If a student is having a lot of trouble with Maths Methods, there are two points to consider...
This was originally written regarding VCE Maths Methods Tutors (in Victoria) but is applicable for every state in Australia (Including TCE Maths Methods Tutors, WACE Maths Methods Tutors, SACE Maths Methods Tutors and TCE Maths Methods Tutors).
1. Should they really be studying Maths Methods?
Too many students study Methods for the wrong reasons and end up dropping out. To "Keep your options open" or to "have a well rounded education" may not be good reasons. However, if it's too late to change, don't worry about it! Let's make the best with what we've got.
2. Is a tutor the best solution to help the student?
A tutor is obviously beneficial but it might just be a band-aid to make you feel better, rather than solving the main problem you are having. There are other options you should try first that would make Maths Methods much more tolerable and get you the marks you deserve.
1. Should they really be studying Maths Methods?
Maths Methods is a fantastic subject for those who are interested in Maths and are relatively good at it. However, too many students study it.
Last time I checked, around 70 000 students complete VCE in Victoria and around 15 000 of those complete Maths Methods, that’s about 20% of students. A lot more students enrol in Methods and then drop out.
Now, a lot of parents want their kids to study Methods because it is the “middle” Maths and they want them to have a decent foundation in Maths. The problem is that this isn’t really the point of Methods.
The majority of Methods is on Calculus (see this simple 1 minute explanation of what Calculus is here) and my question is, do we really need a fifth of our population studying this?
Sure, it’s useful for Science, Engineering and Economics (I’ve heard), but it’s unlikely that this many students are looking for these types of careers.
Plus, Methods is a hard and stressful subject. The exam demands much more than just knowing the content and the average score is around 50% on the end of year exam.
If you find Maths challenging and it is not a prerequisite for a course you want to get into, then you should really consider whether it is right for you. There is no shame in studying a different subject that you are more interested in.
The Purpose of Year 12 and your ATAR
One of the main purposes of Year 12, I’m very sad to say, is about achieving decent ATAR. The importance of student’s ATAR is terribly overestimated (see this article here) but it does make it quicker and easier to get into the university course of your choice.
So let’s take a rather cold look at your final years of schooling in terms of stress levels and how to get the best possible ATAR.
Maths Methods is tough and for many students, it requires a lot more time and effort than their other subjects.
Generally, a student who is weaker in Maths, would probably achieve a higher ATAR, with less work, by selecting a subject they are interested in or naturally good at.
Maths Methods is “scaled up” to compensate for the fact that students tend to struggle in it and to prevent them from being disadvantaged. When a student achieves a higher score in Methods than their other subjects, this is typically because they put in more effort than their other subjects or they have a natural talent for Mathematics. Not because it is scaled up.
Having said all of this...
You could still potentially do quite well in Methods if you are willing to put in a lot of extra effort and radically change your study habits.
You are honestly capable of achieving anything and never let anyone tell you otherwise (even me) but make sure you understand the reality of the challenge you are accepting.
A lot of students underestimate how hard it is and then end up dropping out.
You just need to weigh up whether you are willing work hard, how this extra study time will impact your other subjects and the fact that Year 12 is tough enough as it is without having to add potentially unnecessary pressure.
The reason you are doing Methods is probably because it is a prerequisite for a course you’re interested in and there’s usually good reason for this, as the skills you will learn will probably be applicable to that degree. Otherwise, you simply want to keep your options open, and you just need to consider how “open” you want these options to be and whether it is worth suffering through Methods.
Research to know which University course you want to do
If you have a couple of courses you are interested in, then go to the university and learn about those courses and get as much information as you can. Talk to Lecturers, students, see the campus and, maybe, even go to a class if they'll let you.
If you have no idea what you want to do after school, have a look at all the university/TAFE courses and consider which ones appear interesting to you. Then go to the university to find out as much as you can about it, so you are making an informed decision. The earlier you do this, the better. Otherwise, you are doing subjects in Year 12 jus to keep your options open, and you may have no interested in the course that Maths Methods is a prerequisite for.
Also, if there is a course you know you want to do, research any alternate pathways (Ways to get into a University course if you don't achieve the ATAR or prerequisites). You will then know exactly what you need to do and also have a back-up plan.
If all else fails, some Universities even offer a 6-week Maths Methods course for those who didn’t do it at school, and this could be an option. But my speciality isn’t university courses, so do the research yourself.
Stop caring about what other people think
If you struggle at Maths and are worried about what people will think if you don't study Maths Methods, then please stop doing this. Year 12 isn’t to impress other people and a few years from now, no one will ask what you studied in secondary school or your ATAR score.
If you simply want a well-balanced education, consider how much additional work this will be and keep in mind you have already studied some pretty advanced Maths in Year 10, such as, algebra, trigonometry, graphing and measurement (finding area and volume of shapes). You’ve already got a good foundation plus a some more advanced topics you may never use again.
When should you study Maths Methods?
There is no right or wrong choice, but usually the sensible reasons to study Maths Methods are
1) You actually need it to get into your degree of choice or
2) You are interested in it or better at it than other subjects.
Both very valid reasons. But if you don’t need it, consider whether it is worth the extra work. If it's not worth it, pick another subject you are interested in. Ultimately, it's you choice, just make sure you know what you're getting yourself into.
I hope this gives you some perspective and more clarity on whether Maths Methods is right for you. If you have any questions, I’d be happy to help. Just send me an email and I’ll make sure I respond as soon as I can.
