PPA1 Reflections

For the recent PPA1, I got 18/20 for Mathematics 1 and 20/20 for Mathematics 2. Even though I am glad that I got close to full marks for M1 and full marks for M2, I feel that I still could have done better in M1 by reducing my careless mistakes. I feel that I could have made these careless mistakes as I did not check the paper thoroughly enough before moving onto the next paper for fear of insufficient time to complete M2. Next time, I will check M1 quickly more carefully to ensure full marks for both papers.

Getting To Know Me...

Hi. My name is Charissa Poh (3). I am from Class 410. My favourite subject has been Mathematics ever since Primary 1 and I hope it stays the same way forever :-)

GETTING TO KNOW ME...

1. The following are some attributes I felt are my personal strengths. 

• I always try my best to the very end and never give up.
• I always set targets for myself and put in my best effort in order to reach my goals.
• I am a keen learner who asks questions whenever in doubt.

2. The following are some areas of improvement that I hope to work on in 2015. 

• I hope to contribute more during class discussions.
• I hope to be able to keep up with all my work.
• I hope that I will dare to attempt higher order questions.

3. To me, being successful in my performance in Mathematics this year means…

...achieving the goal I set for myself, which is to maintain my grade of 4.0 for both Mathematics 1 and Mathematics 2.

REFLECTIVE INVENTORY...

1. What are some ways of learning Mathematics that worked well for you? Elaborate.

One way of learning Mathematics that has worked well for me is doing revision after every topic my teacher covers. Once my teacher finishes a topic and has yet to begin on the next one, I will complete the supplementary and revision exercises, allowing me to summarise my thoughts and what I have learnt throughout the topic. This way, I am able to keep up with the pace of the lessons without struggling much and not leaving everything to be crammed within the last week before the exam.

2. What are some ways of learning Mathematics that have not worked well for you? Why? 

One way of learning Mathematics that has not worked well for me is copying down the teacher's answer from the board when the answer is being revealed. This way, I am only copying and not understanding. Instead, I have learnt how to take down the answer and going home to ponder on the question so that I am actively using my brain to think rather than relying on the materials provided by the teacher.

3. Describe how you have performed in Mathematics so far. Give possible reasons for this performance.

I think I have done pretty well and up to my expectations in Mathematics so far, with a 4.0 for Mathematics 1 and 4.0 for Mathematics 2 last year. This could be because I do a lot of practice not just before the exam but throughout the year as practice is key. Also, I start studying for exams 1 to 2 months before the exam at a gradual speed rather than cramp everything last minute. I find that this method helps me to retain information for longer as compared to the cramming method. My goals for this year is to maintain my score of 4.0 for both Mathematics 1 and 2 again.