ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => VCE Mathematics => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE General & Further Mathematics => Topic started by: masonnnn on October 31, 2010, 10:22:38 pm

Title: any methods to avoid silly mistakes?
Post by: masonnnn on October 31, 2010, 10:22:38 pm

i consistently seem to drop at least 2 marks on the exam 1...
yet i have aloooot of time left to check over it(and don't tend to as it's just practice exams)... but, if you work it out incorrectly the first time, yet think you did it right...
how are you meant to pick up on this the second time going over it?
i mean realistically you're going to try work the question out the same way right...?

so i'm worried that even with my extra checking over time tomorrow i'll still make multiple mistakes...
anyone approach the questions in some...genius way that allows them to reaaaaaaaaalllly check if they did it wrong? :/

Title: Re: any methods to avoid silly mistakes?
Post by: jasoN- on October 31, 2010, 10:25:28 pm

i would read the question even more carefully, if you have loads of time, highlight the key words and maybe that will indicate possible errors.
ones that you are not 100% of, use the elimination method (as probably you would find the correct answer straight off)

Title: Re: any methods to avoid silly mistakes?
Post by: kyzoo on October 31, 2010, 10:36:44 pm

I made this flaw in thinking last year - thinking that avoiding silly mistakes was about having the right method. The right method helps - quite a lot actually - but ultimately it all comes down to your mental focus and concentration. To avoid silly mistakes, you have to keep reigniting your mental focus throughout the exam. You have to notice when your focus is going down and you have to subsequently fire it back up.

LOL it sounds like hocus pocus but it's what I've found this year =/

Title: Re: any methods to avoid silly mistakes?
Post by: LFTM on October 31, 2010, 10:41:14 pm

Circle any ones you are not 100% sure of and go back once you've finished the paper. It tends to work for me sort of..
But i've never got 100% the best i've got was 39/40. i always lose 2-4 marks.

Title: Re: any methods to avoid silly mistakes?
Post by: JinXi on October 31, 2010, 10:43:09 pm

Normally working from the answer to the question grants me a perfect score in maths, but then it may be way harder in the opposite way, and im not too sure that if the way further is structured allows you to work backwards.

Title: Re: any methods to avoid silly mistakes?
Post by: mojomojo on October 31, 2010, 10:50:01 pm

Try relax and space out your mind, then focus back into the questions when you double check. So basically, just re-look at the questions in another perspective as if you've never seen them before.