I agree with you. High repetition and familiarity comes first, and then understanding follows. That is generally my experience. But the more I study, the more I can understand initially.
I graduated college almost 40 years ago. I was one of the slow but good folks. I realized fairly quickly that the test results didn't represent my actual knowledge of the material well. So, I gave up worrying about the test score (other than pass/fail) and focused on understanding the material. My grades were okay, and I was able to get a great job. Turns out, when you are an engineer in the workplace, folks care about what you know and how well you can apply that knowledge to new problems. You aren't given an insanely short time window to solve a problem in the real world. My youngest is in college right now. He is also one of those kids whose tests are poor indicators of understanding. He just had an internship this summer and was surprised to find out he was a star in the workplace. And his workplace really didn't care if he had a 4.0; what they cared about is that you could actually apply his knowledge and was continuing to learn. If students fail tests because they aren't fast enough, maybe the problem isn't the student.
This is such a relief to read because I'm also the "slow" type at math and have worried if that'd somehow affect my overall competency if/when I get my electrical engineering degree. Thank you.
As someone in chemistry, I’ve asked the question about grades to lots of employers. Out of maybe a dozen or so only 1 actual said the grades do matter. One of them even told me she doesn’t go for people who are getting 90’s
Man i wish schools would just stop being so obsessed with scores and stuff, i am a student and i am kind of sad that people in my class only fixate on getting a good score, a year later though they don't remember crap, i will admit i also have done this but with stuff like math,physics,chemistry,computer science i always try to keep to increase my knowledge. Like i see people who are mad because they got 90/100 instead of 100/100. Like mate, it won't have any impact if you got 90/100 or 100/100 either way, it's a tiny percentage of your final score anyway.
@@call_me_mado5987 Same. That "scores matter" mindset is really fucking me up now in my 3rd year. Now I'm struggling to relearn basics and concepts I should've been familiar with since my 1st year.
I'd definitely counter this with a navy seal saying: "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast." Performance arts that require a lot of technical skill and perfection like playing the piano require a ton of slow practice before picking up speed. The goal should really not be speed in its own end, but smoothness and flow. When you get that flow, you use less energy while going fast, which is critical in long tests
Maybe you just need slow practice to build up enough confidence to try going fast? Maybe going fast from the beginning is the best way to improve quickly.
@@wiredvibe1678 as an experienced math tutor, I know going fast too soon is only going to create systematic misconceptions that will haunt them for years to come
@@chinter you can avoid that with software that evaluates your answers immediately, like kahn academy. You won't be repeating mistakes in the name of speed then.
@@wiredvibe1678 I see what you mean for some applications, but specifically for music the slow pace is part of the learning process. Even virtuoso musicians slow their tempo to "feel" soumething out better. Arranging pitches on a scale of time is a particular kind of thinking and it certainly benefits from gradual learning.
As a math instructor myself, this video just deflates me. The fact that your advice is correct just goes to show how little most math courses succeed in actually teaching mathematics. There should be absolutely no situation where a student who understands the concepts fails an exam because they are not fast enough. Often times instructors focus so much on timed exams that students come to the conclusion math is about following mysterious rules and algorithms as quickly as you can. True understanding of what's going on under the hood becomes secondary.
I am really heartened to read your words. I agree very strongly that no student with a good conceptual understanding should be penalised for being slow. Timed tests of rote-learned procedures do not assess real aptitude for maths but merely how good students are at being proto-computers - and they will never be as fast and accurate as real computers anyway. In essence maths is a creative and exploratory field and should be recognised as such in how it is taught and how student progress is monitored.
The best display of aptitude is in applying previously learned principles to new problems that you haven’t practiced. This shows true understanding and is what students fear the most. Otherwise it is just that; mysterious theories and steps that only apply to problems on homework assignments
Remember: speed is important but hastiness only leads to mistakes. You should improve your base operational pace and not your rush speed. Ideally, you should also learn to adjust your speed according to the time constraints and problem difficulty, without going overboard on either side. Regardless of your speed, you should be able to think clear and without shortcuts (doesn't mean using shortcuts-mentally or otherwise-is bad, just that you should at the very least be able to clearly grasp what you are cutting short so you don't end up jumping over necessary steps).
speed is a neurological metaphor for memory, when you go fast your brain can tap into instantaneous memory. Whenever you fall off that mode of operation you get into slow / bookmarked thinking, which is good too but different. Waving between the two is key IMO.
@@Ignasimp It is very much scientific, it is written by Barbara Oakley who is pretty well recognized in engineering education research, she is most well known for her work with MOOCs. I don't agree with all her viewpoints but most of her background is pretty sound.
Speed ruined math for me. Timed tests in elementary school frustrated me and caused me to just quit trying to understand math. I barely passed (and often failed) math for the rest of my school career. I recently went back to college and I need two math credits, so I’m back to teaching myself math all over again from multiplication forward. Maybe I’ll get faster eventually, but for now I need to take my time with problems so that I’ll actually understand them.
It's easy to say work on speed when you're already fast at math. For most of us, it's a crawl. Timed tests do nothing but stress you out and push you to make more mistakes because of the pressure of running out of time. I'm taking my last math credit now after barely passing the previous subjects and it's been hell. My teacher has speed and doesn't stop to help those of us lagging behind. I can learn more from RUclips where I can actually take the time to comprehend. At this point, I genuinely don't believe I can enjoy Math anymore.
Your problem with speed... speed against. Not speed for. Speed against train is fear. Fear is place you have no will to be. Speed for a good meal... mmff mfff mhhh. Speed for flavour. Speed is not a goal. Speed is an experience. You don't do it for the clock. You do it for yourself. Speed helps you to focus on your flow. Not on the clock's flow. As an Asperger I can tell the difference because someone else's clock is my fear, my own flow is my power. Overthinking your time is pretending you are better than your brain. But you can't compete or discipline your brain. Your brain is an animal. ASK and SEE. Let your brain go to the speed. Let it go to the meal. Don't stop every bite with every doubt or every requirement. Math is a game. If you don't play it, you make it something serious that challenges you into a punitive way. Math is a friend making jokes fast enough so that you understand it to late on some level so that your brain is laughing. Makes the joke so slow and explained in every implication it holds and you won't laugh but will get bored. Speed is a shot in your brain. All problems are not to be solved. But some problems have to push somewhere in you the spark of seeing problems under new lights. The more lights, the more shadows. The speed gives more in a shorter amount of time. Give speed to give more things to your focus to gather in the same amount of space as time is a dimension you can spot as being a space or a room where you store images and ideas. Let put it together in this storage. Time is nothing else.
Speed makes me hate math. When I'm given adequate time to work through the problem, I often find myself actually enjoying the process. Trying to speed up just stresses me out and ruins any semblance of joy I get from mathematics. Timed tests SUCK.
They only suck because you are not fast enough. When you can do the problem in your sleep you will finish in time easily and then it the time is not the limiting factor anymore and so its more fun again
So glad to see another mathematician recommend speed training for students. I discovered this principle at the beginning of my third year of high school and my results improved dramatically within months. The key was lots of mental drill work with basic skills ... like numerical calculations with integers, fractions, percentages, radicals, indices, logarithms, etc. as well as expanding binomial products and factorising quadratic expressions, completing squares, etc. In fact, there were many skills that I tried to practise mentally so that I could perform most such operations in my head within ten seconds. It paid off in a huge way. In my first state-wide mathematics test, I completed the two hour paper in 40 minutes (including showing all working). As The Math Sorcerer says, I was able to 'redo' the paper a number of times to check each answer. Tests are a speed trial. No one trains for a track even by simply jogging slowly. All top athletes include pace work and interval work in their training. Good mathematics students will approach their own mental training in the same way. Listen to this man. He is full of wisdom and practical advice about 'doing' mathematics.
