You’ve Been Lied To

[genericexcuse]

It’s not practice that makes perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

[paulkafant]

This is so true. If I don’t get something, I’ll usually look up the answer to it and see how it was solved, and I feel like I’m cheating even thought I don’t know how to do it

[gaiusjuliuscaesar]

I've found that the best way to study math is to read over solved problems (especially if they were in class), understand the methods behind the solution, and replicate it with similar problems

Edit: To everyone still getting pressed about this comment a year after I wrote it, I meant "study" as in "self-guided practice, " which of course is no substitute for doing the reading and attending lecture. Obviously you can't even begin to understand a problem unless you have some formal training in whatever topic you're looking at.

Edit: this doesn’t apply to real analysis or any proofs or other high-level shit that I didn’t have to do in college (when I wrote this comment)

[darshs]

“Most students are non experts”
Gohar: writes 2+2=5
💀

[astro_penguin_]

I think that the best idea is to attempt one practice problem at the beginning of your study session. This allows you to assess yourself and see at what point you get stuck. When you get stuck, then it is best to go back and look at solutions. That way you can see where you went wrong. As you wrap up your studying, try another similar problem again to see how much you improved and check for understanding.

[cytarea]

That's right, and it's basically learning grammar before writing sentences.

Some of my friends are really bad at math and I've been convincing them to learn the system first but they kept solving before knowing, resulting a bad grade.

[jeand.augusto]

Basically non-experts are solving problems that already have a solution, while experts are dealing with problems with unknown solutions.

[YuvrajSingh-nwpk]

Thanks man for this scientific advice❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[shipweck]

Yes! This is true. Whenever I’m stuck on an assignment (math), I’ll often plug it into a calculator and “reverse solve” the problem. The purpose of homework isn’t to find the right answer, it’s to understand the problem.

[ajkisses]

I studied for my math final by figuring out how solved problems were done (the process in how the problem was solved) and I ended up getting a 91 which was immaculate!

[Viewer]

I can relate to this. Going through the answer schemes of past year papers is actually quite helpful at understanding what went wrong and what is missing. It also helps me identify key words and phrases that cost a mark each.

[megatronn]

This should a mandated course in college and also should be seen as a prioritizing value that all school shall see... Learning how to learn is underrated

[hubabuba]

Tip: Look at problems that have steps to what the solution is, then try to compare it to a different problem on the same level and solve it :) That’s what I used to do with my Kumon homework

[jasonfatdog]

Really depends on what you're studying. I major in criminal justice and my textbook questions help me reinforce what i learn and helps me especially by viewing questions or situations from different points of view.
My point here is that open ended practice problems > linear solution practice problems

[noturne]

Read theory, read solved problems, then solve unsolved problems, then take solved problems from the internet to put them on anki or even make them if you've got extra time or difficulty on the subject to review before the exam or anything else is the way I did and my brother does. So roughly both. My grades were always += than 9.5/10 with this method.

[Xaddre]

When studying for a test it is usually on stuff that you have already learned therefore you are the “expert” in this metaphor.

[cherryblossom]

That's why I love my teacher she always adds the answer(without the method) then we have to work it out with the method.it has improved my grades so much

[steam]

Usually, I just work on hammering out a solution and then test it 1-3 times to see if it works

[thaneshplayz]

This is exactly what I've been saying, my teacher's methods just don't work for me

[potatoavalanche]

This is true, but I think it’s important to do both.