There is no method except to be very intelligent — T.S. Elliot

Actually, T.S. Elliot was wrong. Math doesn’t need to = mystical + irritating squared. Here’s a four step method to getting an A in math without x number of headaches, y number of disasters, or a 70% probability of pulling your hair out.

1. Make a list (either on paper or in your head) of all the math concepts your class is covering during the current unit. For example, if you’re taking college algebra your second unit may cover various kinds of polynomial equations and ways for solving them. Just list these concepts.

2. Next, do several problems from your textbook on each of these concepts.

3. See how you did; make note of which concepts you know well and which ones were weak.

4. Take the weak concepts, the kinds of problems you always get wrong, the ones that are still somewhat mystical to you—forget the rest and focus on these difficult concepts and problems. Read the textbook’s explanation of them until you get it. And then solidify your understanding by doing several problems afterward.

Just do this for each unit test and do it for the final. If you figure out your weak points and then work at shoring them up until no gap remains, your grade will = A. With all those problems and logarithmic equations out of the way you can focus on finding out more interesting things, like the square root of happiness.