Brian Greene - the theoretical physicist - has said that he lets his students take as long as they want in tests - and he asks very challenging questions to test depth of understanding and perseverance. Coincidentally, I came across a mathematician saying the following yesterday: ‘It’s good to be quick but it’s more important to be deep.’ So, yes, when it comes to conventional timed tests covering basic material, it clearly helps to be speedy. But there are excellent mathematicians working in research who are s-l-o-w and reflective - and who actually weren't that great at doing exams against the clock.
Speed is really overvalued, and it's actually why a lot of smart people start to fail in school and then simply lose interest. It's a damn shame that speed is so overvalued... The message of this video is true though. I'm just not happy about it.
If anyone is interested to know more about my earlier comment, Brian Greene talks about his untimed test policy in conversation with Roger Penrose in a RUclips video. I won’t attempt to link but it’s in an exchange during the World Science Festival at around the 32 minute mark. Sir Roger is a famously slow mathematician. When he was young, he was judged negatively for it but he persevered and became a productive, innovative physicist/mathematician, although still a bit slow, he has claimed. Personally, I get quite nervous if I consciously try to speed up. I would rather think of speeding up as a by-product of lots of mindful practice rather than an end in itself. It’s so unfortunate that some people are put off pursuing mathematics, not because of an inability to grasp the concepts involved but just because they are not the fastest at calculating or rearranging algebraic expressions and they receive negative feedback from teachers because of it.
@@ETBrooD Absolutely. And many mathematicians realise this and have commented on it. e.g. 'the most profound contributions to mathematics are often made by tortoises rather than hares': Timothy Gowers (Fields Medallist) I just wish the methods of assessment in maths could be changed to reflect this truth.
Hey, I truly agree with what you said. I really want to thank you, because I've managed to turn things around in my life since you released the "How to Learn Math from Start to Finish" video. Heck, I even went up to the nationals in my country's Math Olympiad selections (didn't make it past that, now I'm out of school and the chance is gone, but I've learnt a lot). And I'm extremely indebted to you and Mr.Grant from 3Blue1Brown for making me understand the joys and beauty of math. Thank you, again, very sincerely, Mr. Sorcerer.
This makes so much sense. I just fail a arithmetic because I was going slow and was running out of time. So I rush the test and failed. I was wondering how I failed it was so simple. But I was moving slow and the teacher walk in told me I hold only 20 mins left I got scared because I had a lot questions and started rushing and fail. I have a retake this week. Thanks this made so much sense. I definitely practice this.
@@juicycosmetics Why isn't luck real? You mean lotteries are won by praying? If that would be so, the most religious people would always win the lottery. But if you mean that you shouldn't depend on luck while taking a math test, I completely agree. You should depend on your knowledge of the topic, not on a probability of a certain action taking place...
I am a software developer and happen to be taking Calculus again. I absolutely agree with what you said. In software, it takes me hours to learn how to do something, but once I know it, I can do it fast. With math it is the same way, it's going to be dead slow at first but after lots of time you start to benefit.
Yessir, my dad taught me that speed was the most important element of math ever since I took pre-algebra courses in 8th grade. I was like the guy you were describing: smart but slow. After learning how to solve equations faster, I saw myself getting better too (although I make a lot of silly mistakes, I catch onto them more quickly now and fix it.) appreciate my dad for that, and appreciate that others do this too. I really thought it was just me and my dad that did this.
@@مياسة-غ8غ I can’t really remember what the video said and I’m too lazy to watch it again, but what my dad and I did was take the state test for mathematics (switched to algebra and calculus later on) and try to do around 35 questions in an two hours, then lessen the time until I could do it in 45mins. My dad would also make many questions (equations, formulas, graphs, etc.) and give me seven minutes to solve as many as I can, and we would stop until I could answer them all correctly within seven minutes. Might not be the best or easiest way, but that’s how we did it
Tbh completely disagree, most important element of passing in a math class but in terms of math hell no. Math isn’t about being fast, it’s about discovery, analysis and abstract thinking to solve problems and learn new things.
A strategy that I do thats related to speed is to try and figure out the problem before the teachers explains it. So while I'm listening and learning from them I am constantly desperately trying to out run them and if I beat them(which in high school i generally did) I can sit back and see what I did wrong and how I needed to correct it. This works great if you're understanding the material right away but at higher level math that is a rare occurrence.
Hey there, how exactly can someone - who is kinda slow at thinking in general - work on his maths speed ? I'm trying to help myself and some friends so of you have any advice please leave it here
@@alaeboubekri1453 If you are interested in my personal strategy start small. If you know that a teacher will add something from one side to another then do it before they do it, not during or after. Then if you feel pretty good about the concept or you want to challenge yourself, just try to solve the problem while the teacher is talking about it. I would recommend doing this on scratch paper so when you do inevitably make a mistake its not on your notes. And most importantly while you try to race with the teacher it will become easier to see where you are getting lost because you start to fall behind and lose. That is when you ask specifically about that step. Asking questions is so important and it is something that a lot of people struggle with(including myself). Whenever I ask I always feel like I am dumb for not understanding, but I know for a fact that the more you ask questions the more you will truly become better at understanding the math.
@@alaeboubekri1453 My strategy is to start with simpler problems first and finish them within a stipulated time frame and I increase the level once I feel comfortable with easier problems.
This is sage advice not just for math tests but for any kind of mental activity. As a programmer I see many parallels to my job. Everybody has a finite amount of mental energy available each day. If you can work faster and more efficiently, then more of your work will be done when you are fresh, and so your work will tend to be of a higher quality than if you had to go deep into your reserves. So working faster is beneficial even if you had unlimited time and no arbitrary exam time limit. Working more efficiently also allows you to think more deeply because you are able to explore more of the potential solution space.
I completely second this even for physics as a physics student. This is how I study for electrodynamics exams by studying theory and practicing the shit out of the book problems focusing on accuracy and speed. For those who struggle with speed, give boxing and MMA a try. Trust me the sense of urgency will be generated within you and that translates to all parts of your life
Sim-Racing or Motorsports also works as well. Because, literally every millisecond counts in racing. Strategy Games especially real time ones like Total War or Men Of War helps as well
@@nadavshemesh1231 If it’s just a study session, I finish the problem and make sure I understood the underlying theory behind it first. Then I work another problem which is similar in terms of the mathematics. A classic example is solving for electric potentials by solving laplaces or poissons equation for charge distribution in space. This pde can be time consuming to solve but the more familiarity you gain with it speed goes up too
@@cek0792 That's very interesting.. I'm definately gonna try this! i did watch some speed runners play games since it demonstrates the accuracy and skill needed to perfect runs and gave me some insight and motivation into optimization
Thanks for the advice. It’s hard for me to concentrate with speed but so far everyone has told me that I should calm down because of all the speed. I actually just bought my first speed and i real like it.
I’ve never related so much to a video. My fear is literally the same to run out of time. I also always make sure to have enough time after I do a test to go over it again. Great advice
you are so right!This is really important for tests as speed gives you enough time to find the right way to approach a problem especially if it's a very complex one....great job math sorcerer!!
This is definitely true for me- I am dyslexic and I really struggle with speed. I am a maths teacher now and I'm faster but still not as fast as some of the kids I teach. This video motivates me to work on it tbh- especially as I'm hoping to go back to uni soon.
That chill guy you described sounds exactly like me. I’ve been considering requesting testing in a test center with extra time. That’s another option also.
I needed to hear this today, I’ve been stressing because I keep running out of time on tests for my calc exams. I might just time how long it takes me to finish different problem types, then just keep trying to beat my own best time until it’s like 30% faster than my base speed at least.
