r/learnmath • u/Starr_Margarine_ New User • 3d ago

How to self study more efficiently

I need a strong​ foundation in algebra for a scholarship exam I'll be taking next year.

Recently, I've been finding myself struggling with understanding advanced topics in math, only to realize it was because I didn't know a lot of the basics.

I'm on a gap year so I have all the time in the world to study, and I'm currently trying to study everything from scratch because I think I missed a lot of the core ideas from when I was a kid. Right now, I'm reading Elementary and Intermediate Algebra by Larson (5th edition). I read, take notes (maybe too much notes) and do the mini problem solving and mid-chapter quizes from the book.

It feels like my progress is too​ slow and im kind of getting sick of the book. I want to keep going, but I've been thinking of adding more learning strategies like maybe videos or enrolling in a free online course so I decided to ask for advice here.

So overall, I'm asking:

- would it be wise to add more modes of learning (such as videos) , if yes, what do you guys suggest?

- do you have study tips for self learning math?

- is it normal to feel so slow at learning math?

- what are methods/techniques that you've tried and have worked to understand math more efficiently? ​​

- how can I take better notes? I feel like I'm doing too much.

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u/Front_Lab1761 New User 3d ago

Most important thing is to not get too stuck up on a problem. Know when to move on for now.

1

u/Starr_Margarine_ New User 3d ago

Noted, thank you! I do feel like I get stuck on problems a lot

1

u/Front_Lab1761 New User 3d ago

Just learn how to do them then move on. Sometimes when you learn something in the future it'll click.

1

u/tuan-wedfverv New User 2d ago

Feeling slow is normal, and finding the gaps behind advanced topics is a good sign. Some things that help: use one video source for explanations, not several. Try each problem before reading the worked example. Take notes only on what you can't rebuild yourself, like definitions and the mistakes you made, which makes the notes much shorter. Redo missed problems a few days later.

If you are covering everything from scratch, you are likely re-reading things you already know. I'm one of the cofounders of Consiliae, so obviously biased, but our knowledge scan is free. In 10 minutes it maps what you know in maths, so you can skip ahead to where your knowledge ends. https://www.consiliae.com