Need some help

[Greatness]

Well, i'm finding that i struggle to do some short answer exam style questions :S I can do the textbook questoins but when we do tests and stuff, i usually have to guess/bullshit my way through the short answer section - although it has worked out okay so far... I understand the concepts, but i think i might lack that deeper understanding that the stronger students may have. How do/would you gain a stronger understanding of concepts??

Should i start doing checkpoints now or save them for sacs/exams? Or do questions from an alternate book?
I have a SAC on Circles etc, Vectors, Trig and Complex numbers after the holidays and its one where its all multiple choice and you have to show why a particular answer is correct, i forgot what its called. Does anyone have any similar sacs?

Thanks!

[iNerd]

This is the fundamental reason why I won't take Spesh.

I'm a beast at basic calculations/textbook Qs and then bomb out in Extended-response :/

Anyways what I've been told is to expose myself to a variety of Qs and also break it up by bits.

[Greatness]

I knew that it would be a task taking it on, but im prepared to work hard. I always think my way through a question before actually writing anything, however i probably just need to do more questions (I do like every second :s and follow the progress sheet which skips a few questions)

[pi]

Try a different book maybe? I do every question from Maths Quest (school syllabus only says around half), and some from essentials when I have time. I'm lucky in that I have a teacher who loves going 'beyond the book'. I would try maybe questions from old company exams, maths hasn't changes much since the last 90s.

[xZero]

well for short answer part, I usually write down everything I know about the question down in numbers etc and see what the question is actually asking me to find. Then I find the relationship between all the variables and link it to the variable which the question asked me to find.

As for a better understanding of concepts, it just comes to me while doing practice exams (text book didn't help much :S). I suggest doing some exam style questions to have a better grasp of the concept

[Greatness]

Hmm i suppose ill have to start collecting some OLD exam questions We've been doing exam questions in class regularly but they have been multiple choice ones which are suppose to be prep for our sac.

I hate the ones taht combine different concepts into one question -.-

[pi]

Anyways what I've been told is to expose myself to a variety of Qs and also break it up by bits.

lol, just read the bold bits by themselves... expose myself...by bits    (kinda wrong...)


I would also try doing as much as possible by hand instead of by calc. I find that this helps to remember concepts.

[Greatness]

anyone know where i can find some older exam papers?

[pi]

anyone know where i can find some older exam papers?

Every school library was given copies of old VCAA exams from the 90s on CD (it says on their site). Try there.

[Greatness]

Oh nice!! I never knew that thanks

[vea]

My teacher regularly gives us hard exam questions from old CATs and stuff and I found that they were extremely useful for preparing for my analysis spesh SAC. If possible, you should ask your teacher to do the same or if not, just look through old exams and gather them yourself- there are usually only a few extended response Qs in each exam 2 and you can see from the start what types of topics they will cover.