How to learn Engineering Mathematics?

How to learn Engineering Mathematics?

Almost all of the engineering students and other technology stream students must have this question. That is, how to learn engineering mathematics? 

First of all why we learn engineering mathematics? Let’s continue through the following article.

What is engineering mathematics?

Mathematics is key to develop any physical world problem into an analytical model. 

Engineering mathematics is the art of applying mathematics to complex real-world problems; combining mathematical theory, practical engineering, and scientific computing to address technological challenges.

Engineering Mathematics is indispensable for all engineering. Engineering has different streams. 

Fluid mechanics is important for aircraft, automobile engineering, mechanical engineer, integral transform is required for electrical engineering.

Boolean algebra is important for computer science and electronic engineering.

Discrete math especially algebraic graph theory is required for networking analysis, a part of computer science and engineering.

Pure mathematics we learn has a major impact on the development of physics theories and inventions.

So all students should follow their curriculum of mathematics as their requirements of the study. 

Then they have to understand theory properly and doing some problems to clear ideas. Always they should try to connect the application of mathematical curriculum, in their particular engineering stream.

Related article: Derivation of moment of inertia of a hollow sphere

Prepare a suitable environment to Study

Creating the best study environment will enhance your gaining power

A combination of effective time management, Focusing, good reading, short noting skills, Illustration skills, creating effective test-taking strategies, dedication, commitment to academic tasks and your hard work will give you a drastic boost in your learning. 

Reduce all your environmental distractions that interfere with your concentration.

Understand Why you are learning relevant section

Every chapter of engineering mathematics is for applications on real-world physics. Not just to solve some direct problems in your textbook.

You will be using combinations of pure mathematics theories you learn in several applications. So, understand every basic derivations and assumption well, don’t blindly memorize them.

Also read: How to Study Pathophysiology?

Try to catch teaching style of your lecturer

Different lecturers have a different unique style of delivering lectures to students. Some may fully feed you by notes and all you can understand by the examples and explanations of lecture materials. 

Even if you are not in the class you can learn very quickly from borrowing his notes from someone.

Some may give you lecture notes before lectures, so you can have a basic idea before you go to the lecture. This will give you a better understanding of the lesson if you prepared well before going to class.

Some lecturers tend students to learn by themselves using textbooks and through research. He will only give references for your learning. 

If you have such lecturers, you can ask your seniors to see how they studied the subject.

Some lecturers may require your presence and attention to the class. Because they will give you a very short guide on the lesson and you have to take notes will they are explaining things.

Collect resources to study

There are so many free learning resources that may support us for effective learning. You must be able to find suitable resources and organize these resources as required by your syllabus.

Note down new learning and techniques on a paper and attach it with the lecture note you referring. 

So that you can refer them easily in the future. You can also refer textbooks, your lab reports and group discussions with friends to grab knowledge for your study.

  • Library: There are so many textbooks related to Engineering Mathematics. You should find the book referred by your lecturer which he may follow for his teaching. This will give you a deep understanding of what he taught.
    The book may contain examples and problems. Carefully do them by yourself, correct and practice more. Because mathematics is all about practicing. A deep practice on what you learn will give you a well understanding of math.
    You will experience printed books that will give a better experience than pdf versions. So better to go for hard copy compared to a soft copy.
    Reading materials: You should always study your reading materials and lecture notes provided by your university. Because they will provide notes from chapters focusing on what you must know for your exams.
  • Group discussions: Different students have different capacity of learning. So having a nice group discussion with your class friends and sharing knowledge will give a better understanding of what you learn.
  • Find a study partner: It could be your friend, your tutor or a parent, studying with someone and solving math problems together helps in understanding better. Do your math homework together with a friend or batch-mate. Miss the least classes that you can as new concepts get introduced in every class. In this regard, sharing a good rapport with your tutor helps a great deal in taking additional lessons with respect to new concepts.
  • Google: Google is the best answer machine. You can ask anything from him. Make him your good friend. Find trusted resources from them and learn from google.
  • YouTube: Many YouTubers make our learning easy. They make lecture videos and share them for free. Not like your class lectures, you can refer to them any time you want. If you want you can replay, pause and play. Make use of these. (eg: Instagram)

Practice mathematics, don’t memorize

Engineering Mathematics is less to memorize, a lot to practice. Mathematics has less theory, you can memorize them. But, no use of memorizing theory without understanding the fact. You should know how to develop the relevant math from basic.

You should know how to apply pure maths to applications. All these won’t be given by memorizing. 

You should practice applying theory to applications. Do the different types of questions, learn application methods and techniques.

When you went wrong in a question try again and again yourself to do it in the right way. Do not go for help in the first step.

