A man travels east for 6 hours at a speed of 60km/hr, then changes direction until he is N37°W of his starting point, if the distance between the starting point and his new position is ¾ the distance of the first leg of his journey…..
Does your brain just shut down when you encounter questions like this? Do you at times like this feel Maths was invented for the sole purpose of torturing you? It does not have to feel this way. Below are tips to ensure you never fall battered, bloodied and defeated at Maths feet ever again. It’s time to own your power!
1. Identify the type of problem
Is it a word problem? Fraction? Quadratic equation? Determine what categorization best fits your maths problem before you move forward. Taking the time to identify your problem type is essential to finding the best way to solve the problem
2. Read the problem carefully
Even if the problem seems simple, read it very carefully. Don’t just skim the problem and attempt to solve it. If the problem is complex, you may need to reread the problem multiple times before you fully understand it. Just take your time and don’t move on until you feel confident that you know what the problem is asking you to do.
3. Paraphrase the problem
To help wrap your mind around the problem that you are facing, it may help you to say or write it out into your own words. You can simply say it or write it out if you are in a situation where you cannot speak out loud, such as during a test. Check what you have said or written against the original problem to make sure that you are representing the problem accurately.
4. Draw the problem
If you think it will help with the type of problem you are facing, create a visual representation of the problem to help determine what you need to do next. The drawing does not have to be elaborate, it can simply be a shape or shapes with numbers.
Consult the problem as you draw and check your drawing against the problem after you have finished. Ask yourself, “Does my drawing accurately represent the problem?” If it does, then you can move forward. If not, start over by rereading the problem.
6. Review your information
Check what you have written down against the problem to make sure that you have accurately copied the numbers and other information.
Don’t go on to the planning stage until you are certain that you have all of the required information and that you fully understand the problem. If you don’t understand the problem, take a moment to look at some examples in your textbook or online. Looking at how other people have correctly solved similar problems may help you understand what this problem is asking you to do.
Your armour is ready, and doing this increases your confidence and gets you battle ready; but the battle is yet to be fought and won. In the second part of the series, we shall focus on how to develop your plan of attack. Keep your eyes peeled on this page!
