Page 209 - A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science

handed in?

Yes No 7. Did you ask in class for explanations of homework problem solutions that
weren’t clear to you?
Yes No 8. If you had a study guide, did you carefully go through it before the test and
convince yourself that you could do everything on it?
Yes No 9. Did you attempt to outline lots of problem solutions quickly, without spending
time on the algebra and calculations?

Yes No 10. Did you go over the study guide and problems with classmates and quiz one
another?

Yes No 11. If there was a review session before the test, did you attend it and ask
questions about anything you weren’t sure about?

Yes No 12. Did you get a reasonable night’s sleep before the test? (If your answer is no,
your answers to 1–11 may not matter.)
Yes No TOTAL

The Hard-Start–Jump-to-Easy Technique

The classic way students are taught to approach tests in math and science is to
tackle the easiest problems first. This is based on the notion that that by the time
you’ve finished the relatively simple problems, you’ll be confident in handling
the more difficult.
This approach works for some people, mostly because anything works for
some people. Unfortunately, however, for most people it’s counterproductive.
Tough problems often need lots of time, meaning you’d want to start on them

first thing on a test. Difficult problems also scream for the creative powers of the
diffuse mode. But to access the diffuse mode, you need to not be focusing on
what you want so badly to solve!
What to do? Easy problems first? Or hard?
The answer is to start with the hard problems—but quickly jump to the easy

ones. Here’s what I mean.
When the test is handed out to you, first take a quick look to get a sense of
what it involves. (You should do this in any case.) Keep your eye out for what
appears to be the hardest problem.
Then when you start working problems, start first with what appears to
be the hardest one. But steel yourself to pull away within the first minute or