Once you hardly found the answer to a difficult question, more than the answer, the methods you tried to come to that answer is the important ones. They will give you many new ideas, this may grow your intelligence and thinking power.

Attending lectures and taking notes

Even you are in the classroom during lectures you can’t memorize everything you hear. But, when you write them in a notebook you can refer and recall what you learn in the classroom.

Some times their lecture may contain more valuable information than their note. So, attend lectures as much as possible. Do not miss any class.

Even if you missed one class, take notes from your friend and go through the classes you missed. Get prepared for the rest of the lecture series. Unless one discontinuity may affect all remaining classes.

Attending lectures will give you the idea of how the exams will be. The lecturer may give you the nature of the question, the pattern of answers he accepts and the way of delivery. 

At the end of the day, the written exam will decide whether you are qualified or not.

Lecturers may not give you printed notes for all what they prepared to teach on the lecture. So, attend classes and follow the lecture. Do not just appear there. Get involved with the class.

While you are hearing, take necessary short notes in a paper. Refer them immediately after reaching home. 

Take proper written and well descriptive notes from your short note, lecture material, text boos and internet, etc… Attach it to the set of lecture materials for future reference.

Lecturers may also tell you memorizing techniques they have used, so when you write them down it will be more useful for you to revise the subject. 

Mathematics is difficult, yet an interesting subject. But finding short techniques on your own will help you perform well in exams and in your industrial applications too.

Do not postpone learning

When you return home from class immediately clear the theory and solved examples from your note. This will boost your memory and understanding by triple. 

If you postponed any lecture part to two or three days, you will forget around 50% of what you were taught in class.

You can’t get 100% understanding from lectures during class. When you immediately repeat, this will make you a little more understanding. 

When you repeat the same chapter two to three times this will strongly get registered on your brain. Repeating the same between several days interval will make further stronger.

Hence, whatever you will, do it today, not tomorrow.

Organize contents

This is a very important task you must do when you are a learner. Organize headings, subheadings and title contents in a piece of paper similar to the table of contents of a book. 

Tick the completed chapters or titles by the completion of each one.

Keep this table very short such that you can just look and memorize the whole content. This will help you well to organize your learning more smartly. 

When you recall for the exam this piece of content can be used to check whether you missed to prepare anything by exam pressure.

Preparing yourself for learning

Mathematics is fully handled by your intelligence and thinking power of your brain. You need activeness in you, good health, commitment to study and dedication. 

You should invest your priceless time, reduce your enjoyment and need to allocate more time for learning.

All these will affect your learning directly and indirectly. Finding more time and practicing maths problems will lead you to fluency in mathematics.

Using computing devices

The current world has given technology is at our fingertips which always drives us to easiness. Like, literally everything. Laptops, calculators and smartphones have become so cheap and handy. You can literally study off them.

Learning math is also easy over the latest apps and websites created to assist specific mathematical concepts.

There are plenty of such resources available over the internet and the app stores for your benefit. In today’s age, one cannot underestimate the power of smart apps and math websites.

But, there should be limitations when using such devices and services.

When you have to come across complex calculations do not use computing devices like calculators or computers. 

Only if you have to use a calculator or a computer you go for it. If not give priority for hand calculations. This will make your brain work more faster and intelligent.

You will gradually experience a degraded thinking power if you are addicted to using a calculator or computer.

There are situations where we have to solve very complex problems. Such situations may require calculators or computers. Then you can g for it.

Always give priority for hand calculation. Train your brain…!

Understand the reality:

Almost all our daily activities in lives are a great source for learning mathematics in any form. We need to identify the concepts if equated with a familiar idea or story or context. 

It may be in the applied form of mathematics or pure mathematics. Whatever the form, when you recall the instances on your day to day activity and matching with mathematics is a very efficient way of understanding the real-world application of mathematics.

For example, traveling on vehicle offer a great chance to explain geometry, patterns, statistics, etc. and help understand the concept of probability, gravity, friction and centrifugal force, etc.

Another great example is sharing something with others. Let’s say you share a cake or a pizza with your friends. 

Distributing it into few portions is a nice practical way to look to division. Either way, pizza slices make a great reference for pie charts and their subsequent division. 

Food for the stomach as well as food for thought, isn’t it?

After completion of syllabus

When you complete the syllabus for a semester immediately go through all notes and simultaneously start doing sample problems. 

Do not miss any part of the whole syllabus. Take at least 10 past papers and do questions within time.

Correct your problems and review answers. Learn from mistakes and remember them. This will make you take more care of where you missed in the past. 

Every mistake will correct you for the future. So do more and more new problems as much as you can. Practice making you perfect…!

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