So i'm pretty good/decent in maths. Been doing alright throughout the year. Got 10/35 for my rank. I know i can do a lot better if i do my homework and listen in class properly. I was just wondering, around how many questions should i do, like from specific textbook, in order to TOP the class for 3 unit. Or get somewhere around top 5. School is ranked like 189 or something. Next year should be around 90 people doing 3 unit. How do you guys think i should approach year 11 in order to get top marks and good ranks for maths? Like pointer or tips you guys used. Thanks in advance
What I suggest is: do ALL your homework and have a "revision" book.
The homework one is obvious. However, what is sometimes not obvious is when you have a "finish the exercise off" type of teacher (or even worse one that doesn't give homework). Practicing a range of questions is crucial (purchase Cambridge Extension 1 Y11 mathematics NOW for the best textbook in providing a range of questions). If your teacher is just giving you questions out of Margaret Grove's Maths in Focus, you are not doing enough "GOOD" homework. You need to do lots of "Good Homework" experiencing a range of questions, not just easy routine ones. You really need to manage your own learning here and not rely on the teacher to always set good homework. A tutor sometimes helps but so does asking your regular teacher for further guidance. In the end though, you will be best served if you can serve yourself - it will prepare you for University and/or life beyond school.
However, the main problem students have in Y11 which then affects them in reaching their potential in Y12 is that they don't revise enough. Particularly in 3U maths, you learn a bunch of different techniques for a particular topic. Then you go on to the next topic and you forget about the previous topic until you have your half yearly or yearly Y11 test (both of which a lot of students perform REALLY poorly in). As such regular revision of previous topics is crucial in performing well on these exams that cover a wide range of topics.
In your revision book, you NEVER write formulae or techniques or anything like that. You only write questions (and in the back the numbered corresponding "answers"). Number them and write lots of them for each topic - perhaps focusing more on the questions you get wrong in your homework or peculiar questions that seem to test a very specific sort of knowledge. Then EVERY weekend, choose a slab of questions to do. In the back of the book, have a grid with numbers on the LHS representing the number of questions in your book so you can track how many times you have done each question and whether it was correct or not. This will help you highlight the questions you need to focus on.
The other piece of advice I would give is try to never use a calculator. Part of success in the EXT1 HSC exam (and EXT2 if you are of a mind to do it) is speed and fluency with numbers and techniques. If you can't play around with reasonable numbers quickly in your head then you are going to be slower in the exam than what you need to be. All HSC mathematics exams are designed so that good students will only need to pick up their calculators a handful of times for calculator specific questions. The rest are all done mentally.
I've tutored all levels of Maths (Y2 to 2nd year Uni) in my spare time for over 16 years and the above is easily the best advice I can give you at this stage.
Best Regards
OldMathsGuy
