Timing affects math

[NL]

Hi Ron,

My question regards to: why my brain is too sensitive with timing?
The detail problem: When I got math questions incorrect under timing, the main reason was that I unintentionally didn’t follow a process. Even I myself set up timing, my mind started running and unconsciously skipped steps, then ended up at the starting point (went in a circle). The questions become 5 times harder than under normal conditions.

If I try to calm myself down, sometimes I lose the sense of timing, and may do questions too slowly.

So, it’s not a type of psychological problems to which I don’t pay attention, it will disappear. Nor it’s a problem of just focusing on results: My actual test score was very close to the CATs’ scores (MGMAT’s and GMAC’s)

How do I "fix" this problem?

(I don’t/shouldn’t expect a perfect answer for me. Just want to learn from your experience with lots of your students about the same problem). Thank you!

[RonPurewal]

Do you have specific examples?

[NL]

Haha, wisely answered! I know it’d be hard for you to answer since I haven’t provided lots of personal issues involving this problem. (my untrained brain has a lot of flaws)

I took some practices and observed my brain again:
When keeping "an eye" on timing, I had a feeling of hurry.
When getting stuck with one approach, the mind became messy, so it was hard to switch to another approach. It took time or condition changes, such as turning timer off, to get back to the normal state.
Sometimes I made mistakes like this: 2a =5→ a =2/5 or 2+4=8 (problem of concentration?)

The fact is that when I focus more, time seems to flow more slowly than actual time (advantage), but as I said, sometime I lose the sense of timing.

So, my question should be changed like this: do you have any thought relating to this "phenomenon"?

P/s: This happens to my verbal as well, but I have a bigger problem with verbal, reading exhaustion, so it seems to be...less problematic. (I need to improve my verbal score by 10 points while need 3 more points for math)

[RonPurewal]

I have exactly 3 things to say about time management.

1/
Be honest with yourself about when you are stuck.
- If you are sitting there staring at the problem, you are stuck.
- If you have no CLEAR GOAL for what you are immediately trying to do"”if you're just "shoving numbers/variables around the page" (math) or just "browsing through text" (verbal)"”then you're stuck.

2/
If you're stuck, STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
- Try to figure out what your goal is.
- If you can't, QUIT. Try to come up with another approach.
- If you can't come up with another approach, guess and move on.

3/
Don't do the same thing more than once.
(E.g., in math, if you tried algebra and it didn't work, don't try algebra again. In SC, if you don't know how to resolve a split, don't keep looking at that split; find another one.)

This is everything I have to say about time management.

Everything involving numerical time amounts"”minutes, seconds, timing charts, etc."”is just "training wheels". Those things are only necessary if you don't have the self-discipline to do the 3 things above.

[RonPurewal]

I took some practices and observed my brain again:
When keeping "an eye" on timing, I had a feeling of hurry.

I don't know exactly what "an eye on timing" means.

If that means looking at the clock DURING a problem, then, yes, of course that's causing issues.

You should only check the time once every 5-10 problems.
That's it.
Between those "checkpoints", HIDE THE TIMER so you are not tempted to look at it.

If you have adequate time-management skills (see previous post), these are the only checkpoints you will need (and you might not even need these). In the interim, "stop when you're stuck" will take care of the timing.

[RonPurewal]

Sometimes I made mistakes like this: 2a =5→ a =2/5 or 2+4=8 (problem of concentration?)

The first of these can be completely cured by writing down the steps.
I.e., if you actually write the "/2" on both sides of this equation, it becomes impossible to make this mistake.

The second of these just require awareness. Just notice what kinds of mistakes you make"”there will be some pattern"”and then just look out for those, more than for others.
E.g., I make frequent mistakes in subtraction. So, if I ever have to subtract numbers, I just double-check EVERY subtraction. By contrast, I don't generally make sign mistakes, so I don't double-check signs.
Different for different people, but, it's just like anything else. (If you normally forget socks, but not other clothes, on trips, then just double-check your luggage for socks.)

None of this is genius, of course. The enemy, though, is calling these things "silly mistakes".
By calling these mistakes "silly", people absolve themselves of all responsibility for correcting them"”it's as though God just drops the mistakes on their heads and laughs.
You should take these mistakes just as seriously as any others.