Don’t try to memorise, understand the concepts

‘I am a student of class XII, I score well in other subjects except for mathematics, I know I can score well if I work on it but I am confused as to how to take up each chapter. I want to complete my syllabus before October, please suggest me on how to start with my preparation and which book should I refer for board level exams. Also advice me as to how many hours should I spend daily to get 90 per cent and above in this subject. -Divya Singh, New Bowenpally

If you desire to excel in any subject then take up the subject with total interest and with a positive attitude. You have to counsel your mind and understand that mathematics is just like any other subject and start believing that if you practice this subject thoroughly then you can definitely score good marks.

A few tips on the study skills required for this subject

• A strong grip of this subject and its concepts can be achieved only by practicing. Math is learned only by doing problems. It helps you learn the basic formulas and techniques and also helps you improve your problem solving skills.
• Identify and understand the concepts and don’t try to just memorise them.
• See that you do not miss any math class as each class is built on its previous one. Be an active participant in class and keep your notes up to date as the test papers are chiefly formulated based on material and examples covered in the class as well as those in the text book. .
• Do not hesitate to ask any doubts in the class, other students may want to know the answer to the same questions you have.
• A rule of thumb about studying math is 2 hours daily but then this sometimes may not be enough. Take as much time required completing the homework and understanding what you practice is very important. The more challenging the exercise the more time you should spend on it.
• If you feel that math is a difficult subject then psychologically your concentration span will decrease and therefore you need to take small breaks in between while you are studying. Study a subject of your interest in-between and then again continue with mathematics.
• Don’t keep your assignments pending as you may be too tired to tackle it later. Work on it first even if it isn’t your favourite subject; train your mind that it is a subject of your interest.
• As you practice make a list of formulae and techniques that could come of help later when you study for your tests.
• Never delay your homework as they are the only way to get practice. Do not ever cram 3 or 4 weeks of learning into a few days of study.
• Work through any sample problem in your text book and use it to guide you when solving other problems.
• Identify your errors and make sure you do not repeat them again.
• Devote more time for weak areas and solve questions of varying difficulty and try to grasp the tips and tricks involved efficiently.

When studying for your tests

Go through each section and review your notes and work out the problems again. Recall the techniques you’ve learnt to solve the problems and understand which technique goes with the problems of different chapters. If it can help you try to explain out loud to your own self as to which strategy is used (ex. Solving a Pythagoras theorem) so that during the test you can mentally return to your capsule instructions.

Let your practice sessions be a test-like situation; work out as many problems as possible and work out old test papers. It’s very important you keep working out problems the whole time you're studying. Most important start studying early, several weeks or months before the test and allot a time for it in your daily schedule.

Books

One of the best books you can refer is of RD Sharma, which has been a saving grace for most children. The book has solutions to almost all text book problems, which are very well explained and over all it also has exercises to be solved, which can be done without any additional help. It helps the child in a step by step preparation for exams.

We also have RS Aggarwal’s Mathematics books which have maintained high standards and have not only helped the students’ but even the teachers for getting concepts crystal clear. They have been written in such ways that not only are they useful for higher class students, but for many college students who use the practice papers of this book for competitive exams. These books of course are advanced but then you have a choice of working out problems related to the text books only.

If you are looking out for guides then you can go for MBD series and S Chand series. My advice would be to go to a book store and practically see and then choose the right one. If you are interested in online practice papers then LearnNext is a computer based interactive learning solution for students from Classes VI to XII for both Math and Science for acquiring better grades and clearing concepts, you may refer this link: http://www.learnnext.com / u s e r / w h a t i s L e a r n -NextNew.htm it covers lessons of CBSE, ICSE and 18 other State Boards of India in an interesting animated format.

You can also register on http://cbse-sample-papers and get all CBSE question papers in your inbox.But finally for your efforts to translate into success always remember that one should put in smart work along with hard work, which is to study in a proper manner with a positive attitude, a belief in oneself and with total concentration and understanding of what one is studying. I repeat that lot of practice is needed, solve one paper each day and mark yourself as per the CBSE marking scheme.

...All the best!

Hi, I would like to know the best business schools in India to do an MBA in hospitality and tourism management. Also, what is the scope for the same in India and abroad? Thank you.

Top Institutes offering MBA in hospitality and tourism management in India are

School of Management under the Centre for Tourism Studies of Pondicherry University (http://www.pondiuni.edu.in ) Dr. Y.S.R. National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Telecom Nagar, Hyderabad (http://www.nithm.ac.in ) conducts an MBA course in tourism and hospitality for meritorious graduates in any discipline.

Department of Management Studies, University of Kashmir, Srinagar (http://www.kashmiruniversity.net ) offers an MBA with specialisation in hotel and tourism department.

Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune (http://www.dypatiluniversity.org ) offers an MBA with specialisation in tourism and hospitality management. The admission is based on MAT (Management Aptitude Test) score, group discussion and a personal interview.

• Institute of Management, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram
• (http://www.imk.ac.in) or (http://www.keralauniversity.ac)
• Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS) (http://www.kittstour.org )
• Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) (http://www.iittm.org )
• This stream in management provides a plethora of job opportunities both at national and international level. Significant segments for job opportunities include:
• Hotel/ Resort and other service sectors
• Hotel and hospitality industry
• Food craft institutes
• Hospital and institutional catering
• Shipping and cruise lines
• Airports
• Travel agencies
• Travel agents and group travel facilitators
• International and national food chains
• Indian and international airlines
• Facilities management service providers
• Entrepreneurship

By:Shehre Banu Kagalwala