Mathematics Question Thread

[Shadowxo]

Could i have some help with this question please?

Hi, since no one's answered this question I'll give you a hint
the derivative of x²+3x-1 is 2x+3
10x+15 = 5(2x+3)
Good luck, let me know if you're still stuck

[RuiAce]

Oops. the question asks to anti differentiate it

Note that at the 2U level, you are NOT expected to do that sort of question without guidance.

So here's the guidance.

Jake recently answered a question that's of a similar kind. You can use that as a reference point.

[Aaron12038488]

So i had a trig question I'm my maths test. It said a tree had an elevation of 55 degrees and had a 77m shadow. Does that mean u use sin to find the height?

[jakesilove]

So i had a trig question I'm my maths test. It said a tree had an elevation of 55 degrees and had a 77m shadow. Does that mean u use sin to find the height?

I would expect that the expression you were meant to find was



As



The shadow would be 'along the floor', so between the Hypotenuse and the angle of elevation.

[sophiegmaher]

Any ideas on what to do for the night before maths? I've tried studying the night before and ended up freaking out, and I've tried not studying the night before (as I had studied for weeks prior) yet I too freaked out. Is there a particular schedule that worked for any of you guys?

[Mary_a]

Hey,

I was just wondering (half yearlies are coming up pretty soon!) what's the best way to approach a maths exam in terms of study and then actually receiving the paper? I'm always really nervous around exam time.

Thank you so much,

Mary x

[RuiAce]

Hey,

I was just wondering (half yearlies are coming up pretty soon!) what's the best way to approach a maths exam in terms of study and then actually receiving the paper? I'm always really nervous around exam time.

Thank you so much,

Mary x

By doing old exam papers. You cannot expect to succeed in maths without doing papers from previous years, because only they will reflect what you should expect to get on the day.

This is technically true for every subject, but it is especially the case with maths. It is a skill-based subject and you have to constantly train your brain to adjust to all sorts of maths problems.


When you get given the paper, use the reading time appropriately. This does not mean do Q1-5 of the multiple choice; it means scan the papers. Look at which questions you definitely know how to do, and do them first. Also look out for questions which aren't obvious, but if you put your pen to the paper it may feel obvious soon. And then the rest is the usual; manage your time, don't waste too much time on a question, and maximise your marks.

[Mary_a]

By doing old exam papers. You cannot expect to succeed in maths without doing papers from previous years, because only they will reflect what you should expect to get on the day.

This is technically true for every subject, but it is especially the case with maths. It is a skill-based subject and you have to constantly train your brain to adjust to all sorts of maths problems.


When you get given the paper, use the reading time appropriately. This does not mean do Q1-5 of the multiple choice; it means scan the papers. Look at which questions you definitely know how to do, and do them first. Also look out for questions which aren't obvious, but if you put your pen to the paper it may feel obvious soon. And then the rest is the usual; manage your time, don't waste too much time on a question, and maximise your marks.

Thank you so much, I really appreciate your advice and will definitely use this for my upcoming exams!

Mary x

[jamonwindeyer]

Any ideas on what to do for the night before maths? I've tried studying the night before and ended up freaking out, and I've tried not studying the night before (as I had studied for weeks prior) yet I too freaked out. Is there a particular schedule that worked for any of you guys?

Hey Sophie! I have actually written a few guides on what to do in the lead up to a big Math exam. I wrote one on the last couple of days before Math,  and one for the morning before. They might be of help to you (they are geared towards the HSC exam though)!

Ultimately though, just do what feels right to you - What's in those guides might not work for you and that's okay! Hopefully it can at least give you some ideas

[phebsh]

Hi there, I have just gotten back my half yearly exam mark and am extremely disappointed... I tried my absolute best and studied as much as I could but I still didn't do well. My teacher has brought up the idea of me dropping down to general math but I'm afraid that I won't have time to catch up on all of the work that I've missed while simultaneously working on the new content... What should I do? And if I do remain in advanced, is there a way to recover my confidence and grades?

It's frustrating because my school has made math compulsory for all seniors but there are some people who just can't do math! (ME!)

Thanks for reading

[jamonwindeyer]

Hi there, I have just gotten back my half yearly exam mark and am extremely disappointed... I tried my absolute best and studied as much as I could but I still didn't do well. My teacher has brought up the idea of me dropping down to general math but I'm afraid that I won't have time to catch up on all of the work that I've missed while simultaneously working on the new content... What should I do? And if I do remain in advanced, is there a way to recover my confidence and grades?