Just so folks realize he's not the only one, I started college with Intermediate Algebra as well. I'm now taking Calculus 2 and scouting around for universities with masters programs in math and computer science. You can do it.
It's even worse when teachers compensate for poor passing rates in their tests by teaching the problems slower the next time because they think the students won't get it. The real problem you mentioned is *SPEED*.
oh wow i just realised this is what my highschool teachers have been pushing when I was reaching my final exams, where in preparation phase we would all set time limits on certain math question types and would just try to finish as fast as possible.
I've never heard of anyone else doing this, but I've also been preaching similar things to students that I've tutored. I remember how drastically my test results changed when I got to the point where I could work the test a second time to check my own work against itself. The experience also taught me that if I made some sort of random mistake in computations, that I wasn't likely to make that exact mistake twice. I also was able to effectively grade my own test before I submitted it, meaning that I was maximizing the benefits of taking an exam every time.
I teach Honors Algebra 1 at the high school freshman level (students are around 14 years old), and it is awesome to see my favorite RUclips mathematics instructor preaching exactly what I tell my students. Algebra 1 is such a comprehensive subject for students, with so much material to cover. Speed and practice are the two things encourage my students to improve upon starting at day 1.
Looking back, I think you've just helped me figure out where I started to lack midway throughout high school. I stopped having such a huge sense of urgency, and instead studied reasonably and took tests completely laid back. I was still smart enough to take the tests, don't get me wrong, but I lost that edge that brought me from a B student to an A student. Speed is what I let go of, and I think that's what changed things, more than just the difficulty of my classes.
My teacher always tells us something you should remember . And you remembered something too . Glad you didnt let it die . Our teacher told of to steal ideas as juch as we could .
That's actually what I did back then at school. One of the best benefits of being fast is: You ain't scared anymore after you wrote the test the first time. Because after you wrote the last thing down, you know "I did it" and you can start again, without that fear in the back of your head. So my mind was clear and I saw (most) of the misstakes I did in the test.
I'm finishing my Master's and looking to get back into math afterward for the next stage, taking it right from the beginning of late high school math because it's been so long. I feel that coming across this video right before that may be a blessing in disguise, as I was always a slow problem solver when it came to math. Thank you.
Sirrrr, you don't know how helpful your videos are! High school is tough with these competitive exams and pressure to get into good University let alone the peer pressure. Your videos aren't just great for strategising but they're so comforting. They remind me of why i took the subject in the first place! And brings back all the he zeal and curiosity.❤ Love from India!
That’s a great idea. I’m also an artist and one of the best ways to learn to paint well is to work quickly. For me, it seems to make my brain pay attention, to throw away unimportant, distracting thoughts and concentrate on what’s really there. Im guessing it would be the same with math. You won’t have time to worry about how smart you are, or about how hard the math is, or any of that. All you’ll have time to think about is the math itself. It’s intense but it really does concentrate the mind.
In addition to what you mention here, I'd also say doing math homework fast feels good and helps build confidence. There is something very empowering about getting it all done fast and correctly, and if you can be positive and enjoy the homework, you're set.
I would agree that speed is important for success during exams. I’ve experienced myself the luxury of being able to go back and re work that one problem you were anxious about. But what about those exams where you think you have an idea of what to prepare for but then you get to the exam and it just seems leagues ahead of what you’ve been studying
Doing exactly the opposite of what he recommends is actually helped me. I was always trying to take the test fast but the aswers were wrong so I had to do a ton errasing. When I started taking tests slowly and mindfully I ended up having a ton of time left to take the test!
You're totally right! Not being fast actually ruined everything for me. I was good at Math and Physics, and decided to continue in these 2 after school. But once I got hold of what was going on, I stopped studying it, instead of moving on to problems and working on speed. The process was so fast, within a year, I was below average on all of the courses.
I got into a bad habit of being overly deliberate and explicit, even on homeworks. Even a couple of my professors mentioned that I need to cut back on detail. It works for papers and homework, though it takes more time, if you have time available. But, it is antagonistic to test and exam success. It is a very hard habit to break and confounded by the anxiety of the quietness of the room, pressure of the exam, and incompleteness of preparation due to spending too much time on k < n sections.
My teacher told me that solving a tough maths problem multiple ways by different methods increase depth of thinking. But by increasing speed can we get efficient alternative ways to solve problems.
Speaking of speed, this video could've been about 1/4 of it's original length, gotten the same message across and saved yourself and everyone else some time. Actual pointers on practicing speed could have filled up the remaining 3/4 and made the video much more useful. I actually feel I lack speed much because of lack of confidence, and obsessively reconfirming my already correct calculations until it just "feels" right somehow. So, working on trusting your own ability even if it means making mistakes now and then is a great first step.
nope, you just need to work on speed. I used to do the same mistake by reframing something I was doing wrong to make it sound like I wasn't wrong but the fact of the matter is, you need to work on speed, not your confidence. Getting out of your comfort zone is what makes you feel that
This is so cool to hear because I think that I have always subconsciously practiced this as a means of cementing that I understand different concepts-if I can look at a problem and do it quickly and correctly, then I understand the algorithm to do the problem. I'm currently in school to be an engineer, and this has been more difficult for me in calc-based physics, because there are so many concepts at play all the time...but now I can hone in on speed in particular as a tool! Thank you for this!
I enjoy these videos so much, and following your proofs has helped me grow. I’m studying in France where math is super abstract and proof-heavy. Speed is definitely important, but here I’ve also had to train for accuracy and conciseness because we have very limited space for our answers and everything has to be done in pen. I haven’t yet found the optimal strategy to meet these challenges, but I’m getting better: when I come back to America and take a math class it feels really really easy by comparison. Anyway, thank you so much for your fabulous channel!
Haha, je suis étudiant à Montréal et tous les meilleurs étudiants de ma classe de math et de chimie sont français ou africains. Vous avez un système d'éducation demandant, mais ça paye, au final.
Wow! I thought I was the only math student who did this, but I didn't have a name for it. I'm working towards a bachelor's in electrical engineering and am about to take a pre-calc final this week. I love math - it's my favorite subject because it's challenging and disciplines you - but I want to get even better at it. What a great time to stumble across this video! Thank you so much for sharing!
I know that he's helping us improve our math skills, but you got to give this guy a credit in terms of how he spoke all the things he stated entertainingly! I love how he told all of his stories enthusiastically.
When I was a kid I really struggled on the "5 minute" math quizzes in elementary school, even though it still really basic multiplication tables and division. I just could not for the life of me finish on time, I was getting the answers correct but I just couldn't get them all done. My Mom sat down with me for hours and simply cut the time down by 2 minutes, and as I result I became able to do thing these basic things so much faster. Although I didn't do this later on in higher level math classes, I realized that because I already had a strong foundation and SPEED in these most basic things, every exam became so much easier, because instead of wasting time triple or double checking basic calculations I could instead focus on the methods I used and making sure everything else was correct.
I am in high school and this is a technique I have been using. I normally finish my paper in about 1/3 of the allocated time, which allows me to literally rewrite my paper as he described and then compare my answers. Helps me pick up mistakes and has helped my achieve a 90%+ for mathematics through high school
Do you have any techniques? I recently changed teachers, and now I realized how chill my old teacher is because I can't finish my test on time anymore I had only 2 question/test before so I have a bad habit on over focusing on small problems.
You’re absolutely right on this I learned over time of doing my homework quickly and correctly that when it came time for the test I was super ready and got it perfectly!
wow! what a video. It actually gave me chills when you said speed because that is my biggest problem. I just spent 5 hours creating 5 pages of notes and algorithms for my linear algebra class. Also, in just about any math class, timed exams take bulk of grades. Heck, even our own lives are timed. That's how important time is.
