How To Get Better At Math: Top Tips For Mastering A Complex Subject

How to get better at math with ease? This question bothers hundreds of school and college students across the world. But, is there a solution to this matter?

Let’s face it – some people are naturally good at math, whereas others have a different brain type and really struggle to grasp exact sciences. This sounds quite fair, then why even bother about it? Well, first of all, this course is often compulsory in different educational institutions. Thus, not being able to master it can harm your overall academic performance. Besides, falling behind your peers in such subjects can feel overwhelming, even if it is natural for your type of mindset. 

Then, what should I do, how do I get better at math? – If this question has crossed your mind, the good news is that mastering this subject is possible even if you’ve always been bad at it! In this article, we will share with you the top tips to boost your skills and learn how to understand even the most complex concepts. Let’s dive in!

How To Become Good At Math: 10 Best Tips

There is no need to sugarcoat it – it is never a piece of cake to learn, especially when things you learn don’t come easy. Math and other exact sciences are the subjects students of all ages struggle with the most. But, if you also find it hard to master this subject, don’t get desperate just yet. There is a way to change the situation!

The tips below will tell you how to get good at math and boost your performance:

1. Brush Up On The Basics

First of all, to master any subject it is vital to grasp its basic concepts. The same applies to math. If you want to be good at it, start with brushing up on the basics. In this case, the basics include counting – addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Also, another basic thing you should learn as early as possible is the multiplication table.

The rest of the mathematical concepts are built around these basic operations. As soon as you grasp these operations and their properties, you will be ready to move on to more complex concepts like number theory, factors, multiples, and so on.

2. Establish A Good Relationship With Teacher

Right now you are probably wondering what your relationship with a teacher has to do with the question of how to be better at math? Although the teachers’ attitude towards students and the evaluation of their abilities have to be 100% equal and unbiased, there is always some sort of a human factor present. Teachers often tend to be more sympathetic and understanding of students who show genuine interest in their subjects, are active, and strive to establish a good relationship. Thus, your relationship with a teacher matters! Always try to be proactive, attentive, polite, and show that you care about the subject.

3. Don’t Neglect Your Assignments

This one should go without saying. If you are wondering how to succeed in math, start with getting all your tasks done all the time! Even if a certain task is too hard, you can get it wrong, but the main thing is that you’ve tried. After all, when trying to improve one’s skills, every mistake matters just as much as every success.

4. Focus On Understanding, Not Memorizing

Unlike other subjects, learning stuff by heart in Math won’t do any real difference. Understanding math is the key to mastering it. Thus, whenever you once again try to memorize some solution, stop there for a minute, and take your time to figure out how it works.

5. Always Analyze Mistakes

Earlier, we mentioned that every mistake matters, and here is why. When you make a mistake and let it go, it doesn’t make any difference. But, if you analyze and try to understand each mistake – you learn. Understanding why you’ve made each particular mistake is vital for taking your skills to the next level. Thus, never neglect the importance of self-reflection on mistakes.

6. Ask Questions

Have you ever swallowed up your questions because of feeling ashamed of asking or being afraid of looking stupid? That’s one of the biggest mistakes made by students. Thus, if you are wondering how to be good at math, then start asking questions! You can be surprised how many mathematical concepts will look much simpler once you say them aloud and receive a constructive explanation.

7. Discover Different Math Tricks

How to master math with less effort, you may wonder? When we talk about mastering such complicated subjects, it may feel that doing this should take an enormous amount of time and effort. It is true, but only to a certain extent. In fact, people who are experts in this subject, have long hacked it and shared with us a wide variety of tricks and hacks that make it easy to study math.

Different math tricks can come in handy for training your brain and becoming better at this subject. Besides, some of these hacks can help you in your day-to-day life as well, if you learn to use them right.

Just to give you a few examples, there is one trick that makes subtracting any large number from 1,000 fast and easy. It basically requires subtracting every number of a large number except the last from 9 and subtracting the last number from 10. Here is how it works:

Problem: 1,000 – 673

1st step: 9 – 6 = 3

2nd step: 9 – 7 = 2

3rd step: 10 – 3 = 7

Answer: 327

Pretty easy, right? Here is another fun trick – to multiply any two-digit number by 11, add a space between digits and fill it with a result of adding those two numbers. Here is an example:

Problem: 11 x 42

1st step: 4_2

2nd step: 4_(4 + 2)_2

Answer: 462

Impressed? And there are lots of other fun and simple hacks that make math easy! All you need is to discover and learn them.