It's frustrating because my school has made math compulsory for all seniors but there are some people who just can't do math! (ME!)

Thanks for reading

Hey hey!

Definitely don't drop to General now. Way too much work to catch up on, it is not the best use of your time. The time you'd spend catching up would be better spent working super hard at 2U!

If your school has made math compulsory you should definitely stick with 2U. First of all, don't stress about a bad half yearly result. My half yearly for Extension 1 went awfully for me, just barely passed and ended up 2nd last in the cohort. I worked really hard and got back into 1st place by the end of Trials. It is never too late to pull things around and get a result you are proud of.

Just use the result as your drive - Work hard enough that you never get a result like that again. Let it motivate you, not break you down. You should also learn from it - Where did the marks go and why? Could you have studied more? Did the exam pressure get to you, so you need to do more practice exams under time? Every supposed 'failure' is really just a learning experience!

Keep working, use extra resources like this website to help you in understanding the content, and practice until your fingers fall off or you understand it confidently, whichever comes first you CAN do it! But you need to have faith in yourself that it can be done, you won't get there if you have counted yourself out from the start (sorry that it is cheesy, but it is true)

[phebsh]

Hey hey!

Definitely don't drop to General now. Way too much work to catch up on, it is not the best use of your time. The time you'd spend catching up would be better spent working super hard at 2U!

If your school has made math compulsory you should definitely stick with 2U. First of all, don't stress about a bad half yearly result. My half yearly for Extension 1 went awfully for me, just barely passed and ended up 2nd last in the cohort. I worked really hard and got back into 1st place by the end of Trials. It is never too late to pull things around and get a result you are proud of.

Just use the result as your drive - Work hard enough that you never get a result like that again. Let it motivate you, not break you down. You should also learn from it - Where did the marks go and why? Could you have studied more? Did the exam pressure get to you, so you need to do more practice exams under time? Every supposed 'failure' is really just a learning experience!

Keep working, use extra resources like this website to help you in understanding the content, and practice until your fingers fall off or you understand it confidently, whichever comes first you CAN do it! But you need to have faith in yourself that it can be done, you won't get there if you have counted yourself out from the start (sorry that it is cheesy, but it is true)

Thank you so much for that, I really did need it. I definitely need to have more faith in myself, work harder and not freak out under exam conditions! As far as this website helping me, it has! I've been doing well with biology and legal using the notes that I bought off you guys Super helpful! So, thank you so much!

[jamonwindeyer]

Thank you so much for that, I really did need it. I definitely need to have more faith in myself, work harder and not freak out under exam conditions! As far as this website helping me, it has! I've been doing well with biology and legal using the notes that I bought off you guys I'm considering buying the business and math books also... Super helpful! So, thank you so much!

Really glad they've been helpful for you!!

We're with you every step of the way. Pop any Math questions here that are troubling you and we'll do our best to explain them for you

[RuiAce]

Thank you so much for that, I really did need it. I definitely need to have more faith in myself, work harder and not freak out under exam conditions! As far as this website helping me, it has! I've been doing well with biology and legal using the notes that I bought off you guys Super helpful! So, thank you so much!

The forum isn't just here for any strictly content related questions. It's also about helping you get into shape.

What I would encourage you do is to discuss how you prepare for an exam, as well as what you feel as you're experiencing it. And also how you react when you see the paper and why. And maybe more, e.g. your thought processes in the exam.

Try identifying what you are like with these key characteristics and we can give pointers.

[phebsh]

Really glad they've been helpful for you!!

We're with you every step of the way. Pop any Math questions here that are troubling you and we'll do our best to explain them for you

Thank you! 

The forum isn't just here for any strictly content related questions. It's also about helping you get into shape.

What I would encourage you do is to discuss how you prepare for an exam, as well as what you feel as you're experiencing it. And also how you react when you see the paper and why. And maybe more, e.g. your thought processes in the exam.

Try identifying what you are like with these key characteristics and we can give pointers.

For exam prep, I mainly just go through each section and do questions from each topic and identify what I'm weak at, seek help and practice it.
My issue is that I feel somewhat confident when practising at home but when I get into the exam, I completely freak out and feel like I don't know anything... In the exam, I do the questions I know and guess the ones I think I don't know... Most of the time when I get back my paper, I am facepalming because I knew some the question but didn't do it correctly or made silly mistakes. It's so frustrating!