2. Is a tutor the best solution to help the student?
Often a tutor is hired without considering exactly what the student in running into and while this makes everyone feel better about their studies, it doesn't always solve the problem.
To understand why this is, let's look at exactly what a student needs to perform well in Maths Methods.
To perform well in Maths Methods, you need 2 things!
- 1To fully understand the content, AND...
- 2To regularly do Exam-Style questions under timed conditions
The ideal situation is that you spend all of your study time doing practise exam questions under timed conditions. This is your long-term goal for your study.
Textbook questions are a good start and solidify basic understanding, but the tests and exams have a COMPLETELY different style of questions, so the textbook won't prepare you for any test that counts towards your ATAR.
However, you're already struggling with the content, so this probably seems a bit daunting!
Don't worry, I know exactly how to help without overwhelming you.
Let me take you through step-by-step how we can build up your confidence and ability without stressing you out. The first step is to help you understand the concepts of each topic.
This is the ideal way to tackle that...
The 4 Steps to Make Methods Easier
- 1Understand the topics you are currently learning in class
- 2Get ahead and understand the topics you will learn next
- 3Go back and fill in the gaps on all the other topics
- 4Continue to stay ahead of the class
Now let's look at exactly how this would work!
Step 1
Understand the topics you are currently learning in class
You want to make sure what you are currently studying make sense, without worrying about the topics you've studied before. Many tutors don't know how to do this effectively but if you have the right resources, this is really easy to do.
If you don't have the right resources, it can be a real challenge. But don't worry, I give you all your options below once we know the game plan!
Step 2
Get ahead and understand the topics you will learn next
Once you are up-to-date with the current topics in class, then learn the topics you are about to cover. You don't need to go crazy on this, but by learning the topics a week ahead of class (or even just a day ahead) will mean that when your teacher explains something in class, you will already have a good idea of what is going on and it will feel like revision.
This will boost your confidence and help make class much less stressful.
Step 3
Go back and fill in the gaps on all the other topics
Now that you are confident in the topics you are learning in class, you can go back and learn everything you missed.
Now, this is quite a bit of work. The issue with a tutor is that you only see them for an hour or two a week, and it could take more than that to get yourself untangled. You probably need to work on it several times a week at least, for a few hours, or you'll continue falling behind.
There is also not enough time in a tutoring session to fully cover a topic, so you may have a better understanding of one thing but not be prepared for your next class.
You need a resource you can rely on at any time that teaches you all the concepts in a simple to understand manner.
There are numerous raving reviews from teachers, students and parents on a series of online videos called the Maths Methods Video Tutorials. This package contains better explanations than most tutors will give you and you can use them anytime.
There is only one drawback: You need to watch them!
Having a resource is one thing, using it is another. You'll need to work out how you can spend a little bit of time watch the videos each week, then Methods will become much less stressful.
You can learn more about them here
Step 4
Continue to stay ahead of class
Now you know what's going on in class and you've filled in all the gaps and you feel much more confident, less stressed out and finally Maths Methods is tolerable! Make sure to spend a few minutes each week to continue what has worked, and stay ahead of class.
How should I get started on these steps?
If you are willing to watch them, I would first start with the Maths Methods Video Tutorials before looking into a tutor. You will get so much more out of them and they have been proven to make Methods easier to understand and less stressful. They will also save a lot of money on tutoring fees.
Simply sign up to them and try it out for a week. If you still feel you need a tutor, then you can look at getting one after that. The Maths Methods Video Tutorials work really well in combination with a tutor, because you can learn the fundamental concepts and can ask your tutor about any points that you feel you missed.
Then you are really making the most of your tutoring sessions!
This means that you are spending your one-on-one tutoring time on questions you really have difficulty with rather than wasting time on trying to cover it all in an hour, and not really fully understanding anything. You will also find that you'll need to spend less time with the tutor, which again saves a lot of money on tutoring fees.
But again, if you are willing to watch the videos, start with them and give them a week before looking into a tutor.
You can learn more about them here
What to do if you lack the motivation to watch the videos?
If you are completely unmotivated and even the idea of watching a few videos is unconceivable to you, then you'll probably need a little more help to get started.
Find a tutor to help you get the ball rolling. In the long term, you will need to do a lot more than having a one or two hour session a week, but this is better than nothing and you will definitely see improvement, especially if you find a very skilled tutor.
Once you can see that you can survive Maths Methods, you can work out how to do the above 4 steps and study outside your classes and tutoring sessions.
Another option to boost your motivation are Maths Methods Workshops.
Since these are booked at a certain time, the student is very likely to come along and then it's the duty of the presenter to help the students see that Methods can be more tolerable.
There are a certain series of workshops that explain the entire term in just one day, in a way that even a struggling student will understand. Students say that these workshops have boosted their motivation and helped them realise they can understand the content.
There is some more information below.
Maths Methods Workshops
I've done these 4 steps and want to know what's next!
Well done! I'm sure the content of Maths Methods seems a lot easier for you. Now you can start spending more time on exam-style questions, the most important part of your study.
Remember, you want to get to a point that you all of your study time on these, but you will have to build up to this. You can learn more about how study and get to doing more exam questions here.
For free Exam-Style questions with worked solutions, cheatsheets, videos, advice and a whole lot more, check out the...
Free Maths Methods Resources
That's it! I hope this helps. If you have any questions, you can send me an email.
Written by Alex Bell.
Alex is the creator of MathsMethodsTutor.com.au and MathsMethods.com.au, the most popular Maths Methods website in Australia. He's helped over 10,000 Maths Methods students, parents and teachers every year and has created hundreds of free resources.
