How to teach a friend math?

Question

Hi, Please let me know if i am posting in wrong section i will delete immediately. Me and my best friend are preparing for GMAT together, I have math background so it just comes to me naturally and only thing kills me is my silly mistakes or not reading questions entirely, but my friend is having real bad issues, she understand when we are going over chapters and solves problems just fine but every time she faces different looking problem she freaks out/gives up as if she had never faced that method/problem ever before. How do you teach someone? I hope if anyone can give me some pointers.

Dawgie · Answer

Teach basics, and run her through your thought process.

Good luck,
Dawg

intellijat · Answer

hmmm........take the one question she is able to solve and change values/ re phrase/invert the given value and let her solve it....it might help....

example.
Q.in how many ways the letters of the word  RAINBOW  be arranged?
questions derived from this........
a)how many words begin with R ?
b)how many begin with R and end with W?
c)how many words are there in which N & B are together ?
d)how many words are there in which I & O are never together?

whiplash2411 · Answer

I think it's more about establishing a good rapport with the subject. If your friend has a lot of trouble, then she should consider enrolling in a course where the teachers are experienced in getting the vital concepts across to people who may have trouble grasping them.

shaselai · Answer

i think you should teach her non-algebra ways first as many problems can be solved by plugin, backsolving etc. this is because if you start writing algebra every problem she might be intimidated and not sure what is going on. it is also dependent on what her goal is in quant as well.

mohater · Answer

Remember:

The GMAT is not testing your math skills, per se. What the test tries to do is figure out who has decent problem solving skills and who does not.

Approach is key here. You need to teach your friend how to approach problems. Simply rehashing the rules of algebra, geo, etc, will not work for everyone.

The most important thing to remember: always stay calm. Freaking out doesn't ever help anyone

NAKAMONIEL · Answer

wow, all these responses over night, Thank You everyone, I tend to agree with professional GMAT tutoring i suppose, only thing is when I explain something, she catches it soo fast, she solves all variants of that method, only thing is when she tries to take a test where every other question are so different, she cant keep her calm and ends up making wrong assumptions getting wrong answers. How extensive training they give if she enrolls in tutoring?

shaselai · Answer

also depends on her learning style as well. is she good with numbers or variables? if numbers just "click" i would go that - play to her strengths

kissthegmat · Answer

Have you checkout this link ? gmat-math-book-87417.html This is good link to start with Math section on GMAT.

	Target Test Prep - Save up to $599 $400 Discount + $99 Bonus GMAT Club Tests
	e-GMAT: 60% Off on GMAT Focus Get to 735+ from any starting point
	Magoosh increases your score, guaranteed - 15% off ALL Magoosh GMAT plans with code GMATCLUB15 + Free GMAT Club Tests.
	Manhattan Prep: $99 Bonus Score Higher on Your GMAT Exam. Guaranteed.
	Experts' Global - ~~$1720~~ $960 End-to-End GMAT Prep + App Support: 150+ Videos, 2000+ Questions, 15 FLTs +
	GMATWhiz - $299 ~~$499~~ Experience the course through a free trial.
	GMAT Club Tests - Free Included with every course purchase of $149+ View all deals

How to teach a friend math?

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards