Acing Maths Ext 2 isn't just for Maths whizzes. You can also ace it with these 6 hot tips.
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In this guest blog post, Matrix Graduate and former Matrix scholarship holder Chloe Beydoun, explains how to overcome Maths Ext 2 challenges and ace Year 12.
Name: Chloe Beydoun
School: Sydney Girls High School (2018 Alumnus)
ATAR: 99.95
Uni Degree: Medicine at The University of Sydney
We know studying Maths Ext 2 can be a big struggle. So, here are some tips to overcome the challenges of HSC Maths Ext 2.
Maths Extension 2 is often shrouded in a lot of mystery and misunderstood as very difficult to study for.
The truth is, the vast majority of the question pool can actually be found in textbooks.
It is crucial that you truly understand the Maths Ext 2 concepts well enough that you are able to master the typical “easy” questions that are placed at start of the paper following the multiple-choice section.
An ideal study routine would be one where you dedicate at least 1 hour of your study each day to Maths Ext 2.
Ideally, you want to be dedicating daily study which allows time for both Maths Ext 1 and Ext 2.
So, set yourself very strict time limits so you do not get bogged down on any single question.
For example, allow yourself to spend 1 hour on a specific textbook exercise and then spend the rest of the time independently studying other questions.
Just like every other subject, do not neglect the importance of writing notes for your Maths courses.
I found it useful at the end of each topic to write up a 1-2 A4 summary page of the key equations or concepts.
This means that I would have an easy reference point to study in the lead up to exams as well as while completing practice questions.
This will prove much more efficient than mindlessly flicking through textbook pages or your exercise book.
Struggling to grasp Maths Ext 2? Well, don’t worry. Matrix’s HSC expert teachers will break down the topics for you and provide you with a vast array of practice questions and high-quality resources. Learn more now.
Once you feel confident in the standard question types of each topic from the textbook – having mastered both speed and accuracy – the next step is to begin attempting past paper questions.
There are a vast array of websites which make practice papers available. This can, at times, be a bit overwhelming given that it is likely impossible to complete them all.
As such, your respective school’s papers should be a priority, as 50% of your HSC mark will compromise of school assessments.
It’s important you become familiar with the types of questions your school devises for given topics
And, once you’ve done enough papers you will hopefully start to notice some trends in the marking rubrics.
It is very important to approach past papers with a quality over quantity approach.
It is not the number of papers you complete which is of importance, but the way in which you handle the post-completion of a paper.
Once you’ve completed a past paper, it is highly recommended that you have a break.
Have a snack or relax for 30mins then return to your worked solutions with a fresh pair of eyes.
It is very important to mark your questions strictly against the suggested solutions.
Linked to step number 3, during the marking phase of past paper questions, I would suggest keeping a mistakes log beside you.
For each topic, you want to compile the types of questions you were getting incorrect, but more importantly, the different techniques that were used to approach the questions which you got wrong.
This is arguably the most important step in your revision, given that overcoming the challenges of Maths Ext 2 involves building up a mental toolbox of as many techniques as possible.
The questions which are harder and form the latter part of the paper often involve a creative approach or method – you increase your chance of being able to answer these questions if you begin to generate a toolbox of approaches.
In the lead up to the Maths Ext 2 exam, in particular, the night before and the morning of the exam, I would not spend my time answering past paper questions as I found this a tiring, time-consuming approach.
Instead, I would read over the mistakes I made during my practice and revise the different techniques I found in the past paper solutions.
This meant that I could walk into my exam with my toolbox ready.
As mentioned before, it is impossible to complete every question that exists for Maths Ext 2.
However, a handy technique I used in the few weeks leading up to my exams was skimming through past paper questions and mentally devising a step by step solution.
In this way, whenever I came across a question I was unsure of how to approach, I would use a pen and paper to try and figure it out and then take a look at the solutions.
I found this particularly useful when it came to the last few questions of the paper where it sometimes felt impossible to work out where to start.
Overcoming the challenges of Maths Ext 2 is as much a psychological game as it is anything else.
Before beginning Year 12, I was told by so many of those around me that Maths Extension 2 simply wasn’t for me because I naturally wasn’t talented at Maths.
Amidst all the doubts, I was given some very wise advice from a close friend of mine:
You should go ahead and choose what you like either to 1) prove to everyone that you can do it, or 2) prove to yourself that you are capable of whatever you set your mind to.
Excelling at Maths Ext 2 is not reserved for the maths whizzes and as soon as you can start to believe that, the better off you will be.
So, figure out what works best for you.
Ultimately, Maths is one of the subjects that you can easily improve on if you just put in enough effort consistently – it’s also the easiest subject to track improvement in.
Struggling to grasp Maths Ext 2? Well, don’t worry. Matrix’s HSC expert teachers will break down the topics for you and provide you with a vast array of practice questions and high-quality resources. Learn more now.
Written by Guest Author
We have regular contributions to our blog from our Tutor Team and high performing Matrix Students. Come back regularly for these guest posts to learn their study hacks and insights!
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