Maths Homework Advice
Qu. How much does homework matter?
Ans.It is really vital. If you do no homework, we can almost promise that you will fail the course.
If you are reliable over your homework, and learn from your mistakes, then you are almost certain to pass.
Qu. What is the point of homework?
Ans.To practise what has been covered in lessons
To make sure that you can use the theory
To deepen your understanding of what is going on.
Passing mathematics exams is about doing mathematics questions,
and there are knacks to this that can only be learnt with practice.
What may seem clear in a lesson can seem incomprehensible when alone at home with only a textbook for help.
Only by attempting homework can you discover what you really understand.
Qu.Who is homework for?
Ans.For you and for us.
Reading your homework helps us to see what you have learnt.
Seeing the gap between what we think we've said, and what is on your paper,
should be of great help to both of us.
Qu.What if I cannot do it?
Ans.You can turn either to your textbook, or the Internet, to one of your colleagues, or to us.
(See Help! I'm Stuck on the Student Help page.)
Please look out for notices about help available in the maths area during some lunchtimes, or try the staffroom, and we will do our best to help.
Please do not be afraid of making mistakes: we would much rather you had a go, and got it wrong,than you handed in a blank piece of paper.
Qu.When will it be set and marked?
Ans.Work to be done outside the classroom will be set almost every lesson.
We simply cannot, however, mark all of the work that you do.
A rule of thumb is that assignments (usually a sheet given out in the lesson) and coursework are for taking in,
while homework (usually set from the textbook) is not.
For homework, you will need to check your answers in the back of the text book.
If there is something that you don't understand, make a note and we can deal with it at the start of the next lesson.
At A Level, you can expect to have work marked/ assessed roughly once every four lessons.
This will be returned to you within a week almost all of the time.
Other points:
Please don't skimp on a piece of work just because it is not to be taken in.
At least start every question. Get as far as you can, and if you cannot finish,
try to write down where the sticking points are.
Work as neatly as you can first time through - there may not be time to write it up neatly
(there will certainly not be time in the exam!)
If you make a mistake,it is perfectly okay to cross it out neatly and carry on.
We hope that our comments on your work will be helpful.
If you can't understand what we have written, please ask.
Please hand the assignment in on time.
It is very frustrating and time-consuming for us to mark work that comes to us in dribs and drabs.
If it is late, we cannot guarantee to get it back to you quickly,
and if there is no good reason for it being late, it may not get marked at all.
Although the answers at the back of the book are not always 100% right,
it is a good habit to check your work carefully as you go.
Communicate your work to us as clearly as possible - explanatory notes help in this.
Presentation and style are not all-important, but they do matter.
Be sensible about time. At AS Level, you should expect about a hour's work after each lesson.
At A2 Level you should expect about 90 minutes work after each lesson.
Don’t bang your head against a brick wall if you get stuck - move on to something else that you can make headway with.
Make a note of questions that occur to you in the course of your homework, and raise them next lesson.
