Stupid mistakes on SACS

[MBBS]

Hi,

I'm a year 11, I have a problem on all of my SACS and it just vexes me. I do the most homework in the class, and without trying to sound boastful am by far the smartest. I will constantly get about the same mark as the top student in the cohort so usually approx 97 percent or so. But every time without fail, I'll solve the complex question the other people couldn't get and make an extremely basic error somewhere previously. In my last 3 Maths SACS, I've gotten 100%,94%,95%. Both the 94% and 95% marks are a result of the most stupidest of errors, yet in both cases I solved the extended resonse the others couldn't do. It's immensely frustrating! Do any of you guys have any suggestions what I can do to eradicate these errors?

Thank-you so much!

[Jdog]

concentrate.

Careless errors can come from arrogrance, when you think youve got the right answer but are to proud to check it again and go through ALL your working,

Highlight key bits of questions, i.e. coordinates, what form to express, numbers..


Methods is all about silly mistakes. Most people who get above 45 could easily have got 50 on a good day.

[eeps]

I agree CONCENTRATE... like CONCENTRATE on something that you do sub-consciously (e.g. breathing or tapping the balls of your feet - something that isn't related to the test/task.) I was told this was a useful trick to use which MAY help you make less 'stupid' errors/mistakes.

[MBBS]

Will try concentrating on my breathing! Sounds like a good idea, thank-you, I can't explain how dumb these mistakes will be sometimes.

[Linkage1992]

Thats exactly what happens to me. Cost me A+s in both my physics and chem midyears. 

[kyzoo]

I think that your kind of experience is enlightening rather than frustrating: it shows that knowing the theory and being able to do the hard questions is only a part of getting the top marks, not the whole thing.

My experience with Methods has given me the belief that those who do the most homework don't neccesarily deserve the top marks. I did every single question in the textbook, made ~150 pages of notes, and ran out of practice exams (~30 full sets of Exam 1 + 2, including all the iTute ones) to do. Looking back now, more than 50% of all that work was unneccesary.

I've concluded that
~ There was no need to go so indepth on notes, a 10-page summary made in a few hours would have sufficed.
~ There was no need to do that many practice exams. I know someone who did ~15 practice exams and got 50.
~ I should have just skipped all the very simple, mindless questions in the textbook. Once you're familiar with doing them, there's no point to doing them anymore. Whether you lose marks on such questions in the final exam depends not on how many of that type of question you have done, but rather your focus and concentration on the day.

It's really hard to identify what study habits are redundant since you're accustomed to doing things that way. Your familiarity with whatever study routines you have will hinder you from perceiving their uselessness.