As students, we aspire to be excellent in every subject as much as possible and always get straight As so our parents can put our report cards right on the fridge and anyone who sees it will give us compliments.

However, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to academics. You might be good in reading comprehension but may be facing challenges in physical education or one might be good in arts but may be having difficulties in history. If you think you are underperforming in math and science, you can use strategies to reach your maximum potential. Keep these surefire tips in mind:

Think math and science in practical situations.

We’ve all been there when we have our notebooks or textbooks in front of us and we’ve been staring at a tough math equation for a long time without any idea on how to solve or we find ourselves at wits’ end trying to figure out the science theories. When we are under pressure to accomplish these tasks, we tend to become stressed that we end up ultimately not learning anything.

What you can do is to think of math and science in practical applications, and you would be surprised on how this can help you. For example, if you are at the mall and you went into a store that’s having a sale, try to compute what the percentage of the discounts are equivalent in terms of actual amount. Say, 25% off a new pair of sneakers that is originally priced at $200. Do your own calculations without relying on any apps on your phones or other mobile devices or asking the sales staff. This is a good exercise to get that math brain cells into work.

In terms of science, think of any household chore where there is a science behind it. For example, when your mom asks you to boil water for her tea and she says to use cold water instead of lukewarm water because cold water boils faster. Is this true? You can find out yourself with a simple experiment and discover the wonder yourself.

Use visuals.

Have you noticed that a lot of companies these days make use of infographics to impart information, whether it will be on their websites or brochures or flyers? This is because we are ultimately visual beings, and you can actually apply this practice when you are trying to figure out tough math or science problems.

You don’t have to be a daVinci to rely on visuals. Just draw what you understand, and it can help you in your comprehension. For example, you are reading on heat energy and are trying to get acquainted with different heating systems at home. You are trying to understand why it is said that the heat exchanger is the heart of the furnace. Draw it and you can get a good grasp.

If you are trying to figure out how much faster Worker A can paint a whole house for 6 hours a day than Worker B for 10 hours a day, then draw the situation, and you will find out.

Join a study group.

No man is an island, and that is true if you really want to get your grades up for your math and science subjects. Remember it is nothing to be ashamed of to ask for help, and you’d be surprised how many of your classmates or schoolmates are struggling like you too and by working together, you can achieve your goals.

For a study group to be truly effective, make sure you are all on the same page and that everyone gets a chance to have their concerns addressed. It also helps if everyone understands you are all working towards the same goal and it is all about teamwork! For example, there might be ones in your group who are better in geometry than trigonometry or vice versa. So the ones who are more knowledgeable in geometry can guide the ones who are not and vice versa.

No one is born a math and science genius, but it does not hurt to try to be better at these subjects. Follow these tips and you will be on your way!

SOURCES:

https://www.thoughtco.com/steps-to-doing-well-in-math-2312095

https://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/improve-underperforming-grades.html

https://www.mathgoodies.com/articles/improve_your_grades

https://www.privateschoolreview.com/blog/7-ways-to-improve-your-math-scores

https://www.education.com/magazine/article/maximize–performance-science/