When you just don't know how to approach a question

[turtle turtle]

This question is very open ended and vague i know lol, but sometimes i spend a good 30+ minutes wondering how to actually do a question. For e.g. they give you 4 variables to solve and you only have equations to solve 3. But then many minutes later you realise how to kind of extract another equation. But it takes ages to realise you can do that. Any general advice?

[Vioh]

This question is very open ended and vague i know lol, but sometimes i spend a good 30+ minutes wondering how to actually do a question. For e.g. they give you 4 variables to solve and you only have equations to solve 3. But then many minutes later you realise how to kind of extract another equation. But it takes ages to realise you can do that. Any general advice?

 

It's kinda hard for me to actually help you here, because I don't truly know how you normally work. So your best bet is to ask your teacher for help.

However, I also used to have exactly the same kind of problem. And the way I fixed it was to always reminding myself that I should approach any maths problems with a logical analytical mind, rather than just trying to recall stuff from memory. I used a technique which I call the "break-down" tactic (see my post here for more details: http://www.ibsurvival.com/topic/31720-4-in-hl-math-instant-rejection/). With this tactic, your mind will be more willing to solve the problem logically and analytically. This doesn't only speed up the process of solving, but it also makes mathematics much more fun. Since when I applied this technique, my performance in maths, physics, and science in general, have improved dramatically. So perhaps this technique will also applied to you.

[kw0573]

My math teacher said that the struggle and the persistence are the most important parts to become better at math. I was predicted high 6 and low 7 at different times of Year 2. It was not uncommon for me to spend an hour or even two to solve a homework question. It is good that you are attempting and eventually succeeding in the difficult questions instead of skipping them. Spending such amount of time at home does pay off later in the course and in the exams. At 1 min/mark on the exam you do not have to time to sit there and think but instead you must write the solutions as if second-nature (especially for Part A questions) because you recognize the questions or the approach. Constant practicing and doing hard questions will likely achieve just that.

You are doing math the right way. Don't be discouraged!