Maths: You don't have to be Einstein

To master concepts, you must try to understand the purpose of the methods and formulae you meet. If you merely learn off a technique, by doing repeated examples of the same type, and yet miss the point of what it is driving at, all it needs is one small, subtle twist in the exam question and you will be lost. And don’t be deceived, many (b) parts and most (c) parts contain such subtle twists. This is how they distinguish the A1 students from the C students.

So you should try your utmost to understand what you are doing. Maths is not Biology, Business or Home Economics, where you will be rewarded for having learned many relevant facts. To each their own.

Ask questions, ask why, ask why not! Of yourself, your teacher, your friends. Don’t settle for platitudes! Your aim should be that by the time the Leaving Cert. comes, there should be few, if any, concepts that you are not comfortable with. Be positive and aggressive.

Some people are blessed with ‘mathematical ability’, just as others are blessed with abilities in sport, English or music. Being blessed with mathematical ability means they can grasp new mathematical ideas fully in an instant, e.g. Albert Einstein. Don’t you hate it when the student who keeps getting As, if not 100%, says that he/she only spends 10 minutes a night doing maths, and you spend two hours?

People have different abilities: it is a fact of life. Even though you may not be an Albert Einstein (who is?), you give yourself the best chance of maximising your grade by trying to understand as much as possible. There will always be a few questions for which nobody seems to have an answer, but keep trying.

Unfortunately, mastering concept alone does not guarantee a high grade. How often do we meet students who say: ‘I can understand fully what is going on in class, but I just can’t do the questions myself’?

The diagnosis here is that the execution is weak, i.e. they know what they are supposed to do, they just can’t do it. This is almost always because they have basic weaknesses in their Algebra, Trig or Differentiation, but most importantly Algebra.

Weakness with Algebra is the most common reason why a good, intelligent student doesn’t perform to their ability in Maths. Should this describe you, the best advice is to go back through Algebra: expressions, equations (with an equal to sign), brackets, fractions, etc., with a fine tooth comb and practise, practise, until you understand all the techniques perfectly, and develop good habits in the way you write Maths.

You might consider this demeaning, but, hey, do you want to improve your grade in Maths or not? The choice is yours.

- Aidan Roantree, Maths Teacher, Institute of Education