8. Break Down Complex Concepts

This trick is very handy. So, there is no secret that math has some pretty extensive and confusing concepts. That’s true. But, have you ever thought that tackling such large problems at once is simply ineffective? Every complex matter consists of multiple smaller concepts. To grasp the idea easier and quicker, it is recommended to break down large problems into smaller once. This way you can tackle smaller issues one by one and gain a better understanding of the entire matter.

9. Always Have A Positive Attitude

We bet that every person has numerously heard this cliche phrase – “I’m just not a math person,” or even used it themselves. We’ve already talked about different types of mindsets, so this phrase may sound justified. But, in fact, many specialists claim that it is a myth.

Here is the thing – it is true that left-brain dominant people are generally better with numbers. But, it is simply due to the fact that they are more organized, rational, and good at logic. Whereas right-brainers are more creative. Thus, they struggle with grasping complex scientifical concepts fast.

Also, there is a phenomenon called “math trauma,” which explains why some people believe they are bad at math. People who suffer from it simply have long-established negative associations with math. Thus, they feel anxiety and are afraid of being wrong. So, the tip is – changing your attitude is one of the easiest ways to get better at math.

10. Practice, Practice, Practice!

Finally, the last and most vital tip for getting better at math is practicing as much as possible. It always takes time and practice to acquire new skills. Thus, be sure you are consistent and dedicated in your efforts and you will succeed!

How To Get Good Grades In Math With Ease?

So, the tips given above should help you get on the right track and finally understand this subject. But, what if becoming actually better at math is not your end goal? What if you are just looking for ways to get better grades?

If that’s the case, in the list below you can find some handy tips that will help you cope with pretty much any math problem and boost your performance without delving too much into the complex concepts:

• Attend classes. No matter boring it may seem, keeping up good attendance is especially important when it comes to subjects you don’t get easily. But, don’t just be physically present in your math classes, be attentive. You will be surprised by how much you can actually learn if you simply stay focused during the class.
• Don’t procrastinate. When students are not too good at a particular subject, they tend to procrastinate or even give up on everything connected with it. This often happens out of the fear of failure. But, in fact, if you keep your math homework at the top of your priority list and stop procrastinating, your grades will go up! 
• Pair-up with a classmate. Teaming up with friends to study is actually one of the best ways to master subjects that don’t come easy. First of all, such get-togethers can be quite fun, even if all you do is study. Besides, this can boost mutual motivation and help grasp complex topics with ease.
• Hire a tutor. Another handy tip to boost grades is to find a good tutor. Thus, if you need help with mathematics, consider this option. It is not even necessary to hire a full-time tutor if your goal isn’t to master this subject. Just find someone to explain to you the concepts your struggle with the most.
• Use the 80/20 principle. Often, when students are bad at some subject, they panic and start cramming intensively. And they often fail. There is a widely known phenomenon called the 80/20 principle. In a nutshell, it implies that 80% of results come from only 20% of effort and not vice versa. Thus, the last tip is to stop pushing yourself too hard and learn how to get better results with less effort.

The Bottom Line

Learning math can be indeed quite tricky. Unlike many other subjects, when it comes to mathematics, simply cramming for a test once in a while and memorizing a few topics won’t work. Even if you manage to learn a few formulas by heart, chances are that your grades won’t go up much. On the contrary, to succeed in this subject, one must have a deep understanding of how things work in math.

Luckily, there are ways to change your position. With the help of tips from this article, you should finally start understanding this subject. So, be sure to apply these tips in practice.

And, if you are looking for ways to improve mathematics skills even further, don’t hesitate to ask for professional help! Our service was created to help students succeed. Here, you can find lots of great tutors for any subject, who know how to help you master even the most complex topics with ease. We’ve already helped thousands of students to raise the bar, and you can be the next one to reach academic excellence!