How to Improve Your Math Grade

Engaging in Class

Attend every math class to make sure you don't miss any lectures. This will show your instructor that you're interested in improving your class performance. Regular attendance will also decrease the amount of time you'll need to spend studying the class concepts, since you'll already have heard them presented in class. Going to each class will also allow you take comprehensive notes, rather than relying on borrowing notes from a friend. If you miss a class, send an email to your teacher beforehand and ask what information you'll miss. Also ask if there's a way to make up any in-class assignments you won't be able to complete.

Pay attention and participate in the classroom discussion. Listen to the concepts your teacher explains in class and follow along when they show problems on the board. Being an active participant will show your teacher you're engaged and making an effort to learn. You'll pick up more math skills and knowledge, and start performing better on homework and tests. Plus, you'll start to enjoy math more! Try to avoid looking out the window, daydreaming, or letting your mind wander to your after-school plans. Also stay off your phone and computer while you're studying (unless you're using them to look up something math-related). If you're having trouble focusing, ask your teacher if you can sit at the front of the room where you'll be less likely to get distracted. While these activities may seem more enjoyable than following the math lecture, too much daydreaming will result in poor math grades.

Take careful, dedicated notes during classroom lectures. Listen carefully when your instructor speaks, and write down everything they draw or write on the board. When learning a certain concept, try to compile a complete list of steps to review later. When your teacher writes examples on the board, copy them down as well as how to solve them for future reference. Say that your teacher is going over how to find the area of a triangle. You'd want to write something like, “Area = half of the base (b) × height (h). If b = 20 and h = 10, the area = 100.” Also draw a figure of a triangle with the base and height clearly labeled. If you take sloppy, incomplete notes, you'll struggle to pick up the math concepts. Worse, you'll perform poorly on tests and your grade will suffer.

Ask your teacher if you have any questions. It's not uncommon for students with poor math grades to avoid asking questions in class because they feel that they'll be embarrassed if they don't know something. In reality, asking questions of your teacher is one of the best ways to resolve any confusions you may have. If you're confused or don't understand something, raise your hand and ask a question! Chances are, you're not the only one confused. For example, you could ask something like, “I didn't quite understand what you said about the order of operations. Am I always supposed to solve equations within the parentheses first?” Or ask, “Can you remind me of the difference between reflection and rotation in geometry?” If you feel shy or nervous during class, speak with your instructor afterwards. Or, try sending an email if you feel a little shy about speaking with the teacher. If you're in high school or college and your teacher keeps regular office hours, stop by and chat about whatever math questions you may have.

Come to class with a positive attitude in order to ace your tests. When you start the test, first solve all of the questions that you feel confident about. Then, if you have time, go back to questions you don't understand as well and take a stab at them. Write out the steps to the solution and the answers clearly. Once you've finished taking the test, check over your answers to make sure you've given the correct information. Pace yourself while you're taking the test, and don't put pressure on yourself while you're working. Do keep an eye on the clock while you're taking the test, though, so you don't run out of time partway through. If a teacher spots where you made a mistake during your solution to a problem, they may show you how to avoid making the same mistake again in the future.

Boosting Your Grade through Homework and Tests

Do your homework in a quiet location where you can focus. Complete homework assignments in a quiet location, rather than a crowded, loud room. For example, do homework alone in your bedroom, without music playing or friends over. This kind of environment will help you understand the mathematical ideas in your homework, and can also help you see the value of math in general! Refer to your notes and your textbook while doing your homework. If you're struggling with a question, it may also help to recall some of your teacher's points from the class lecture. Make it a habit to do your homework to the best of your ability, as if you were taking a test. In fact, you could think of homework as a “rehearsal” for a test. The more you're able to learn while doing homework, the more your overall math scores will improve.

Complete every question on your homework assignments. When you're doing homework, aim for 100% completion every time. Skipping even a single problem will automatically lower your grade, which will hurt your overall grade for the math course. For example, if you were to skip 2 of 20 problems on a math assignment, the highest grade you could receive would be a 90%. So, put in as much time as it takes to finish all of the problems. If you're unsure of how to complete a problem or feel like a concept is over your head, ask your instructor or a classmate for help. If you don't have time to ask for help, go ahead and complete the problem anyway. Even if you get it wrong, you'll impress your teacher by having made an effort. The teacher should take this as a sign of your eagerness to learn.

