Struggling - Mathematical Methods Units 1/2

[FGKYpls]

Hi,
I'm currently doing Units 1/2 Methods, and I am already struggling. I only got 50% in my Quadratics test and suffice to say I'm very discouraged. Especially as I was doing extremely well (90%+) last year.
My teacher is very unhelpful, he doesn't explain concepts well to me and a majority of the time I don't understand what he's trying to explain.
When I try to revise at home I fail to understand the concepts I didn't grasp in class, despite reading through class notes and the textbook. I attempt to complete questions and I get stuck half way through, for example:
A quadratic rule for a particular parabola is of the form The parabola has vertex and passes through the point with coordinates Find the values of a, b and c

I complete the question and get a ridiculous answer, and this is common with almost every question.
I feel going to GMM is out of the question, All career options I'm interested involve Science, Maths and Technology and all courses require Methods.

I don't know what to do.

[qwertyqwerty]

Hi,
I'm currently doing Units 1/2 Methods, and I am already struggling. I only got 50% in my Quadratics test and suffice to say I'm very discouraged. Especially as I was doing extremely well (90%+) last year.
My teacher is very unhelpful, he doesn't explain concepts well to me and a majority of the time I don't understand what he's trying to explain.
When I try to revise at home I fail to understand the concepts I didn't grasp in class, despite reading through class notes and the textbook. I attempt to complete questions and I get stuck half way through, for example:
A quadratic rule for a particular parabola is of the form The parabola has vertex and passes through the point with coordinates Find the values of a, b and c

I complete the question and get a ridiculous answer, and this is common with almost every question.
I feel going to GMM is out of the question, All career options I'm interested involve Science, Maths and Technology and all courses require Methods.

I don't know what to do.

The rule for the parabola you have posted is in turning point form (have you learnt this yet?). In turning point form, b represents the x coordinate of the vertex and c represents the y-coordinate. With this new information, we can find the values of b and c.
b = 1, c = 6
Subbing this into the original equation gives us:
y = a(x-1)^2 + 6
So now, how do we find a? Well, we are given another point where the parabola passes through. If we sub this in, you'll find a to be solvable. Subbing in (2,4):
4 = a(2-1)^2 + 6
-2 = a(1)^2
-2 = a
Therefore, a = -2, b = 1 and c = 6.

[asapwhat]

A lot of VCE is based on independent learning, so you can't really rely on your teachers. Hit up KhanAcademy, you should be able to learn whatever you need on there.

[Adequace]

These questions tripped me up a little bit as well, but they're really straight forward after finishing the exercise. If you're using Cambridge, the worked examples are good enough to solve these. You need to take in to account what information the question tells you and then use the different forms of quadratic equations that make use of the given info.

Edit: learning quadratics off the internet isn't too difficult as well, can't really afford to be blaming your teacher when you're in VCE.

[babushka818]

aw I understand how you're feeling. it really sucks when you've been good at something for so long and suddenly your marks just drop! I think it would be a really hard decision to make to drop it and for your interests at uni, it might be worth continuing it and at least attempting to work through it for year 11. don't be completely discouraged- given your potential in previous years, you can definitely improve! at the end of the year, or earlier if you really hate it, you could consider replacing methods with further. it might not open as many doors, but it's not a bad option to consider (as opposed to dropping maths altogether). also remember, 50%, though not your best mark, isn't necessarily all that bad - you're not a hopeless case or should definitely drop it, there's clearly some understanding there and so much potential! hang in there

is it possible for you to get a tutor? someone to explain the concepts to you and work through problems so you understand them a little better and know how to apply them? I feel like it's something you might really benefit from, especially since your class teacher doesn't seem able to provide a sufficient level of understanding for you. keep reading through the notes, ask questions of your teacher, classmates (any other better maths teachers at your school?), on ATARNotes etc. but I still feel like if you're struggling with the concepts, the easiest way to get tailored consistent help is a private tutor. hope this is helpful and don't give up just yet!

**what some other users have said is also accurate. you can't rely too heavily on your teachers and it is about independent learning, but don't think this means you're alone and expected to do everything yourself! you're not- it's about going through and finding what helps you, not being solely dependent on what you're force fed in class. KhanAcademy and other sources are great for self teaching!

[MightyBeh]

I feel like it's a bit early to be worried you can't continue Methods. Methods is more than knowing the rules, and it's more than knowing how to apply them. Doing well also includes good test technique and experience. Everything in Methods gets easier the further into the course you get, because everything is interconnected - once you understand turning point form of a parabola, you'll probably grasp inflection form of a cubic. If your teacher and your textbook aren't helping, the next places I recommend going are Khan Academy, Youtube/Google and here, of course.

Have you talked to your teacher though? Sometimes they just need reminding that they don't make sense (teachers are people too!). If not, definitely do it. If for whatever reason you're uncomfortable talking to your teacher directly, email's good, or you can do it with a friend, whatever works. Generally you'll find they're surprised (a lot of maths teachers are used to an indifferent classroom - unfortunately it's not really a well-liked class. It's pretty hard to tell the difference between bored kids and confused kids if no one speaks up) and more than willing to change things up a bit in their lectures or swing by your desk afterwards to check that things were clear for you.

If for whatever reason having a deep and meaningful with your teacher doesn't help (even if it does), I recommend Khan Academy. It's a bit less mind-numbingly boring than reading through your textbook and it can immediately test you on the videos to make sure you're actually paying attention. Close second is Cambridge's new and improved Hotmaths, since they have videos, interactives, short tests and occasionally other resources. Of course, AN's good too. In any case I wouldn't even consider changing out of Methods until unit 2 - if you haven't seen any improvement by then (provided you're trying), it might be a discussion to have with your family/school staff.

For a lot of people, Methods is a pretty unfamiliar style of maths and it can cause a lot of trouble to think in terms of concepts, rather than the standard 'input/output' stuff in the curriculum before VCE. It becomes a lot harder if your teacher doesn't click with you so it's important to work out a learning method that works for you. Thankfully, 1/2 doesn't have a lot of consequences so it's the perfect time to experiment. Good luck!

Real quick edit: Do you get it if another student explains? Or is it no matter what that you're not getting it?

[FGKYpls]

Thanks guys, I realise now that I need to take charge of my own learning instead of making excuses. I've only just started to get in to a study routine (and took over a spare room to make a study area) in the past week so things can only get better. I used Khan Academy to figure out something two weeks ago but i guess I forgot about it, oops!

Maybe I should set a goal for the next test? I think it's soon and It'll help me to do well.

[exit]

I did methods in year 9 so many concepts were completely baffling, but if you put in the work it should be easy and you should get scores of 90% towards the end of the year!

Its really worth investing into practice exam books and things like that,with so many resources you should be able to grind your way to the top. It's easier said than done however it's what separates top students from the average. Never fret, everything that counts is still a long way away. Please do not absorb information like a robot but understand why everything is happening, this way al, variations of a concept can be broken down. Hope this helps.

[Gogo14]

Is it just me or does anyone find methods harder than spesh. Btw I'm not good at maths, actually am barely average for methods.