This is totally right! I have a friend that is INCREDIBLE in maths, he even told me a story one time that he finished early in one test and a few days later he said he got somewhere in the lines of 95-100% and I of course was just like “wow”😳 but after watching this, speed is the truth and that’s how my friend is probably so good at it! I’m definitely not good but NOW I’m going try SPEED! :)
I think I accidently discovered this, cause I used to struggle with finishing my tests, so I practiced speed, and I must say, my grades have improved quite a lot over the past 2 years
Interesting that you mention speed, today I realized how doing the yoga asanas a bit faster ( I usually go to a slower class) actually helped me to accomplish new things. I'm a cronic slow person lol, I'm going to take your advice and work on improve speed and I'm not referring only to Maths.
Totally agree!! I'm currently in my senior year of high school. I'm enrolled in advanced functions at the moment, and will be enrolled in calculus and vectors in February! My teacher said the same things you did. She always encourages us to work on our efficiency and speed. It matters not whether you can solve a problem, rather if you can solve a problem fast. I feel that I'm pretty good at math, but often times I make ridiculously stupid mistakes. Wondering if you can make a video on how to avoid silly mistakes. I feel like I always rush and blank during tests, but excel when completing my homework.
I actually understand as well why speed is important as well. My reason is that when I go slow I start to forget and start daydreaming and forget where and which topic I'm on. So I definitely see why speed is important.
When I first took Calculus, I took an honors Calc 1 & 2 course: we proved everything in calc 1, did calc 2, then proved everything in Calc 2. We had 25 questions on our test, with 75 minutes. And they weren't easy questions, about half were proving theorems, like product rule, chain rule, etc. or computational problems. The professor had the following attitude: you need to be able to do the basic things quickly if you want to move onto the next level. To this day it's something I teach my students now, that if you want to be performing at a high level, you need to do things fast. Even if that requires memorizing definitions, how to apply theorems, etc. - you just have to be quick!
@@BlastinRope Don't get me wrong we had our fair share of difficult integrals. We just had a mix of both ~ in fact we did harder integrals with less time than the regular sections. Lots of fun was had
Great video, as always! One of the things that make me better, not only in math, was study a little every day, write down what i understand and in the next day make excercices about it. It's unbeliveable how doing little by little puts you so further ahead. I was horrible in chemistry in my high school, the worst in class, so i did this technic and almost got all the chemistry questions right on the entrance exam.
I’m going to try it with my students. Right now I’m teaching hs physics and will suggest it to the kids that are struggling. Thanks for the suggestion.
Working on speed seems easily doable for courses like college algebra, pre-calc, calculus, etc as these problems are mostly mechanical once you understand the various techniques. Speed during timed tests in graduate school was always a challenge in courses like Real Analysis and Topology since it wasn't always obvious how to even get started. Being a slow-thinker and prone to test anxiety certainly didn't help either. I eventually got through those courses, but my confidence was definitely lower and I ended up calling it quits after getting my masters.
The point about re-doing the exam is interesting. At a certain point after doing the exam and checking through I just give and and hand it in. Will now just get some spare paper and do it again.
Lots of folks here mentioning the clock is already pushing them and more speed is the last thing they need... Guys, this is exactly why speed is important! If, during practice, you are *twice as fast* as required to complete the test, then you essentially eliminated time pressure from your test! Speed gives you time. Some say it's about depth and not about speed. The subject is about depth, but the test is about speed! You won't take a test to determine who's going to be the next Nobel Laureate. You're taking a test to demonstrate you've gained a certain amount of knowledge and insight and are able to apply it with a certain degree of comfort and... Speed! Yes, tests are timed, and they are specifically tailored to students. Depth gets you to the top of your field, speed gets you to the top of your class! Also, note the comments saying some high-level mathematicians struggled with tests for exactly this reason... This doesn't counter the point, it perfectly reassures it! If the best mathematicians covered depth to the greatest detail, but not speed, and they didn't do their tests all that well, what does that say..? Yes, speed matters, and you should work on it! Hope this inspires someone to... Work on their speed!
@@wrednax8594 Yep, it just further proves that school is more about robotic regurgitation rather then actual learning. It fails to focus on the things that actually are more important then rote knowledge or speed such as application. The good news is that the pandemic has slower given rise to newer strides of education that are changing the outdated ways of the industrialized model of learning.
My theory has always been: we don't practice to learn, we practice for familiarlity AND speed.
@@Contra.Mundum. no thats stupid.
Reminds me of one of those great Bruce Lee quotes: “We rarely rise to the occasion, but we always fall back on our training.”
I agree with you. High repetition and familiarity comes first, and then understanding follows. That is generally my experience. But the more I study, the more I can understand initially.
@@Contra.Mundum. Oh its a joke. sorry
@@kawosdhdos It is still partially true though
“The key is speed”
Me: I already tried that
“And I don’t mean drugs”
Me: oh never mind
LMFAO
Bro wtf 🤣 🤣 🤣
Whattt
LOL
Your totally right, without speed I would never have been able to study real analysis. I’m so glad I had a really good dealer during university.
lmao
facking hell breh🤣🤣😭
@@pinklady7184 I don’t think you get the joke lol
Good one. LOL
speed means (focus) as well? ? feels like it?
I graduated college almost 40 years ago. I was one of the slow but good folks. I realized fairly quickly that the test results didn't represent my actual knowledge of the material well. So, I gave up worrying about the test score (other than pass/fail) and focused on understanding the material. My grades were okay, and I was able to get a great job. Turns out, when you are an engineer in the workplace, folks care about what you know and how well you can apply that knowledge to new problems. You aren't given an insanely short time window to solve a problem in the real world. My youngest is in college right now. He is also one of those kids whose tests are poor indicators of understanding. He just had an internship this summer and was surprised to find out he was a star in the workplace. And his workplace really didn't care if he had a 4.0; what they cared about is that you could actually apply his knowledge and was continuing to learn. If students fail tests because they aren't fast enough, maybe the problem isn't the student.
What kinda engineer are you ?
This is such a relief to read because I'm also the "slow" type at math and have worried if that'd somehow affect my overall competency if/when I get my electrical engineering degree. Thank you.
As someone in chemistry, I’ve asked the question about grades to lots of employers. Out of maybe a dozen or so only 1 actual said the grades do matter. One of them even told me she doesn’t go for people who are getting 90’s
Man i wish schools would just stop being so obsessed with scores and stuff, i am a student and i am kind of sad that people in my class only fixate on getting a good score, a year later though they don't remember crap, i will admit i also have done this but with stuff like math,physics,chemistry,computer science i always try to keep to increase my knowledge.
Like i see people who are mad because they got 90/100 instead of 100/100. Like mate, it won't have any impact if you got 90/100 or 100/100 either way, it's a tiny percentage of your final score anyway.
@@call_me_mado5987 Same. That "scores matter" mindset is really fucking me up now in my 3rd year. Now I'm struggling to relearn basics and concepts I should've been familiar with since my 1st year.
me, a procastinator: *saves this video to watch later*
ROFL
:'')
I can't anymore
sad how i watched this 3 days after i saw it in recommended
I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE
I'd definitely counter this with a navy seal saying: "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast." Performance arts that require a lot of technical skill and perfection like playing the piano require a ton of slow practice before picking up speed. The goal should really not be speed in its own end, but smoothness and flow. When you get that flow, you use less energy while going fast, which is critical in long tests
Maybe you just need slow practice to build up enough confidence to try going fast? Maybe going fast from the beginning is the best way to improve quickly.
