This is not so much a maths Q as it is an advice Q.
I have been studying mx2 for an exam on wednesday. The last 4 days i have spent 8 hours a day on time set aside to study the four topics i get tested on (complex #'s, polynomials, conic and graphs).
Nothing is clicking and i cant do even the esiest of questions (apart from in complex #'s) . I dont want to drop the subject but i know im going to fail, and i hate failing.
Does anyone have any tips on a new way to apprach study for this subject? (My test is on tuesday so i only have one more day to study for it, its also worth 30% of my grade)
Hey!
If you're doing 4U maths, that means you're good at maths. If you get the complex numbers section, then that's a really good start to understanding the rest of the 4U maths curriculum.
The fact is that 4U is totally different to every other HSC course. Usually, you'll be walking into exams knowing close to 100% of the content you'll be assessed on. Sure, you'll need to work out how exactly to answer particular questions, but for the most part you're just regurgitating.
4U is nothing like that. When you study 4U maths, you resign yourself to never being quite sure if you'll be able to answer ANY questions, or even understand what the question is getting at. It's a hard bloody subject, no doubt about it. Everyone finds it freakin' difficult, so just know that you're not alone.
Past papers, and looking at the answers to questions and trying to establish patterns for particular classes of questions, is really the best way to study in my opinion. Once you have a basic grasp of the content itself, just do a billion past papers. It sounds like you're doing that at the moment, and it doesn't feel like it's sinking in. However, I promise you that it is helping, even if only a little bit per question.
My advice at this point is to think about the TYPES of questions you'll be getting in your exam, and writing out a brief 'structure' to answer such a question. This is possible for topics like conics and graphs. Failing that, you could even just write out a list of tips and techniques you pick up from the answers to past questions. It's like developing a 'cheat sheet', which you can use to do past papers and make your life a whole lot easier.
Everyone struggles with 4U, even those ridiculously good at Maths. It sucks to feel the way you're feeling, but honestly I'm 100% sure you're better than you think you are. Just keep slugging away, and do your best to answer every question in your exam. Seriously good luck in your study!