How to Do 30 Math Problems in 15 Minutes
Be realistic., Budget your time., Know how much work is required., Do the easy problems first., Read the directions carefully., Look for patterns., Keep your work neat and organized.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Be realistic.
It will not always be possible to complete 30 math problems in 15 minutes, especially if problems require multiple steps to solve.
If you are trying to do your homework efficiently, consider how long it has taken you to complete similar problems in class, and extend the amount of time you allot to your homework accordingly.
For example, if realistically you know you can complete one problem on your assignment in 2 minutes, you will need to give yourself an hour to complete 30 problems.
Completing 30 math problems in 15 minutes means you would spend an average of 30 seconds on each problem.
Be honest about whether this is a realistic goal, considering the scope of the work.
If you try to cram a half-hour’s worth of work into 15 minutes, you will likely do a poor job and receive no credit for your efforts.
Thus, you will have wasted 15 minutes trying to save time.
Additionally, math skills build sequentially.
So, you will likely lose more time later because you do not fully understand how to do the work today that you need to know for tomorrow. -
Step 2: Budget your time.
The easiest way to do this is to divide 15 minutes (or however long you plan to spend on homework) by 30 (or however many problems you have to complete).
Once you know how much time to spend on each problem, use a clock or watch to track your progress.If you realize you are spending too much time on a single problem, move on.
You can always come back to it once you have finished the rest of the assignment. , Sometimes teachers want you to show all of your work and will grade you on the process and strategies you use.
Sometimes, you just need to find the correct answer.
In this case, you don't need to waste time showing all of your work if there are certain calculations you can simply do in your head.
For example, you might have memorized that the hypotenuse of a 45-45-90 right triangle is s2{\displaystyle s{\sqrt {2}}}.
If your teacher doesn't need to see your work, there is no need to show how this answer is derived from using the Pythagorean Theorem.
Simply write down your answer and move on. , Scan the assignment and identify the problems you are confident about.Once you knock out these problems, you can recalculate your time budget by dividing the amount of time you have left by the number of problems you have left.
You might find that you have more time for the harder problems once you complete the easy problems first. , An easy way to waste time is by tackling a problem incorrectly.
If you assume you know what you need to do without reading the instructions, you might find that you are nearly through solving a problem before you realize you are doing the work incorrectly and need to start over from the beginning. , Sometimes homework problems will follow a sequence.
If you can identify this sequence, you may be able to quickly write down your answers without calculating each one, or without even looking at the problems.
For example, you might be working with exponents.
The first question in a section might ask you to evaluate
6.4×101{\displaystyle
6.4\times 10^{1}}.
The next problem might ask you to evaluate
6.4×102{\displaystyle
6.4\times 10^{2}}.
If you scan the rest of the section and notice that each problem begins with
6.4, you can assume that in each problem, the exponent of 10 is increased by
1.
So, you can simply go down your answer sheet and move the decimal in
6.4 one to the right each time.
Be very careful when looking for patterns.
Sometimes, if you don't fully understand the work, you might see patterns where none exist.
Other times, you might assume the problems are following a pattern, when they actually do not. , Another big time waster when completing multiple-step problems is losing track of your calculations.
Clearly identify the solution to each step as you work.
This not only helps you work efficiently, but also helps when you need to go back and check your work. -
Step 3: Know how much work is required.
-
Step 4: Do the easy problems first.
-
Step 5: Read the directions carefully.
-
Step 6: Look for patterns.
-
Step 7: Keep your work neat and organized.
Detailed Guide
It will not always be possible to complete 30 math problems in 15 minutes, especially if problems require multiple steps to solve.
If you are trying to do your homework efficiently, consider how long it has taken you to complete similar problems in class, and extend the amount of time you allot to your homework accordingly.
For example, if realistically you know you can complete one problem on your assignment in 2 minutes, you will need to give yourself an hour to complete 30 problems.
Completing 30 math problems in 15 minutes means you would spend an average of 30 seconds on each problem.
Be honest about whether this is a realistic goal, considering the scope of the work.
If you try to cram a half-hour’s worth of work into 15 minutes, you will likely do a poor job and receive no credit for your efforts.
Thus, you will have wasted 15 minutes trying to save time.
Additionally, math skills build sequentially.
So, you will likely lose more time later because you do not fully understand how to do the work today that you need to know for tomorrow.
The easiest way to do this is to divide 15 minutes (or however long you plan to spend on homework) by 30 (or however many problems you have to complete).
Once you know how much time to spend on each problem, use a clock or watch to track your progress.If you realize you are spending too much time on a single problem, move on.
You can always come back to it once you have finished the rest of the assignment. , Sometimes teachers want you to show all of your work and will grade you on the process and strategies you use.
Sometimes, you just need to find the correct answer.
In this case, you don't need to waste time showing all of your work if there are certain calculations you can simply do in your head.
For example, you might have memorized that the hypotenuse of a 45-45-90 right triangle is s2{\displaystyle s{\sqrt {2}}}.
If your teacher doesn't need to see your work, there is no need to show how this answer is derived from using the Pythagorean Theorem.
Simply write down your answer and move on. , Scan the assignment and identify the problems you are confident about.Once you knock out these problems, you can recalculate your time budget by dividing the amount of time you have left by the number of problems you have left.
You might find that you have more time for the harder problems once you complete the easy problems first. , An easy way to waste time is by tackling a problem incorrectly.
If you assume you know what you need to do without reading the instructions, you might find that you are nearly through solving a problem before you realize you are doing the work incorrectly and need to start over from the beginning. , Sometimes homework problems will follow a sequence.
If you can identify this sequence, you may be able to quickly write down your answers without calculating each one, or without even looking at the problems.
For example, you might be working with exponents.
The first question in a section might ask you to evaluate
6.4×101{\displaystyle
6.4\times 10^{1}}.
The next problem might ask you to evaluate
6.4×102{\displaystyle
6.4\times 10^{2}}.
If you scan the rest of the section and notice that each problem begins with
6.4, you can assume that in each problem, the exponent of 10 is increased by
1.
So, you can simply go down your answer sheet and move the decimal in
6.4 one to the right each time.
Be very careful when looking for patterns.
Sometimes, if you don't fully understand the work, you might see patterns where none exist.
Other times, you might assume the problems are following a pattern, when they actually do not. , Another big time waster when completing multiple-step problems is losing track of your calculations.
Clearly identify the solution to each step as you work.
This not only helps you work efficiently, but also helps when you need to go back and check your work.
About the Author
Alexis Rivera
With a background in lifestyle and practical guides, Alexis Rivera brings 1 years of hands-on experience to every article. Alexis believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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