Survival Toolkit for High-School Maths (IEB, Cambridge and IB)
From basic algebra to geometry, here are a few resources to make mathematics a little easier to comprehend on your way to distinctions.
Check out the list below
1. Get A Private Tutor
Starting off with shameless self-promotion, a private tutor allows for learning to happen in a relaxed/ low-pressure environment at a student’s preferred pace.
A good tutor is able to provide additional support outside of school. They should help with questions in which you either don’t have the opportunity to ask in class or simply just don’t understand.
One-on-one math tutoring is to be flexible and caters to the specific learning styles of each individual student. Some students can skip steps, others need every single one written out and explained, some just need confirmation they’re on the right track.Â
Everybody is unique and tutoring helps compensate for that.
2. WolframΑlpha
Great at helping out with algebra, calculus, Wolfram Alpha can be used to solve simplify expressions, factor equations, rearrange trig expressions and so on.
Without the pro features, the website is great for confirming if the final answer that you have worked out by hand is correct. With the pro features, there is the added benefit of being provided with step-by-step working out of your problem, allowing one to identify where they went wrong.
That being said, I would strongly caution against being overly reliant on Wolfram. While it is a great tool for truly understanding concepts, it is entirely possible to harm my exam (and in the big picture, your SAT/ matric/ A-levels final exams) Â and test marks by relying on the tool than building up your own problem solving skills.
Feel free to explore Wolfram’s features by following this link
3. Desmos
Free and relatively easy to use, Desmos is a powerful online graphing calculator & app. Adding a kinaesthetic element to learning, students benefit with a better understanding in concepts when a they can physically see it.
Individual graphs can be colour coded to see what difference a particular manipulation (e.g. a vertical translation of 2 units upwards) yields from the original function.
Allowing for better understanding on the concepts of domain and range and the graphs of translated/transformed functions.
Providing the opportunity to be used for all things: basic arithmetic, graphing, tables and other applications. Motivation and involvement are increased while placing an emphasis on important ideas and concepts.
Follow this link to get a feel of Desmos website
This link for the Desmos in the iOS app store
and this link for Desmos in the Google Play store
4. Euclidea / Euclid The Game
Euclidean Geometry is a common stumbling block for most. That’s were Euclidea comes in. A geometric puzzle game, the app helps refine intuition by solving problems by using compass and straightedge constructions.
What’s cool is that this is an interactive way of using geometry so you can go back and move points, move a line, change the way they are connected, and more. What’s also cool is that each challenge that you are given has several possible solutions, but you need to find the solution that has the fewest moves possible.
With over 145 challenges, each ranging from easy to quite challenging in addition to tutorials, it provides an easy way to sharpen your geometry skills in your downtime.
Try out Euclid: The Game (web browser game) by following this link
And Euclidea the app by following the links below:
5. Past Exam Papers
Going through past past papers in preparation offers invaluable insight into what to expect from a paper in terms of pacing, structure and identifying weaknesses.Â
Allowing for an opportunity to develop and/or improve your time management skills, refining exam answering skills and getting a feel for how an actual would go.
Follow the links below for maths past papers related to your syllabus:
6. Casio FX 991ES Plus Scientific Calculator
We all know that time is a commodity in exam situations.
The Casio FX 991ES allows you to dedicate more time towards answering a question qualitatively being doing mundane tasks for you. With features such as:
- An equation solver for linear to cubic equations
- Regression analysis
- Calculation of complex numbers
- Can solve inequalities
- Calculation Distribution in Statistics. Normal, Binomial Distribution, Poisson Distribution and Inverse Distribution.
Take the first step in fully realising their potential.
Book a lesson below