@@wiredvibe1678 as an experienced math tutor, I know going fast too soon is only going to create systematic misconceptions that will haunt them for years to come
@@chinter you can avoid that with software that evaluates your answers immediately, like kahn academy. You won't be repeating mistakes in the name of speed then.
perfectly put
@@wiredvibe1678 I see what you mean for some applications, but specifically for music the slow pace is part of the learning process. Even virtuoso musicians slow their tempo to "feel" soumething out better. Arranging pitches on a scale of time is a particular kind of thinking and it certainly benefits from gradual learning.
As a math instructor myself, this video just deflates me. The fact that your advice is correct just goes to show how little most math courses succeed in actually teaching mathematics. There should be absolutely no situation where a student who understands the concepts fails an exam because they are not fast enough. Often times instructors focus so much on timed exams that students come to the conclusion math is about following mysterious rules and algorithms as quickly as you can. True understanding of what's going on under the hood becomes secondary.
Asian mathematics in a nutshell
@@limsiryuean5040 isn’t Asian math repetition?
@@magicmarie8403 i don't think so.
I am really heartened to read your words. I agree very strongly that no student with a good conceptual understanding should be penalised for being slow. Timed tests of rote-learned procedures do not assess real aptitude for maths but merely how good students are at being proto-computers - and they will never be as fast and accurate as real computers anyway.
In essence maths is a creative and exploratory field and should be recognised as such in how it is taught and how student progress is monitored.
The best display of aptitude is in applying previously learned principles to new problems that you haven’t practiced. This shows true understanding and is what students fear the most. Otherwise it is just that; mysterious theories and steps that only apply to problems on homework assignments
Remember: speed is important but hastiness only leads to mistakes. You should improve your base operational pace and not your rush speed. Ideally, you should also learn to adjust your speed according to the time constraints and problem difficulty, without going overboard on either side. Regardless of your speed, you should be able to think clear and without shortcuts (doesn't mean using shortcuts-mentally or otherwise-is bad, just that you should at the very least be able to clearly grasp what you are cutting short so you don't end up jumping over necessary steps).
speed is a neurological metaphor for memory, when you go fast your brain can tap into instantaneous memory. Whenever you fall off that mode of operation you get into slow / bookmarked thinking, which is good too but different. Waving between the two is key IMO.
that's interesting, thank you for sharing your elaboration!
Do you have any source for that? I'd like to read more about it.
@@Ignasimp this is exactly what a book called a mind for numbers talks about , the diffuse and focus mode if i remember correctly , look into that
@@lazyman1405 OK, and is this really scientific or is it pseudoscientific.
@@Ignasimp It is very much scientific, it is written by Barbara Oakley who is pretty well recognized in engineering education research, she is most well known for her work with MOOCs. I don't agree with all her viewpoints but most of her background is pretty sound.
you’re amazing i’m grateful i’m able to watch you
Speed ruined math for me. Timed tests in elementary school frustrated me and caused me to just quit trying to understand math. I barely passed (and often failed) math for the rest of my school career. I recently went back to college and I need two math credits, so I’m back to teaching myself math all over again from multiplication forward. Maybe I’ll get faster eventually, but for now I need to take my time with problems so that I’ll actually understand them.
It's easy to say work on speed when you're already fast at math. For most of us, it's a crawl. Timed tests do nothing but stress you out and push you to make more mistakes because of the pressure of running out of time. I'm taking my last math credit now after barely passing the previous subjects and it's been hell. My teacher has speed and doesn't stop to help those of us lagging behind. I can learn more from RUclips where I can actually take the time to comprehend. At this point, I genuinely don't believe I can enjoy Math anymore.
Your problem with speed... speed against.
Not speed for.
Speed against train is fear.
Fear is place you have no will to be.
Speed for a good meal... mmff mfff mhhh. Speed for flavour.
Speed is not a goal.
Speed is an experience.
You don't do it for the clock.
You do it for yourself.
Speed helps you to focus on your flow. Not on the clock's flow.
As an Asperger I can tell the difference because someone else's clock is my fear, my own flow is my power.
Overthinking your time is pretending you are better than your brain. But you can't compete or discipline your brain. Your brain is an animal. ASK and SEE. Let your brain go to the speed. Let it go to the meal. Don't stop every bite with every doubt or every requirement.
Math is a game.
If you don't play it, you make it something serious that challenges you into a punitive way.
Math is a friend making jokes fast enough so that you understand it to late on some level so that your brain is laughing.
Makes the joke so slow and explained in every implication it holds and you won't laugh but will get bored.
Speed is a shot in your brain.
All problems are not to be solved.
But some problems have to push somewhere in you the spark of seeing problems under new lights.
The more lights, the more shadows.
The speed gives more in a shorter amount of time.
Give speed to give more things to your focus to gather in the same amount of space as time is a dimension you can spot as being a space or a room where you store images and ideas.
Let put it together in this storage. Time is nothing else.
@@elescobars if you can t deal with stress try to deal with it
@@luxraider5384 exactly LMAO like thanks a lot it had never crossed my mind
@@elescobars this comment is everything 🤣
Watch this 2x the speed It’s quite terrifying, SPEED INDEED.
Rofl
Speed makes me hate math.
When I'm given adequate time to work through the problem, I often find myself actually enjoying the process.
Trying to speed up just stresses me out and ruins any semblance of joy I get from mathematics. Timed tests SUCK.
Just wait until you find out all numbers are the same. Wake up sheeple
They only suck because you are not fast enough. When you can do the problem in your sleep you will finish in time easily and then it the time is not the limiting factor anymore and so its more fun again
@@giziemcbarns we live in a simulation yes
@@paulgeorge9228 pandemic p
@@giziemcbarns lmaodjdjfjakjdd
So glad to see another mathematician recommend speed training for students. I discovered this principle at the beginning of my third year of high school and my results improved dramatically within months. The key was lots of mental drill work with basic skills ... like numerical calculations with integers, fractions, percentages, radicals, indices, logarithms, etc. as well as expanding binomial products and factorising quadratic expressions, completing squares, etc. In fact, there were many skills that I tried to practise mentally so that I could perform most such operations in my head within ten seconds. It paid off in a huge way. In my first state-wide mathematics test, I completed the two hour paper in 40 minutes (including showing all working). As The Math Sorcerer says, I was able to 'redo' the paper a number of times to check each answer.
Tests are a speed trial. No one trains for a track even by simply jogging slowly. All top athletes include pace work and interval work in their training. Good mathematics students will approach their own mental training in the same way.
Listen to this man. He is full of wisdom and practical advice about 'doing' mathematics.
Brian Greene - the theoretical physicist - has said that he lets his students take as long as they want in tests - and he asks very challenging questions to test depth of understanding and perseverance.
Coincidentally, I came across a mathematician saying the following yesterday:
‘It’s good to be quick but it’s more important to be deep.’
So, yes, when it comes to conventional timed tests covering basic material, it clearly helps to be speedy. But there are excellent mathematicians working in research who are s-l-o-w and reflective - and who actually weren't that great at doing exams against the clock.
In college my calculus physics classes are supet lenient when it comes to time, but my math classes are all speed run exams.
Speed is really overvalued, and it's actually why a lot of smart people start to fail in school and then simply lose interest. It's a damn shame that speed is so overvalued...
The message of this video is true though. I'm just not happy about it.
If anyone is interested to know more about my earlier comment, Brian Greene talks about his untimed test policy in conversation with Roger Penrose in a RUclips video. I won’t attempt to link but it’s in an exchange during the World Science Festival at around the 32 minute mark. Sir Roger is a famously slow mathematician. When he was young, he was judged negatively for it but he persevered and became a productive, innovative physicist/mathematician, although still a bit slow, he has claimed.
