Top 5 of Math 10

After 5 months of math, the day finally comes where it comes to an end. Originally, I was worried that I would not have enough time for my math homework. My busy softball schedule has a tendency to keep me occupied yet I pushed through it. I almost always looked forward to this class and the people tat were in it. Overall, I had a great experience in Mrs. Burton’s math 10 class and I’m glad I have her as a teacher again next year. Below is a list of what to look forward to next year (specifically if you’re in Mrs. Burton’s class)

• Do your homework every night

Mrs. Burton will most likely start off the year saying something along the lines of homework is not mandatory but you will most likely struggle in the class if you don’t. I will be blunt, she is not lying. Homework isn’t to do because someone tells you to, it is meant to help you understand. In math repetition is the key to understanding material. Homework will have similar questions to the test and by understanding the homework and practicing you will do fine.

• Listen to Mrs. Burton for abbreviations or “cheats”

At first, I didn’t think much about these little hints. Most of them I had not heard of and occasionally get one I recognized. Some of my favourite ones that have stuck with me include “flower power” where the denominator of a fraction exponent becomes the index in front of radical sign, “Can divers easily pee underwater” for factoring, or slope guy for slopes. Although these little cheats may sound silly they have helped me a lot over the semester and I’m glad I learned them so I can continue using them in the future.

• Suck it up there is a seating plan

I’m not going to lie, I was not a fan of the seating plan. I wanted to be able to sit next to my friends or people I knew. Looking back on it now, I wouldn’t have wanted anything to change. I got to know people I may never have even talked to. Some of these people I had no interest getting to know because of things I had heard or my opinions of them, these people were often those I now consider “friends” or at least better acquainted. These people proved me wrong in so many ways and I am grateful for that, they helped me when I didn’t understand something and I would return the favor. Our class worked together so that we could finish together.

• If you don’t do well on a test, it’s not the end of the world

Although for all you over-achiever or perfectionists getting a bad grade (or one you do not find good) the world still goes on. My advice for you is to take a breath and relax, you can’t change what has happened. For me one of my grades was not up to my standards on a test that should’ve been easy for me. I had just gotten back from a softball tournament in Vegas and definitely didn’t have the mindset for math. When I got my grade back and realized it wasn’t the best I was sad, mad, worried, and so many other emotions. I emailed Mrs. Burton asking for her to go over my test with me and just was happy to do so. The best thing to do is to go over what you did wrong, you can’t change your mistakes but you can avoid them the next time. And I learned my lesson about studying and time-management with softball tournaments because on the next test I studied very hard and ended up getting almost a 100%.

• Enjoy the units you find easier or like

We complete 10 units in 5 months which is plenty of time to find a chapter that stood out for you. It may have been something that challenged you or that you immediately understood. For me this was trigonometry, and it was completely new to me. Although I did not get 100% on this test I still felt that I learned something and am looking forward to continuing it next year. There will be units you don’t like but that’s life, look forward to the ones you do.