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What is the best way to remember various steps involved in a maths techniques ?

For example things like Integration by parts, substitution or integration of partial fractions.

I have no problem doing the above individually, its just in the exam im worried I might forget a step.

Is the best approach to remember a model answer and use that in the exam as a reference point ?

I will only have 3 days to revise for my maths exam after an econ exam(in may), any suggestions on how I can best format my notes to ensure maximum memory retention ?

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Reply 1

Louisb19

Cram as many past papers as possible in those 3 days and you will remember the techniques in the exam.

Reply 2

0123456543210

You don't revise maths, you practise it!

Reply 3

B_9710

The best way to remember it is to actually understand it.

Reply 4

James222

Original post by B_9710

The best way to remember it is to actually understand it.

Easier said than done im afriad.

Reply 5

Zacken

Original post by B_9710

The best way to remember it is to actually understand it.

Thank you. I came here to post exactly that.

Reply 6

Zacken

Original post by James222

Easier said than done im afriad.

That attitude isn't going to get you very far. Give it a try.

Reply 7

B_9710

If you just try to remember steps to get the answer to a generic problem you're going to have no chance when in th exam they throw a slightly different question that requires actual understanding.
To do well at maths, you have to understand it.

Reply 8

Dinasaurus

The best way to learn integration by parts is by watching this
[video="youtube;-reFBJ4R9iA"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-reFBJ4R9iA[/video]

Reply 9

FriendlyPenguin

Original post by B_9710

The best way to remember it is to actually understand it.

Can't be stressed enough

Go outside the specification a little and prove the results you have to remember, it helps a lot

Reply 10

LelouchViRuge

This should help too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH2ZqR02gfk

Reply 11

B_9710

Original post by Mathemagicien

Can't be stressed enough

Go outside the specification a little and prove the results you have to remember, it helps a lot

Exactly if you can do more difficult question so, the standard exam problems can be done without barely thinking (apart from some further maths questions).

Reply 12

TeeEm

Original post by James222

Easier said than done im afriad.

maybe you picked the wrong A level.

Reply 13

drandy76

What exam board are you on? Because OCR textbooks (could be the same with others) usually show where the technique is derived from, if not, the Internet is a big place

Posted from TSR Mobile

punz

Original post by Dinasaurus

The best way to learn integration by parts is by watching this
[video="youtube;-reFBJ4R9iA"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-reFBJ4R9iA[/video]

This is the definition of a nerd and I aspire to be like him.

Reply 16

Kvothe the Arcane

Original post by Mathemagicien

Can't be stressed enough

Go outside the specification a little and prove the results you have to remember, it helps a lot

You can still forget proofs. At the end of the day, practice and repetition is what helps.
And it's infeasible to prove everything in the exam.

Though there were some things I never remembered :colondollar:

. For instance I remembered that

cos^2x+sin^2x=1

but not that

1+tan^2x=sec^2x

so I would always divide through mentally. I never remember pythag triangles. Sometimes I wouldn't remember the proof of the geometric series.
I don't recall any of the Taylor series either. I'm terrible really :lol:

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 17

Username002

One guy asks for memory techniques, everyone rips him to shreds...

Reply 18

James222

I understand the various processes now but all hell breaks loose when your revising 5 subjects simultaneously. I barely remember what stuff i made notes on 2 weeks ago. There isnt really much to 'understand' when it comes to doing stuff like Integration you just need to know the various steps

anyway thanks for the advice guys, my approach is going to be to do past papers and mind maps for each chapter .