Personally, I get quite nervous if I consciously try to speed up. I would rather think of speeding up as a by-product of lots of mindful practice rather than an end in itself.
It’s so unfortunate that some people are put off pursuing mathematics, not because of an inability to grasp the concepts involved but just because they are not the fastest at calculating or rearranging algebraic expressions and they receive negative feedback from teachers because of it.
@@fluffurbia3501 Well said. Also, speed is not conducive to innovation. Someone who's slow may be seeing things that other people don't.
@@ETBrooD Absolutely. And many mathematicians realise this and have commented on it.
e.g. 'the most profound contributions to mathematics are often made by tortoises rather than hares': Timothy Gowers (Fields Medallist)
I just wish the methods of assessment in maths could be changed to reflect this truth.
For the love of God. I'm subscribed. This is not just motivational, also useful!
Thank you!!
Hey, I truly agree with what you said. I really want to thank you, because I've managed to turn things around in my life since you released the "How to Learn Math from Start to Finish" video. Heck, I even went up to the nationals in my country's Math Olympiad selections (didn't make it past that, now I'm out of school and the chance is gone, but I've learnt a lot). And I'm extremely indebted to you and Mr.Grant from 3Blue1Brown for making me understand the joys and beauty of math. Thank you, again, very sincerely, Mr. Sorcerer.
Thanks for sharing this is very inspiring. I hope i get to make it that far aswell
@@zaydmohammed6805 My best wishes, hope you do : )
wow! good for you and hope it all goes well for you in the future as well!!
@@ireallylikehuskies9472 Thank you
@@Kekoa552 Yessir, you very much can. Best of luck to you
I know he's a genius by how wide his eyes are opened
This makes so much sense. I just fail a arithmetic because I was going slow and was running out of time. So I rush the test and failed. I was wondering how I failed it was so simple. But I was moving slow and the teacher walk in told me I hold only 20 mins left I got scared because I had a lot questions and started rushing and fail. I have a retake this week. Thanks this made so much sense. I definitely practice this.
You got this!
How did it go?
great luck!!
@@chaysegomes2541 luck isn’t real! Prayer works though.
@@juicycosmetics Why isn't luck real? You mean lotteries are won by praying? If that would be so, the most religious people would always win the lottery.
But if you mean that you shouldn't depend on luck while taking a math test, I completely agree. You should depend on your knowledge of the topic, not on a probability of a certain action taking place...
I'm extremely slow doing math in ALL my math classes. Great, advice. Thank you!
👍
*Plot twist:* this is actually Isaac Newton but he is already been reincarnated.
Lol
Jeff bezos with hair more like
@@richardfrancisburton6833 holy 😂
That one killed me 🤣
@@richardfrancisburton6833 Isaac Bezos
I am a software developer and happen to be taking Calculus again. I absolutely agree with what you said. In software, it takes me hours to learn how to do something, but once I know it, I can do it fast. With math it is the same way, it's going to be dead slow at first but after lots of time you start to benefit.
Speed + accuracy : it's a neat trick if you can pull it off! Will definitely work on it, cheers!
BUT
HOW TO DO IT?
@@maysaakullab4569 lots lots lots of exercises
Thank you,James May without the accent.
This will surely help me in my mathematical endeavors.
Yessir, my dad taught me that speed was the most important element of math ever since I took pre-algebra courses in 8th grade. I was like the guy you were describing: smart but slow. After learning how to solve equations faster, I saw myself getting better too (although I make a lot of silly mistakes, I catch onto them more quickly now and fix it.) appreciate my dad for that, and appreciate that others do this too. I really thought it was just me and my dad that did this.
Hello, if I can ask about how you learned that? Is it the same thing the video mentions?
@@مياسة-غ8غ I can’t really remember what the video said and I’m too lazy to watch it again, but what my dad and I did was take the state test for mathematics (switched to algebra and calculus later on) and try to do around 35 questions in an two hours, then lessen the time until I could do it in 45mins. My dad would also make many questions (equations, formulas, graphs, etc.) and give me seven minutes to solve as many as I can, and we would stop until I could answer them all correctly within seven minutes. Might not be the best or easiest way, but that’s how we did it
I like ur pfp
Tbh completely disagree, most important element of passing in a math class but in terms of math hell no. Math isn’t about being fast, it’s about discovery, analysis and abstract thinking to solve problems and learn new things.
This would’ve been great to get in my recommended BEFORE my finals 😭. Will do next quarter and will do better.
A strategy that I do thats related to speed is to try and figure out the problem before the teachers explains it. So while I'm listening and learning from them I am constantly desperately trying to out run them and if I beat them(which in high school i generally did) I can sit back and see what I did wrong and how I needed to correct it. This works great if you're understanding the material right away but at higher level math that is a rare occurrence.
i do the exact same thing!
Hey there, how exactly can someone - who is kinda slow at thinking in general - work on his maths speed ?
I'm trying to help myself and some friends so of you have any advice please leave it here
@@alaeboubekri1453 If you are interested in my personal strategy start small. If you know that a teacher will add something from one side to another then do it before they do it, not during or after. Then if you feel pretty good about the concept or you want to challenge yourself, just try to solve the problem while the teacher is talking about it. I would recommend doing this on scratch paper so when you do inevitably make a mistake its not on your notes. And most importantly while you try to race with the teacher it will become easier to see where you are getting lost because you start to fall behind and lose. That is when you ask specifically about that step. Asking questions is so important and it is something that a lot of people struggle with(including myself). Whenever I ask I always feel like I am dumb for not understanding, but I know for a fact that the more you ask questions the more you will truly become better at understanding the math.
@@alaeboubekri1453 you re not slow, you re just no used to it
@@alaeboubekri1453 My strategy is to start with simpler problems first and finish them within a stipulated time frame and I increase the level once I feel comfortable with easier problems.
This is sage advice not just for math tests but for any kind of mental activity. As a programmer I see many parallels to my job. Everybody has a finite amount of mental energy available each day. If you can work faster and more efficiently, then more of your work will be done when you are fresh, and so your work will tend to be of a higher quality than if you had to go deep into your reserves. So working faster is beneficial even if you had unlimited time and no arbitrary exam time limit. Working more efficiently also allows you to think more deeply because you are able to explore more of the potential solution space.
I completely second this even for physics as a physics student. This is how I study for electrodynamics exams by studying theory and practicing the shit out of the book problems focusing on accuracy and speed. For those who struggle with speed, give boxing and MMA a try. Trust me the sense of urgency will be generated within you and that translates to all parts of your life
what do you do when you run out of time? seek the answer or move on and try again later? any tips on improving speed? :)
Sim-Racing or Motorsports also works as well. Because, literally every millisecond counts in racing. Strategy Games especially real time ones like Total War or Men Of War helps as well
@@nadavshemesh1231 If it’s just a study session, I finish the problem and make sure I understood the underlying theory behind it first. Then I work another problem which is similar in terms of the mathematics. A classic example is solving for electric potentials by solving laplaces or poissons equation for charge distribution in space. This pde can be time consuming to solve but the more familiarity you gain with it speed goes up too
@@rohithnarra9026 Fantastic, thanks! specifics sure help me understand how to approach it
@@cek0792 That's very interesting.. I'm definately gonna try this! i did watch some speed runners play games since it demonstrates the accuracy and skill needed to perfect runs and gave me some insight and motivation into optimization
Me speeding this video up to 1.75🧠
I need more tutorials on speed. This is what I sorely lack.
Thanks for the advice. It’s hard for me to concentrate with speed but so far everyone has told me that I should calm down because of all the speed. I actually just bought my first speed and i real like it.
