Can you get better at maths (2 Viewers)

[Triage]

I'm really depressed because I feel like I'm not good at maths. I've wanted to study a bachelor of science (advanced maths) for a while, but only recently I have realised that I'm not that good at maths.

I can understand every concept (4 unit) and execute everything on a good level across the board. But whenever I get to a higher level question, a question that I would describe as problem solving, I find it very difficult to 'see' what I need to do. I don't 'see' things. Can I get better at it?

Thanks for any help

 

[asianese]

I am in your situation, too.

You just need practice. Look for unfamiliar/more challenging problems. If you don't 'see' things at first, leave it for a couple of hours, or even days. Come back, and see if you have any ideas.

A good place to start is with definitions. E.g. prove that the area subtended by the normals on an ellipse is constant - start with the normals, definition of 'constant', how you actually get the area etc. The questions will ultimately give you enough guidance (this is the HSC), so start with that.

Don't look at the answers immediately if you don't 'see' it. You won't improve this way.

 

[anthony_wheels]

You're obviously very good at maths if you can understand every concept and apply every concept in 4 Unit maths! Don't worry and put too much pressure on yourself, as this may have an adverse effect on your abilities to execute 'higher level questions'.

 

[seanieg89]

I'm really depressed because I feel like I'm not good at maths. I've wanted to study a bachelor of science (advanced maths) for a while, but only recently I have realised that I'm not that good at maths.

I can understand every concept (4 unit) and execute everything on a good level across the board. But whenever I get to a higher level question, a question that I would describe as problem solving, I find it very difficult to 'see' what I need to do. I don't 'see' things. Can I get better at it?

Thanks for any help

Of course you can! There is a common misconception that innate ability is the most important factor in being good at maths. It may help you grasp some concepts quicker at first, or allow you to perform computations faster and more reliably, but there is NO substitute for hard work...and this holds true more the higher the level of maths. (*)

"Seeing things" amounts to spotting patterns related to things you have seen or thought about before. If you do lots of questions demanding in creativity and problem-solving skills your encyclopaedia of mathematical tricks will grow vastly. And when you learn new things, always be critical of your knowledge. You do not truly understand X if you know how to use it but you don't understand why it is true...you must always ask yourself the question "why?". The fact that we can answer this question so precisely in mathematics is one of the distinguishing aspects that makes this subject so beautiful.

One last piece of advice is that it is important to be stubborn. Don't cave at the first hurdle when tackling a difficult question and look up answers, shelve it or ask someone who knows what they are doing for a tiny hint. The human mind works in trippy ways, and often solutions to old problems will jump out at you while you are doing something completely different, sometimes this something doesn't even have to be the slightest bit mathematical.

Good luck!

Edit:

* For the thoughts of a leading mathematician on this, read: http://terrytao.wordpress.com/career-advice/does-one-have-to-be-a-genius-to-do-maths/.

 

[RealiseNothing]

One last piece of advice is that it is important to be stubborn. Don't cave at the first hurdle when tackling a difficult question and look up answers, shelve it or ask someone who knows what they are doing for a tiny hint. The human mind works in trippy ways, and often solutions to old problems will jump out at you while you are doing something completely different, sometimes this something doesn't even have to be the slightest bit mathematical.

This is 100% true.

 

[j12onuzim]

What is sad- I got the maths prize for years 7-9 and am failing right now. I stopped studying- why else though?