Part of AIME prep is to stop making stupid mistakes that can negatively affect your performance. We have all experienced the frustration of studying hard for AIME only to lose some valuable points because of stupid mistakes. You can plunge in the wrong number, misread questions or make a bubbling mistake. Silly mistakes and minor errors can cost you marks in your exam. You should stop making these silly mistakes by following the tips below.
Change your mindset
You should earn all the points you can when there is a higher stake in your exam. The real mistake that people make is not taking the errors seriously. It is human to make mistakes and there is no need to beat yourself up over it. You want to take your time to think about the error.
Take your time to reflect and ask yourself why you made a certain mistake whenever you make a mistake. You should then come up with an effective strategy that’ll prevent you from aime preparation the mistake in the future. The best way to get rid of silly mistakes is by practising good habits that prevent mistakes before turning in the test.
Reduce the strain on your brain
Your brain is using a lot of energy when preparing for your exam. Your brain works slower because it is tired and this leads to more mistakes. Don’t spend a lot of energy on AIME preparation to the point of wearing out your brain. Try writing some things down because calculating things in your brain will wear out your brain faster. You will take more time to solve a problem in your head than the time you will take to solve a problem by writing everything down. You will need enough sleep before a test. Lack of enough sleep will only reduce your ability to focus. You should practice problems often. Practising a lot of problems will help you build mental endurance the same way running daily builds your physical endurance.
Stay calm and carry on
You might feel like it is more difficult to focus if you are doing an exam and you are filled with anxiety. You should stay calm by taking deep breaths and even skipping problems that seem to be too hard to handle. Tell yourself positive mantras to stay motivated.
Read the questions carefully
This may seem obvious but a lot of people overlook it and end up making silly mistakes that cost them a lot. You should read the question more than twice to understand it. A question might seem easy just because you didn’t understand it.
Remember to re-check your work
You should be self-disciplined enough to double-check your work and ensure you avoid silly mistakes. Double-checking your work will help you catch your own mistakes and prevent them before turning in the test.
Don’t overlook before the exam
Doing your AIME prep early will help you prevent anxiety and fatigue. Do not wait until the night of the exam to start preparing.