Spend extra time studying math topics that you find difficult. Many students with below-average grades only study material that they already feel comfortable with. However, if you want to boost your grade, you'll need to work on learning the concepts that you don't quite grasp. Look over notes and textbook pages that deal with tough concepts. Make sure you thoroughly understand how to solve tough problem and check your answers. When you have some extra time, search for math problems online or run through extra problems in the textbook. Again, focus on the areas that you don't understand well or on which you routinely lose points. Once you've completed the extra problems, check your answers against the correct answers listed in the back of the book. EXPERT TIP Joseph Meyer Joseph Meyer Math Teacher Joseph Meyer is a High School Math Teacher based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is an educator at City Charter High School, where he has been teaching for over 7 years. Joseph is also the founder of Sandbox Math, an online learning community dedicated to helping students succeed in Algebra. His site is set apart by its focus on fostering genuine comprehension through step-by-step understanding (instead of just getting the correct final answer), enabling learners to identify and overcome misunderstandings and confidently take on any test they face. He received his MA in Physics from Case Western Reserve University and his BA in Physics from Baldwin Wallace University. Joseph Meyer Joseph Meyer Math Teacher Master math basics before exploring online tools. Traditional math learning methods like using manipulatives and working on paper build a strong foundation. Once you're proficient in those, online tools can help you tackle complex problems, visualize concepts in new ways, and solidify your understanding.

Teach math concepts that you're struggling with to other students. This will improve your own grasp of these concepts and help you better apply them to tests and homework. Explaining the concept and helping one of your peers work through homework equations will improve your own understanding. You can also practice teaching math concepts to your parents, siblings, or even friends who aren't in your math class. You'll perform better on tests, and, as a result, your grades should improve! Ask 2 or 3 classmates if you can help them solve tricky problems and show them how to complete them to lock in your own skills. Say something like, “I've been solving quite a few problems that use the quadratic equation lately, so I think I have a pretty good grasp. If it's okay with you, I could try to explain it to you and walk you through some of the problems.”

Join study groups and math clubs to learn with your peers. Study groups will give you a chance to discuss math class lectures, homework, and ideas with a group of students in your class. These groups are a great way to practice problems and prepare for tests. If you meet with peers and regularly with other students, you will be able to teach and to learn from each other. As a result, your grades should improve on your tests and homework assignments. If you're seriously interested in becoming skilled at math for its own sake, check out your school's math club. Math clubs will help you exercise your ability to learn math skills and will put you in touch with other math enthusiasts.

Study for 3–4 days in advance to prepare for each of your math tests. Getting high scores on your math tests is the single best way to raise your grade, and preparation plays a large role in doing well. Plan to study for about 30-60 minutes each day. Re-read the book chapters you'll be tested on and look over your homework assignments to see what mistakes to avoid. The night before the test, work half a dozen practice problems that cover topics you'll be tested on. Prepare for each quiz and test by getting plenty of sleep and coming to class ready. Look over your notes one final time the night before the test and go to bed immediately after. Contrary to popular belief, cramming is one of the worst ways to study for a test. Not only will it leave you exhausted on the day of the test, but the knowledge that you forced yourself to learn will only stay in your brain for a few days. Visualize achieving a high score on the test. A positive attitude goes a long way!

Work with a math tutor for 1-on-1 instruction and close mentoring. If you're still struggling to grapple with difficult math concepts and improve your math grade, try working with a private tutor. A tutor will be able to give you personalized attention and hone in on the math topics that are keeping you from getting a good grade. The tutor can also explain math concepts in a different way than your classroom instructor and can help you brush up on information you've forgotten. Many universities and private high schools offer free on-campus math tutoring. Talk with your instructor or the administrative assistant in the math department to get connected with a tutor. If you attend a public high school, talk to your math teacher and explain that you're looking for a tutor. They may know a professional math tutor who can help you. Or, look online for a math tutor at: https://tutors.com/math-tutors.

Working through Math Concepts

Write out every step of your problem-solving work on paper. Figure out what steps are required to solve each math problem you're assigned. Write each step on a fresh segment of a sheet of paper, and methodically solve every problem. Avoid the temptation to work out problems in your head and only write down the answers. Also avoid the temptation to only use a calculator instead of writing down the steps to a problem. In any math more complex than multiplication and division, this frequently leads to students omitting steps and making mistakes which result in wrong answers and a low grade. For example, say that you're calculating the area of a circle. First, find the radius of the circle and multiply it by 2 to find the diameter. Once you've found the diameter, multiply it by pi (3.14) to find the area. Make sure to write out each of these steps separately! Writing all of your calculations on paper will lead to correct answers and better grades. It will also help you see the progression of steps that it takes to solve a problem. This helps math seem less arbitrary or mysterious. It's best to work your math problems in pencil, not pen, since you can easily erase any mistakes you make when writing with a pencil.

