Quizlet.com offers many free quizzes. Making your own note cards might help with retention even more as studies show that writing things down can help improve your memory.
Do all review
Optional or required, teachers create review guides to highlight materials that will be on the test.
Attempt all problems in the study guide
Circle problems you are struggling with so that you can ask questions before the exam date. Review what you do not know!
Do the odd problems and check your answers in the back of the book
Do you find yourself looking through your review and struggling with problems from a specific section? Keep reworking the problem until you get the correct answer.
Create your own study guide
Use old homework assignments to determine which sections from each chapter you have covered in class, make a list of all the topics from those sections that could appear on the exam, then narrow down what you need to study.
Check the textbook for extra review problems
Your teacher might not have assigned every problem has homework or covered it in class. These new problems offer a fresh opportunity to refine your knowledge.
Get a good night’s sleep!
You’ll think more clearly and make fewer mistakes.
Come to the test prepared with required materials
Pencil, graph paper, and a reliable calculator (fully charged - or make sure you have extra batteries if needed) are important tools you need to succeed!
Four traps to avoid
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Waiting until the night before the exam to start preparing
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Assuming that since you have done pretty well on smaller assessments, you do not need to study for the final exam
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Forgetting that understanding the vocabulary is also an important part of a math test
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Falling prey to the faulty thinking of ‘there’s no way to study for a math test’
Persistence pays off! Nine easy ways to raise your grades
School can be quite challenging, but what should you do when you feel like you are riding the struggle bus? Well, persistence pays off. Try out these study skills to be more persistent:
Be attentive and ask questions during class
This is especially helpful if you don’t understand something. There are probably other students who have the same or similar questions. Your job is to gain understanding; you won’t know if you don’t ask.
Ask if you can come before or after school for extra help
Check your teachers’ syllabi for available times. Most teachers are in their rooms early and are typically at school until at least 3:15 p.m. Always ask because sometimes there are meetings that teachers must attend, however, they are happy to schedule something convenient for you both.
Attend a tutoring session
Groups like National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, or National Latin Honor Society offer tutoring sessions each week. Regardless of what organization is hosting tutoring, any student can get help in any subject. Our student tutors are top-notch, and if they don’t know something, they will work to make sure you get the correct information you need.
Work with a friend who is doing well in the class
Ask a friend about how he/she is meeting success in the class. Not only will this help you, but it will help your friend. Explaining something that you have learned to someone else helps to cement that knowledge for yourself. Additionally, sometimes a student might have a catchy way to remember something that will help you.
Ask members of your Family Room for assistance
Every Tuesday is Academic Day in Family Room. This time is for checking grades, working on assignments, and asking questions. Your Captain will likely know exactly who in family room can help you with your questions.
Use Google to find a video that explains a difficult concept
There are many fabulous sites that help reinforce classroom concepts. Your teacher can probably also direct you to some of these types of resources.
Attempt (and complete) all of your homework/classwork
Finish your assignments even if you don’t think you understand. Sometimes you will find that you learned more than you thought during class, and when you do the assignment, the learning will show up.
Study a little bit each night
Studying is a great way to retain knowledge even if you don’t have a written assignment. Students often think they don’t need to do anything for homework if there is not a specific written assignment given, but the truth is that spending 10-15 minutes each night reviewing vocabulary, re-writing notes, using Quizlet, or having someone at home ask you questions are all great ways to review. Speak positive words about yourself in your head. You are capable of learning. You are smart. Focus on positivity.
Six tips and study skills to start the semester strong
As we move into 2021 and a new semester at Carroll High School, it’s important to get off to a strong start. Students who start strong find that the final exam at the end of the semester doesn’t worry them as much because they have built a strong foundation for success. Here are a few tips:
Write your goals
Think about each course and determine what you’d like your grade to be at the end of the semester. You can think about your experiences in the course or a similar course, but your experience does not necessarily dictate present performance. Vividly describing your goals in written form is strongly associated with goal success, and people who very vividly describe or picture their goals are more likely to successfully accomplish their goals than people who don’t (Forbes 2018).
Use your planner
This is closely associated with number one. Writing things down makes them more memorable, and writing your assignments in your planner will make it more likely you will remember to complete them. If there’s no assignment, write that down also and then spend a few minutes reviewing what you learned that day in that course.
Turn in your assignments
Sounds easy, right? But, time and time again, students find themselves in grade difficulty because they have missing work. Sometimes this is due to the fact that the student didn’t submit the work properly especially in the electronic world or the student was absent and didn’t turn in the work when he returned to school.
Ask questions and get clarification when necessary
If you don’t understand something, ask a question. It is highly likely that someone else has the exact same question. In the end, the education you receive is yours. If you don’t understand something, ask!
Get started as soon as possible
Starting is one of the hardest things to do. There are many distractions taking attention away from school. Rather than putting off starting on homework, get started as soon as you can after school.
Put away distractions
Speaking of distractions, put down your controller, put your phone on silent, turn off the television, and ignore social media. These things make completing work difficult. Students sometimes say they spent three hours on homework when in reality, they spent half of that time chatting with a friend, posting on social media, or channel surfing. Get work finished and then enjoy some entertainment.
I hope the third quarter is extremely productive and that your productivity will continue through the fourth quarter and final exams. Remember, each quarter is 40% of your final grade, so getting off to a great start in the third quarter of the semester will set you up for success the rest of the semester.