I didn’t realize to look at this a method. I actually panic about time. It is better to think of it as a resourceful tool.
I’ve never related so much to a video. My fear is literally the same to run out of time. I also always make sure to have enough time after I do a test to go over it again. Great advice
so THIS is why my teacher in 6th grade made us do speed drills (we had 10 math problems and 60 seconds to do them) this makes a lot of sense lol
10 maths problems in 60 seconds
5 maths problems in ? Think fast u have 3 seconds
Wow. Thank you for pointing this out! Whenever I slow down when doing a problem, my brain just forgets how to do it. Speed and efficiency is key!
you are so right!This is really important for tests as speed gives you enough time to find the right way to approach a problem especially if it's a very complex one....great job math sorcerer!!
I agree 100% Build the knowledge in the equations, then build the speed.
This is definitely true for me- I am dyslexic and I really struggle with speed. I am a maths teacher now and I'm faster but still not as fast as some of the kids I teach. This video motivates me to work on it tbh- especially as I'm hoping to go back to uni soon.
That chill guy you described sounds exactly like me. I’ve been considering requesting testing in a test center with extra time. That’s another option also.
I needed to hear this today, I’ve been stressing because I keep running out of time on tests for my calc exams. I might just time how long it takes me to finish different problem types, then just keep trying to beat my own best time until it’s like 30% faster than my base speed at least.
Bro this actually helped me get A's, i thank you so much for this
Just so folks realize he's not the only one, I started college with Intermediate Algebra as well. I'm now taking Calculus 2 and scouting around for universities with masters programs in math and computer science. You can do it.
My personal focus has also always been on speed. Thanks for backing up my theory.
It's even worse when teachers compensate for poor passing rates in their tests by teaching the problems slower the next time because they think the students won't get it. The real problem you mentioned is *SPEED*.
My math teacher goes so fast I never learn anything and never understand the material
@@impulsezr4770 Haha. That's just as bad.
I guess you gotta understand the stuff first before you can get good at it.
Man really helped me out with my improving like I'm 12 and 10 grade level math and is helping improve even more thanks.
oh wow i just realised this is what my highschool teachers have been pushing when I was reaching my final exams, where in preparation phase we would all set time limits on certain math question types and would just try to finish as fast as possible.
man that's what I've been doing in math class, and it really does work. always practice, practice, practice!! you will get it!
I've never heard of anyone else doing this, but I've also been preaching similar things to students that I've tutored. I remember how drastically my test results changed when I got to the point where I could work the test a second time to check my own work against itself. The experience also taught me that if I made some sort of random mistake in computations, that I wasn't likely to make that exact mistake twice. I also was able to effectively grade my own test before I submitted it, meaning that I was maximizing the benefits of taking an exam every time.
I teach Honors Algebra 1 at the high school freshman level (students are around 14 years old), and it is awesome to see my favorite RUclips mathematics instructor preaching exactly what I tell my students.
Algebra 1 is such a comprehensive subject for students, with so much material to cover. Speed and practice are the two things encourage my students to improve upon starting at day 1.
Looking back, I think you've just helped me figure out where I started to lack midway throughout high school. I stopped having such a huge sense of urgency, and instead studied reasonably and took tests completely laid back. I was still smart enough to take the tests, don't get me wrong, but I lost that edge that brought me from a B student to an A student. Speed is what I let go of, and I think that's what changed things, more than just the difficulty of my classes.
That's exactly me! I am sooo glad I'm not the only one who thinks way to slowly
I saw this after I finished my first midterm of the semester, I’m definitely implementing this from now on
My teacher always tells us something you should remember . And you remembered something too . Glad you didnt let it die . Our teacher told of to steal ideas as juch as we could .
thank you for giving me the perfect advice without even knowing what my issue was
That's actually what I did back then at school.
One of the best benefits of being fast is:
You ain't scared anymore after you wrote the test the first time.
Because after you wrote the last thing down, you know "I did it" and you can start again, without that fear in the back of your head.
So my mind was clear and I saw (most) of the misstakes I did in the test.
Yeah exactly especially between excellent student speed makes the difference and it is also the key to get better at math from a personal experience
I'm finishing my Master's and looking to get back into math afterward for the next stage, taking it right from the beginning of late high school math because it's been so long. I feel that coming across this video right before that may be a blessing in disguise, as I was always a slow problem solver when it came to math. Thank you.
Sirrrr, you don't know how helpful your videos are! High school is tough with these competitive exams and pressure to get into good University let alone the peer pressure. Your videos aren't just great for strategising but they're so comforting. They remind me of why i took the subject in the first place! And brings back all the he zeal and curiosity.❤
Love from India!
That’s a great idea. I’m also an artist and one of the best ways to learn to paint well is to work quickly. For me, it seems to make my brain pay attention, to throw away unimportant, distracting thoughts and concentrate on what’s really there. Im guessing it would be the same with math. You won’t have time to worry about how smart you are, or about how hard the math is, or any of that. All you’ll have time to think about is the math itself. It’s intense but it really does concentrate the mind.
much appreciated... math has always been my weakspot throughout the years and its never made me feel like I belong with the other kids
In addition to what you mention here, I'd also say doing math homework fast feels good and helps build confidence. There is something very empowering about getting it all done fast and correctly, and if you can be positive and enjoy the homework, you're set.
Thank you for the tip!
I would agree that speed is important for success during exams. I’ve experienced myself the luxury of being able to go back and re work that one problem you were anxious about. But what about those exams where you think you have an idea of what to prepare for but then you get to the exam and it just seems leagues ahead of what you’ve been studying
it means you re studying the wrong stuff
Doing exactly the opposite of what he recommends is actually helped me. I was always trying to take the test fast but the aswers were wrong so I had to do a ton errasing. When I started taking tests slowly and mindfully I ended up having a ton of time left to take the test!
You're totally right! Not being fast actually ruined everything for me. I was good at Math and Physics, and decided to continue in these 2 after school. But once I got hold of what was going on, I stopped studying it, instead of moving on to problems and working on speed. The process was so fast, within a year, I was below average on all of the courses.
I got into a bad habit of being overly deliberate and explicit, even on homeworks. Even a couple of my professors mentioned that I need to cut back on detail.
It works for papers and homework, though it takes more time, if you have time available. But, it is antagonistic to test and exam success.
It is a very hard habit to break and confounded by the anxiety of the quietness of the room, pressure of the exam, and incompleteness of preparation due to spending too much time on k < n sections.
My teacher told me that solving a tough maths problem multiple ways by different methods increase depth of thinking. But by increasing speed can we get efficient alternative ways to solve problems.
TYSM THIS IS WONDERFUL
Speaking of speed, this video could've been about 1/4 of it's original length, gotten the same message across and saved yourself and everyone else some time. Actual pointers on practicing speed could have filled up the remaining 3/4 and made the video much more useful. I actually feel I lack speed much because of lack of confidence, and obsessively reconfirming my already correct calculations until it just "feels" right somehow. So, working on trusting your own ability even if it means making mistakes now and then is a great first step.
nope, you just need to work on speed. I used to do the same mistake by reframing something I was doing wrong to make it sound like I wasn't wrong but the fact of the matter is, you need to work on speed, not your confidence. Getting out of your comfort zone is what makes you feel that
That’s why I put the video on 2x speed
This is so cool to hear because I think that I have always subconsciously practiced this as a means of cementing that I understand different concepts-if I can look at a problem and do it quickly and correctly, then I understand the algorithm to do the problem. I'm currently in school to be an engineer, and this has been more difficult for me in calc-based physics, because there are so many concepts at play all the time...but now I can hone in on speed in particular as a tool! Thank you for this!