Do extra problems to ensure you understand each concept. Once you're done with the required homework, work a couple of extra problems to become better at whatever math skill you're struggling with. Then, check your answers to find out whether or not you calculated correctly. The back pages of most math books list the answers to some or all of the equations presented in the chapters. If your answers are incorrect, try the problem again, or ask your teacher to explain the part of the problem that you find confusing. Say that you're learning algebra and are struggling to learn to add and multiply negative numbers. Take the time to work 2 or 3 problems that deal with this concept, and you'll start to understand the concept better.

Apply math to real-world problems to make it more relatable. Math can feel overly abstract and disconnected from daily life. In many ways, though, it's quite practical. For example, the Pythagorean Theorem can help you think about the relationships between different sizes of shapes, while the mathematical constant e could help you understand growing processes in math. Finding real-world applications and connections that relate to your life can help math seem more concrete and interesting. Even parts of math that seem especially impractical, like negative numbers, are grounded in real-world interests. Negative numbers are useful in expressing concepts like financial debt, which is something you'll need to understand. EXPERT TIP Joseph Meyer Joseph Meyer Math Teacher Joseph Meyer is a High School Math Teacher based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is an educator at City Charter High School, where he has been teaching for over 7 years. Joseph is also the founder of Sandbox Math, an online learning community dedicated to helping students succeed in Algebra. His site is set apart by its focus on fostering genuine comprehension through step-by-step understanding (instead of just getting the correct final answer), enabling learners to identify and overcome misunderstandings and confidently take on any test they face. He received his MA in Physics from Case Western Reserve University and his BA in Physics from Baldwin Wallace University. Joseph Meyer Joseph Meyer Math Teacher Develop your mental math skills. Mental math is when you perform mathematical calculations without using calculators, paper, or counting aids. Use your mind, memory, lessons, and discussions with your classmates to refine your math skills and build strong problem-solving strategies.

Make sure you grasp math basics that you'll need for advanced math. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are crucial basic parts of math. You'll need to understand and use these building blocks frequently in more advanced fields of math, including algebra and trigonometry. So, make sure you are adept at these functions before moving on. If you're struggling with any of these foundational math skills, there are many online math-tutorial websites that can help. For example, check out: https://www.mathplanet.com/. For another option, visit: https://schoolyourself.org/.

Master a mathematical topic before moving on to the next concept. In math courses, the topics you learn will be cumulative. This means that's it's almost impossible to understand a more complex math concept without understanding the more basic concepts that came before. Read and re-read the book examples, watch any accompanying DVD or online videos, and ask your teacher for help if you're struggling to understand a topic. For example, say you're learning how to calculate the area of shapes in geometry. Master this skill before moving on to more complex topics like rotating and reflecting shapes across axes, or you won't have a strong foundation for understanding higher-level ideas.

Identify and improve on your areas of weakness. No student is great at every area of math. However, the areas in which you're weakest are likely those that are bringing your grade down! So, take a look over your tests and homework assignments, and find the areas in which you scored the worst. Re-read the book chapter(s) that discuss your weak areas, work a few extra practice problems, and talk to your teacher about ways to improve in these areas. You'll be on your way to a higher grade in no time! For example, say you're struggling with trigonometry. Improve on this weak area by brushing up on ways to calculate the angles of various types of triangles. You could also try using flash cards to memorize key terms like “sine” and “cosine.” Avoid making excuses for yourself by saying something like, “I just don't think I'm cut out for understanding long division,” or “Trigonometry just goes over my head; there's nothing I can do about it.”

Figure out your learning style to help yourself improve at math. You can identify your own learning style by assessing the situations in which you retain academic knowledge the best. For example, think about when you enjoy classes the most: is it when you're working out math problems by hand, hearing them described, solving them in groups, or thinking about them in an abstract way? The more math you're able to learn through your particular learning style, the better you'll be able to master math concepts and boost your grade. If you enjoy online quizzes, try taking one to assess your own learning style at: http://www.educationplanner.org/students/self-assessments/learning-styles-quiz.shtml. For another learning-style quiz, check out: https://www.how-to-study.com/learning-style-assessment/. The main learning styles include: visual, verbal, social, auditory, physical (kinesthetic), logical, and solitary.