How do you become good at maths?

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Hi, I'm a girl with aspergers in year 9. I have really bad problems with maths and I cannot understand why. I've cheated on my mock exams(we're using old year 9 sats papers) by going through the questions before the actual test because I know I have a 100 percent chance of only getting a 25/60.

When I do maths I feel like a baby trying to walk? I can quite get it;however I'm going to fall down. I'm also a very left-brained person. I was given a GCSE biology paper and scored full marks with an A*(although it was very easy.) I scored the best in my class in physics which was an A;although it was quite an achievement because everyone else failed with a F. I'm good at debating( I don't shout at my opponents like most my class do) and I can pick out things in logic most people don't see. People describe me as being very good at being critical, analytic and logical. I got the third highest mark in my class for analyzing this Shakespeare and I didn't even have notes and barely read the book in detail. I just picked the paragraphs relevant and explained from there in comparison to the people who got higher levels than me who did.


But.. I get confused on things like:

Houses cost £60,000 one year ago.
They now cost £80,000.
This is a (insert answer here) increase.

I know how to do percentages and the rest of the concepts e.t.c My brother showed me that question in different forms and I got the answer right;however the solution to this question still baffles me despite knowing the logic, what to do and why. I looked at this problem into too much detail to solve it so, the method generally used confused me for example

80,000-60,000= 20,000
20,000/60,000= 0.33 * 100 = 33.3

I did it like this I made 60,000 to 6000

Then did 20,000/ 6000= 3.33 then multiplied by 10 because I found out 10 percent not 100 percent. It confuses me to do 100 percent because the numbers dividing together like that feel weird and strange to me. I tend to over-think and over- analyze things alot and understand questions differently for example:

Whats the 100th odd number?

I thought that as whats the odd number nearest to 100. I also suck at word problems according to my special ED teacher I understand the concept just I make silly mistakes. Word problems confuse me alot. I understand mathematical concepts but them in relation I can't do.


Anyone have any idea what I'm going through? Plus words in maths confuse me too and I also can't take simple directions to place I can't keep up with people.

Some learn from others and some are naturally good

Dude you make that example very complicated. Just take 8 divided by 6 and you get 1,33333.

Different people are good at different things.

In general, with math I feel that you either have the intuition for it or not. I have it, which is convenient since I'm a mathematician. But most people don't have an instinctive way to deal with numbers and equations. Nevertheless, those people can be come quite competent at the math required at schools by both practise and by being very precise. I've tutored a number of kids in the past who were struggling with math and just doing a lot of practise and really stressing attention to detail seemed to help them out quite a bit.

Going over your two examples:

Learning from others helps me too. I also found that it helps if the person doesn't overcomplicate the method.

It's also something you can practise too. There's also revision websites such as BBC Bitesize.

alot of math is memorizing and understanding the formulae.

I always do good -- my "secret" is doing every problem in the book as far as time and energy permit. In High School I didn't even pay attention in class -- I was usually several chapters ahead. Occasionally the teacher would call on me. I'd find out what page and problem, go back in my notebook to that problem and give the correct answer.

Now with the Internet, there is online instruction available, like Khan Accademy ( http://www.khanacademy.org/ )

Tjek out

Subjects I had difficulty with in school, I found sometimes it was useful to go pick up a book designed for someone who wants to teach themselves, or to try different old textbooks. Sometimes it's just the way it's being taught that's the problem, not the material itself.

I did this with high school physics for instance. I was failing the class at the start, but I pulled my mark up to a B (couldn't get an A because the early marks dragged down the average too much). I actually like physics quite a lot now. But the way the teacher taught that class, I just didn't get it at all.

I'm starting to wonder if you're using us to do math homework, this is your 3rd or 4th thread on this topic

I have a massive problem with basic math. I failed it all through High School......even basic math. I never have figured out why I can't do basic math, but play guitar. Students of music have told me that it's all math. I learned to play by ear so I don't know.