Math is a Sport

As a subject, math has more in common with gym than it does with history or geography. First we’ll explain why, then how that knowledge can help you study more effectively.

So the things that all sports have in common are:

1. They take practice.
2. The more you do them- and the more often you do them – the better you get
3. You get rusty if you don’t play for a while
4. To perform your best, you need to be in good shape
5. Proper equipment helps
6. You perform better if you warm-up
7. It’s easier to learn with proper instruction

Now this leads to several tips for better performance:

1. It Takes Practice
   Don’t think that you can get by just by listening and not doing assignments
2. The more you do it the better you get
   If something isn’t easy, do a few extra problems on top of those suggested for homework
3. You get rusty if you don’t play for a while
   Keep good notes and don’t throw them out at the end of the year. You might need to look something up later.
4. To perform your best, you need to be in good shape
   No one learns well when they’re tired or haven’t eaten properly (and energy drinks are no substitute for eating and sleeping properly)
5. Proper equipment helps
   We’ve done this one to death already.
6. You perform better if you warm up
   Math books are designed with the easier problems at the beginning and the harder ones at the end. By doing easier questions first you get your brain accustomed to thinking in the right way and you’ll think of solutions you would have missed otherwise.
7. It’s easier with proper instruction
   Follow the advice of your teacher. When they say to do something a certain way, there is a reason. Sometimes the reason doesn’t become clear until the next section, chapter or even grade but it’s there.

It would be nice to end this section with a good sports metaphor, but unfortunately, we’re all math geeks and don’t know any. Sorry.