Learning Mathematics
Why Learn Mathematics?
Technology is everywhere around us, you need mathematics to master it!
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Remember: Mathematics is not just numbers, it is about patterns, too!
So jobs like fashion and interior design will benefit from math skills. |
Mathematics is also useful in everyday life:
- Investing money (interest rates, profits, etc)
- Estimating costs
- Shopping (is it really a bargain?)
- Understanding Computers
- Designing rooms and gardens
- Planning trips
Anyway, it is just plain fun ... what other subject is about solving puzzles?
How to Learn
Now let us look at how to learn it...
Read, Think, Do
Mathematics says a lot in a short space, and often cannot be understood by just reading once over it.
Read it, think about it, read again, write it down or sketch it out, and then try using it ... that all helps to get the ideas into your mind.
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| Reading Mathematics is different to reading English |
It is okay to re-read, go back and forth and play with the ideas.
°F = (°C × 9/5) + 32
- Read it once first to see that you have a "°F" (which means Fahrenheit) on one side, and a "°C" (Celsius) on the other side with some calculations.
- Now go over it a second time and think "I wonder why this is true. Why is it 9/5? What does the 32 do?"
- Maybe you could sketch out the two scales next to each other like below
- Then try using it yourself, do a few conversions and see how it works
Make Sketches
It really helps you to understand if you try sketching what you are learning.
Make large and bold sketches with plenty of labels and notes.
Like this sketch about Celsius and Fahrenheit. |
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Take Your Time!
Math is not about reading pages ... it is about building concepts in your mind.
It is important to learn about one idea at a time, make sure you understand it, and do plenty of exercises so you become expert.
Important: If you skip past a section, the rest may not make sense.
You will get confused, frustrated, and you will begin to hate the subject.
The cure?
- Go back to wherever it made sense,
- then move gently forward again,
- do plenty of practical things like solving questions and doing sketches
And you will soon be "back on track"
Read a Lot
It helps to read a lot about mathematics. Get some books, and read them. Spend time on math websites (like this one!), and join a forum (like the Math is Fun Forum).
Stay Organized
Keep your work organized. This helps you think more clearly, and makes it a lot easier to understand when you look back at your own work.
Come Up With Your Own Ways
You have your own learning style.
Don't just follow the steps you are shown, try your own ideas!
Play with the ideas you are learning.
And try reading about the same subject from different places, you may find some that make a lot more sense to you.
Your mind is an amazing and unique tool, and you want to use it the best way you know how.
And studying mathematics is a good way to improve it!
All About Ideas
It is more important to know the ideas than to remember the formulas.
If you know how things work, you can always re-create the formulas when you need them. And you may also be able to do more clever things with your ideas.
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