I enjoy these videos so much, and following your proofs has helped me grow. I’m studying in France where math is super abstract and proof-heavy. Speed is definitely important, but here I’ve also had to train for accuracy and conciseness because we have very limited space for our answers and everything has to be done in pen. I haven’t yet found the optimal strategy to meet these challenges, but I’m getting better: when I come back to America and take a math class it feels really really easy by comparison. Anyway, thank you so much for your fabulous channel!
Haha, je suis étudiant à Montréal et tous les meilleurs étudiants de ma classe de math et de chimie sont français ou africains. Vous avez un système d'éducation demandant, mais ça paye, au final.
Wow! I thought I was the only math student who did this, but I didn't have a name for it. I'm working towards a bachelor's in electrical engineering and am about to take a pre-calc final this week. I love math - it's my favorite subject because it's challenging and disciplines you - but I want to get even better at it. What a great time to stumble across this video! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thanks, its so awesome how much free knowledge there is on internet, if only more people used it
I know that he's helping us improve our math skills, but you got to give this guy a credit in terms of how he spoke all the things he stated entertainingly! I love how he told all of his stories enthusiastically.
I didn’t realise I do this but I do usually I try skip unnecessary lines or try get in to a pattern or rhythm so I can just blaze through the tests
When I was a kid I really struggled on the "5 minute" math quizzes in elementary school, even though it still really basic multiplication tables and division. I just could not for the life of me finish on time, I was getting the answers correct but I just couldn't get them all done. My Mom sat down with me for hours and simply cut the time down by 2 minutes, and as I result I became able to do thing these basic things so much faster. Although I didn't do this later on in higher level math classes, I realized that because I already had a strong foundation and SPEED in these most basic things, every exam became so much easier, because instead of wasting time triple or double checking basic calculations I could instead focus on the methods I used and making sure everything else was correct.
I really knew this but couldn’t think of a solution.thanks
I am in high school and this is a technique I have been using. I normally finish my paper in about 1/3 of the allocated time, which allows me to literally rewrite my paper as he described and then compare my answers. Helps me pick up mistakes and has helped my achieve a 90%+ for mathematics through high school
Do you have any techniques? I recently changed teachers, and now I realized how chill my old teacher is because I can't finish my test on time anymore
I had only 2 question/test before so I have a bad habit on over focusing on small problems.
you’ve got this, keep your head up. Currently I struggle with math exams. remember whatever happens, happens. keep your heads up kings and queens🙂
You’re absolutely right on this I learned over time of doing my homework quickly and correctly that when it came time for the test I was super ready and got it perfectly!
wow! what a video. It actually gave me chills when you said speed because that is my biggest problem. I just spent 5 hours creating 5 pages of notes and algorithms for my linear algebra class. Also, in just about any math class, timed exams take bulk of grades. Heck, even our own lives are timed. That's how important time is.
Speed creates kind of intuition for Math .
This is totally right! I have a friend that is INCREDIBLE in maths, he even told me a story one time that he finished early in one test and a few days later he said he got somewhere in the lines of 95-100% and I of course was just like “wow”😳 but after watching this, speed is the truth and that’s how my friend is probably so good at it! I’m definitely not good but NOW I’m going try SPEED! :)
thanks math sorcerer or what ever ur name is, this piece of advice was very helpful for my last exam! ihope u get more recognition
I think I accidently discovered this, cause I used to struggle with finishing my tests, so I practiced speed, and I must say, my grades have improved quite a lot over the past 2 years
thats so interesting and i will try this thanks!
Interesting that you mention speed, today I realized how doing the yoga asanas a bit faster ( I usually go to a slower class) actually helped me to accomplish new things. I'm a cronic slow person lol, I'm going to take your advice and work on improve speed and I'm not referring only to Maths.
@buzz magister lol good one
thank yu so much for this channel
Totally agree!! I'm currently in my senior year of high school. I'm enrolled in advanced functions at the moment, and will be enrolled in calculus and vectors in February! My teacher said the same things you did. She always encourages us to work on our efficiency and speed. It matters not whether you can solve a problem, rather if you can solve a problem fast.
I feel that I'm pretty good at math, but often times I make ridiculously stupid mistakes. Wondering if you can make a video on how to avoid silly mistakes. I feel like I always rush and blank during tests, but excel when completing my homework.
Weeks from my next statistics test, thanks, you're very opportune
I actually understand as well why speed is important as well. My reason is that when I go slow I start to forget and start daydreaming and forget where and which topic I'm on. So I definitely see why speed is important.
Will do, thank you for the tip good sir!
When I first took Calculus, I took an honors Calc 1 & 2 course: we proved everything in calc 1, did calc 2, then proved everything in Calc 2. We had 25 questions on our test, with 75 minutes. And they weren't easy questions, about half were proving theorems, like product rule, chain rule, etc. or computational problems.
The professor had the following attitude: you need to be able to do the basic things quickly if you want to move onto the next level. To this day it's something I teach my students now, that if you want to be performing at a high level, you need to do things fast. Even if that requires memorizing definitions, how to apply theorems, etc. - you just have to be quick!
Imo calc proofs are easier than some of the more ridiculous integrals, wish my calc 2 exams were all proofs
@@BlastinRope Don't get me wrong we had our fair share of difficult integrals. We just had a mix of both ~ in fact we did harder integrals with less time than the regular sections. Lots of fun was had
I appreciate it and thank you mahn,,God bless💯❤️
Great video, as always! One of the things that make me better, not only in math, was study a little every day, write down what i understand and in the next day make excercices about it. It's unbeliveable how doing little by little puts you so further ahead.
I was horrible in chemistry in my high school, the worst in class, so i did this technic and almost got all the chemistry questions right on the entrance exam.
I’m going to try it with my students. Right now I’m teaching hs physics and will suggest it to the kids that are struggling. Thanks for the suggestion.
Working on speed seems easily doable for courses like college algebra, pre-calc, calculus, etc as these problems are mostly mechanical once you understand the various techniques. Speed during timed tests in graduate school was always a challenge in courses like Real Analysis and Topology since it wasn't always obvious how to even get started. Being a slow-thinker and prone to test anxiety certainly didn't help either. I eventually got through those courses, but my confidence was definitely lower and I ended up calling it quits after getting my masters.
The point about re-doing the exam is interesting. At a certain point after doing the exam and checking through I just give and and hand it in. Will now just get some spare paper and do it again.
Lots of folks here mentioning the clock is already pushing them and more speed is the last thing they need... Guys, this is exactly why speed is important! If, during practice, you are *twice as fast* as required to complete the test, then you essentially eliminated time pressure from your test! Speed gives you time.
Some say it's about depth and not about speed. The subject is about depth, but the test is about speed! You won't take a test to determine who's going to be the next Nobel Laureate. You're taking a test to demonstrate you've gained a certain amount of knowledge and insight and are able to apply it with a certain degree of comfort and... Speed! Yes, tests are timed, and they are specifically tailored to students.
Depth gets you to the top of your field, speed gets you to the top of your class!
Also, note the comments saying some high-level mathematicians struggled with tests for exactly this reason... This doesn't counter the point, it perfectly reassures it! If the best mathematicians covered depth to the greatest detail, but not speed, and they didn't do their tests all that well, what does that say..? Yes, speed matters, and you should work on it!
Hope this inspires someone to... Work on their speed!
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You are perfectly correct, and that is very sad. It's a great shame schools put so much focus on speed.
@@wrednax8594 Yep, it just further proves that school is more about robotic regurgitation rather then actual learning. It fails to focus on the things that actually are more important then rote knowledge or speed such as application. The good news is that the pandemic has slower given rise to newer strides of education that are changing the outdated ways of the industrialized model of learning.