I failed my final exam because I had no idea how to take a math test properly. Any advice for future strugglers?

Hey guys, thanks for the support last night, I went back and talked to my professor today and he agreed to let me retake the exam, and I was able to convince him to allow me to take the test in a quiet, one-on-one environment. Today, I passed it with flying colors.<br><br>A little bit of background, I'm a freshman in college, and I had a class that I had to take in order to get into calculus, but I haven't had the highest level of math in 7 years, and while I knew I wasn't a natural, I thought I was ready for this class. I ended up barely passing each test throughout the semester, and as my professor advised, I went to get tutoring help. I have never understood math well, and this proved to be a challenge for my tutors, as they were all upperclassmen with significant math experience.<br><br>Jump to the final exam, which was scheduled to be at 7 am on a Saturday. I woke up at 6 am, dazed, and rushed to change. I got there right on time, and took the test. I barely had any time to study or review, partially because I'm just stressed about finals in general and being home for the holidays, but mostly because I knew that this test was going to be relatively easy. I walked in, took a quick glance at the questions, and realized that I had no idea how to do them. I knew where to find the answers, the formulas were all listed, but I just had no idea how to apply them to the questions. I knew that I was struggling, but I didn't have enough time to figure out how to do each question correctly. Needless to say, I did not do well, and I ended up failing the exam, and therefore the class.<br><br>I was disappointed, even though I knew it was a possibility. I got home, and immediately began studying for the next test. I will admit, I had no idea how to take a math test, and as I'm sure many students know, math tests are completely different from the subject-specific tests that you find in other subjects. So I'm going to go over how I study for a math test, and give some advice to any prospective math strugglers.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>1. **Start by studying your notes.** It seems simple, but the most important thing in studying for a math test is to first review your notes. This is your best study resource, as these are the exact problems that you will be doing on your test. Make sure to go through each concept covered on the test, and to actually practice the example problems. *DO NOT* just read through your notes. There is a major difference between reading and practicing. This is where I went wrong. I would read through my notes time after time, trying to memorize each problem and the order of the semester. But that is not how you learn math. I often tell my friends who struggle in math to practice example problems, even if they completely understand a concept. The reason why this is important is because you need to train yourself how to take a math test. I failed my exam yesterday because I was so used to looking at example problems and being able to do them in my head, but when I actually had to write them out, I was lost. Practice each problem as many times as you have to until you can do it in your sleep. <br><br>2. **Use additional resources.** While your notes may have all the necessary information, it's good to get different perspectives. Sometimes, different wording can make all the difference, and this is where online resources come in. YouTube has a plethora of channels and tutors who make video tutorials on different math subjects and problems. While sometimes, the quality is not great, and the tutoring may not be great, it's a useful resource to have. I have a subscription to Chegg, and as I'm sure many of you know, they offer similar video tutorials, as well as practice problems and example problems. Websites like Khan Academy and MIT OpenCourseWare are similar to Chegg, but they are both free. I often use them to get a different perspective on how to do a problem. Sometimes, I won't understand it until I actually see it being done, and these websites provide that.<br><br>3. **Make a study guide.** A study guide is one of the most useful resources you can have when studying for a math test. It allows you to gather all of the relevant information for your test into one thing, which makes studying a whole lot easier. Each time I sit down to study, the first thing I do is go through my notes, as I said earlier, and write down all the important formulas, concepts, and information concerning the material that will be covered. I usually make a table with columns for the concept name, the concept itself, and then example questions. Your study guide should be easy to read, and should make it easy to access all the relevant information. I usually print mine out, as I prefer to have a physical copy, but it's completely up to you how you make yours.<br><br>4. **Practice problems.** Practice problems are essential to acing any math test. This is where you get to actually practice taking the test, and to practice actually doing math. As I said earlier, I failed my test yesterday because I didn't know how to take a math test. Start by doing example questions in your notes, and example questions in your study guide. Once you have a general understanding of each concept, start making practice tests. If possible, have someone make the practice tests for you, or have them check them over to make sure you are actually practicing what will be on the test. Make sure to simulate the actual test environment as much as possible. For example, set a timer, or limit the amount of resources you can use. This will help you to get a feel for the actual test, and make sure that you are prepared for anything they might throw at you.<br><br>5. **Seek help.** I know that this might sound obvious, but don't be afraid to ask for help. Whether it be a tutor, a teaching assistant, or even just a friend, asking for help is completely normal. It is expected that people will struggle with things, and it's completely normal to want a little bit of extra help. As I said earlier, I have never been good at math, and this made it difficult for my tutors to understand me. If you are also bad at math, try to find a tutor or teaching assistant who is used to tutoring people at your level. I've found that this will make it a lot easier to understand things, and will make it a lot easier to ask questions.<br><br>In conclusion, studying for a math test can be a challenge for many people, and it's completely normal to struggle. While it will take time and effort, it is completely possible to ace a math test, as long as you know what you're doing. Make sure to study your notes, use additional resources, make a study guide, practice problems, and seek help if needed. Math tests are a challenge, but with the right mindset, it's completely possible to ace them.