You've all experienced the 30-minute test problem. How to tackle it?With all due respect to essay questions, math, science and engineering students can't tip-toe their way around answers. Test questions are most often multiple choice or free response… and don't let the "free" fool you – there is only one correct answer.
Besides "That test sucked," the most common complaint I've heard exiting the myriad math-based tests I've taken over the years is, "You know that long problem at the end? I didn't even know where to start. SO unfair."
I think what's really unfair is that person's right to use the same language as the rest of us… but I digress.
Truth be told, it's safe to say we've all had our trying times with lengthy, intricate word problems where it's as much of a challenge to figure out what the professor wants as it is to solve the problem.
Here are some tips on common mistakes to avoid:
Mistake 1: Reading through the whole problem first to see what you're faced with.
Correction 1: Make a note of each important piece of information and write down each number given to you as you go. That way you'll have a short-hand visual representation of what you just read once you're finished.
Mistake 2: After reading the problem, you sit back and decide where to start.
Correction 2: Start at the END. The last sentence of these problems is always the prompt – it tells you what is desired in the end.
Mistake 3: Assuming it is logical to tackle the problem in the order it's written.
Correction 3: It is often easier to work backwards. Once you've figured out what the problem is asking for, think about what step is required to get you there. Once you've written this out, no matter how many unanswered variables are on your paper, decide what step is required to get you to that point. Now that you have the final three steps written out, you have a solid roadmap for handling the problem.
Mistake 4: Staring at the problem and assuming there's no way you can answer it.
Correction 4: Answering word problems isn't some magical skill where either you have it or you don't. If you start writing down whatever information you can gather, there's a better chance your mind will be triggered by something it sees. All of those lectures and all of that studying is locked somewhere in the back of your brain, so do your best to unleash the caged beast inside.
How do you tackle lengthy word problems? Any tips for success?
