Beginning is often half the battle, and almost anything you can do to get yourself going will probably be helpful.
This is sometimes easier said than done, but there are several things you can generally try. It's good to keep in mind a few tips to help grease the wheels when stuck at the beginning of a tough question.
Primary among these is to reread the question slowly and carefully, at half-speed. Many times, you’ll find you simply missed something, and can now solve the problem. Easy as that.
To get a feeling for what’s going on, experiment with simple, realistic numbers in place of unknown quantities. Let the cost of the sweatshirt be $20, for instance. Use that number in the problem, and see what happens. Based on what you learn, the solution may reveal itself.
You can try making up a “simpler similar problem.” Solve that simpler problem, and apply the same approach to the more complex one you’re tackling.
For multi-part questions, pick the easiest part, and work that out first. With such a “jump start,” you may find you’re able to make progress and find your way to the answer.
This is sometimes easier said than done, but there are several things you can generally try. It's good to keep in mind a few tips to help grease the wheels when stuck at the beginning of a tough question.
Primary among these is to reread the question slowly and carefully, at half-speed. Many times, you’ll find you simply missed something, and can now solve the problem. Easy as that.
To get a feeling for what’s going on, experiment with simple, realistic numbers in place of unknown quantities. Let the cost of the sweatshirt be $20, for instance. Use that number in the problem, and see what happens. Based on what you learn, the solution may reveal itself.
You can try making up a “simpler similar problem.” Solve that simpler problem, and apply the same approach to the more complex one you’re tackling.
For multi-part questions, pick the easiest part, and work that out first. With such a “jump start,” you may find you’re able to make progress and find your way to the answer.
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