How to be a clever student

1. Enroll in a math class.
2. Pay attention in class. You're not going to get any better at math if you don't listen or if you don't know what's going on. Listen and pay attention to what the teacher is saying.
3. Pay particular attention to the rules, properties, formulas, equations, and methods, if you are to that point in math. Those are the tools of math, and will make math and computation much easier for you. So learn to rely on them like a good carpenter would his saw, tape measure, hammer, etc.
4. Participate. Even if you don't know the answer to a question, you can surely make an educated guess. So what if you're wrong? At least you tried. And hey, you just may be right!
5. Ask many questions. Even Einstein asked questions, so why shouldn't you? If you don't understand something, ask the teacher. You're not going to suddenly understand it by staring at the problem. If you don't want to ask a teacher, ask a nearby student, or friend.
6. Seek math help. If you still need help, ask the teacher if there is somewhere you can go for assistance. Find out if there is a study hall or tutoring program, or ask if a teacher could give you extra help before or after class.
7. Memorize your multiplication tables. This is crucial for mastering arithmetic.
8. Write out your work. For example, when working out equations, divide your solution into steps, writing down what you did you get to the next step.
o Writing out your work helps you to keep track of the work as you do it, and it may help you get partial credit if you make a mistake somewhere.
o Writing your steps out will show you where you went wrong
9. Attempt ALL the work that is given to you. After attempting a few examples, you will get the hang of it!
10. Review your graded homework assignments when they are returned to you. Try to figure out where you went wrong. Ask your teacher to help you review any problems you still don't understand.