Common mistakes that keep you from succeeding.

The following mistakes lead to low achievements. Take care to avoid them.

A) While doing homework

1) You do not study but you read instead.

Studying means to write down a lot of stuff, as many times as it is required to write it faultessly.
What is to be written down?
>>Symbols and their interpretation (according to their standard units when physics is concerned)
>>Definition formulas and their verbal explanation
>>Verbal definitions that are not given by formulas (for example :what is resonance, which numbers are called rational ànumbers e.t.c.)

2) Flat studying.

You give the same attention to all, despite their rank in the  scale of importance .
There are definitions, formulas, axioms, theorems which are fundamental in the mathematics/physics lessons you study. All the rest are less significant in the sense  that you can prove them using reasoning or mathematical operations. What I mean is that not any formula you come across is to be memorized. You have to know how you came to it using more your procedural than your declarative memory.

3) You do not exercise comparative studying.

Whenever you come across  something new (term, theorem, phenomenon) it is better to try integrating it within what you  have already learnt. Make a draft diagram of the relations between the new term and the other known ones. Make tables of similarities and differences between concepts. Try to compare to find out what is special in what you are to study.

4) You skip warming up.
You cannot start your problem solving effort at once. Undergo a procedure that prepares  you  to face the exercises you have to do. Repeat basic theory, examples and exercises which have been worked during the last lesson.  During this  warming up procedure you should  act as if you  have to make a presentation of what you have learnt in front of one who cares to understand what you say.  You have not understood something if you cannot articulate it.  If you are unable to follow this procedure you have to bring your questions back to the class. Remember: you had better ask everything on time, not afterwards. So keep  being concentrated during the lesson.

5) Do not give up easily.
The more you try, the more you gain. Do not give up.

6) Sloppy homework

Don’t excuse yourself. You will not do better during exams. Normally one performs in exams  in a manner equal or worse than she/he is used to perform, not better.

B) Common incorrect practices during exams.

1) You try to recall like recalling eidetic memories. You ask yourself: Which solved exercise is quite similar to the current one? But you judge similarity in a superficial way.  There is also the case of you thinking in what I cal “formula centric way”. This means that you seek a magic formula containing  everything: the given and the asked. It  is possible that such formula does not exist. You may, however,need to construct it yourself by using others.
The correct practice is to recall concept relations and methodology.

2) You do not make any draft preplan. You rush to the solution without selecting the proper strategy to approach it.

3) You give up easily, you get lost sooner than is expected.
You should make serious efforts  to solve a problem or to answer a tough question.

4) You do not re-examine your answers to check the validity of your statements or to correct probable mistakes. Sometimes you have to reflect upon your findings, don’t miss that.

5) You forget to consider time economy.
Each question must be given the right portion of the whole exam time duration.

6) You do not care for the “appearance” of your writings. You had better care more . There is no need to be meticulous but you must make sure  that your answers are written neatly enough.

Don’t forget.

"Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”, according to Aristotle.

Despoina Makri  
Physics/Mathematics teacher