How to Study For Math: 10 Proven Steps

Short answer: The best way to study for math is to grind through practice problems on your own. Ask your teacher what is fair game, circle about five textbook problems per topic, and work them like a real exam without checking answers. Then grade yourself, figure out what went wrong, and do three more problems of each type you missed.

Finals are upon us. I want to share my top study tips and things to avoid.

Early in my teaching career, I learned that most students don’t know how to study for math. Often students can get by without studying for math up until a certain point. Unfortunately, when the time to study for math arrives, the student doesn’t know what to do because they never had to.

This is my math and physics study guide, I wish I had this in high school. It took me all of an undergraduate degree in physics to iron this out. Let me make the mistakes for you! Here we go…

Key points

• Problems, not reading: The only way to study for math and physics is to grind through problems on your own.
• Ask what’s fair game: Get the list of final exam topics straight from your teacher.
• Five per topic: Circle five textbook problems for every topic, ideally odd ones with answers in the back.
• No peeking: Do every problem before checking answers, so you get used to being stuck.
• Fix, then repeat: Work out what went wrong, then do three more problems of the same type.
• Start now: Finals are usually cumulative, so three days before the exam is too late.

How do you study for a math test to get an “A”?

Do the following, in order:

1. Ask your teacher what topics can be on the final. Not everyone gives review guides these days, which is lame. Regardless if you have a review guide or if you don’t, ASK THE TEACHER what is fair game on the final. It’s best to get it from the horse’s mouth. This also forces the teacher to commit.
2. Circle 5 problems per topic. Get your textbook out and find the topics the teacher said are fair game. Circle 5 problems at the back of the chapter PER topic. Ideally odd problems if those answers are in the back.
3. Grind through problems on your own. Here’s the most important thing: THE ONLY WAY TO STUDY FOR MATH AND PHYSICS IS TO GRIND THROUGH PROBLEMS ON YOUR OWN. Nothing else works. Sounds simple right? It’s amazing what students will do to avoid this. It’s also amazing how well it works if you actually do it.
4. Do all the circled problems on your own. Pretend it’s an exam. DO NOT check the answers until you have finished all the problems.
5. Grind through problems on your own. In case you forgot.
6. Now, and only now, check the answers. Once ALL problems are completed to the best of your ability, check the answers. Circle the ones you got wrong. Find a similar example in the book to try and figure out what went wrong. If that doesn’t work email me, I’m happy to help!
7. Find 3 more of the same type. Once you’ve resolved the issues on the problems you got wrong, find 3 more of the same type. Repeat the process until you’ve gone through all the topics.
8. Finally: grind through problems on your own. You are now sure to have an “A” if you actually do all these steps. Most will not, but don’t say I didn’t warn you 🙂

Why shouldn’t you check the answers when you’re stuck?

Oh but it’s sooooo tempting when you’re stuck to go find an example in the book or check the answer. DON’T DO IT. The point is to get used to being stuck.

Feel uncomfortable, that means you’re learning. If you can’t figure it out, it’s all good, this isn’t the real exam.

If you check the answers before you finish, you will find yourself stuck on the real exam with no answers. Get used to it now.

Tutor tip: When you grade yourself, don’t just mark a problem wrong and move on. Find the exact step where it went off track, then do three more of that type until you get them right the first time.

“You never learn to search for what the problem is. Error analysis is very important for growth.”

Jake Gerhardt, Alexander Tutoring math tutor

Where can you find more math practice problems?

Your textbook is the first stop. When you run out of problems, or want a clean test-style sheet, my personal favorite is Kuta Software. Their free worksheets section has printable worksheets by course, from Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1 through Geometry, Algebra 2, Precalculus and Calculus.

1. Print one worksheet per topic. Figure out all of the possible topics for your exam and print a worksheet for each.
2. Circle all of the odd problems. Pretend this is the exam and sit down and take it as if it was. No cheating!
3. Grade yourself. Anything you missed, refer to the textbook to try and figure out what went wrong.
4. Take it again with the other half. Once you’ve figured out what went wrong, sit down and take the test again with the problems you didn’t do the first time.

You need to practice getting stuck and unstuck in the moment. This helps with test anxiety, as well as good old mastery of the subject. It is time consuming, but there is no way out of that.

What should you avoid when studying for math?

DON’T do the following:

• Just read the chapter. Many students will read the chapter to avoid doing problems, this accomplishes nothing.
• Rely on an “equation notecard”. Many teachers will allow a notecard for you to write equations or whatever you want on. It’s the golden ticket right? Wrong. So many times I see students relying on their cheat sheets instead of doing problems. Guess what: THEY WON’T HELP YOU AT ALL. Nothing. Nada.
• Wait until 3 days before the exam to start studying. The time to begin preparing for finals is NOW. It’s already late, get going! Your final is probably cumulative which means you have a lot of problems to work through if you use this method.

What happened when I relied on a cheat sheet?

I myself relied on an equation notecard for an electromagnetism final in my Junior year of college. I wrote down every example problem in the book in microscopic handwriting so small you practically needed a microscope to see it.

I did this instead of grinding through problems. I figured I could just find a similar example on my cheat sheet and figure it out, right? Bombed it, should have just worked through problems.

Tutor tip: If your teacher allows a notecard, make it after you’ve worked through your problems, not instead of them. The problems are the studying; the card is just a backup.

Good luck on finals

I genuinely hope this guide teaches you how to study for math and physics for the rest of your academic career.

From the entire AT family, we wish you or your child the best of luck on finals this season! We are thinking of all of you and will light a candle in each of your names during finals. Good luck! And as always, don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or if we can be of support in any way.

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