Careless Mistakes

[Garmani Kyaw]

I keep making small mistakes that keeps ruining my whole solution.

For example I forget to add a decimal to .100 on the calculator and instead of writing 100.

How can I change myself to be more careful and avoid mistakes?

Maybe I rushed during the checking process and I should take more time reviewing, but I want to work through the problem without having to look back at every little decimal and detail!

[Tikva Cohen 1K]

there isn't really a good solution to this problem other than just trying to be more careful and doubling checking over all of your work. I know this is hard during a time crunch but my advice would just be to make sure you look over every step before moving on. Hope this helps a bit! Good luck

[Brianna Martilla 1C]

Sometimes it's not really possible, but I try to ask myself if my answer makes sense. If my answer seems too high or low, I double-check the little things like decimal places.

[Emily_Stenzler_2H]

I can totally relate to this! Sometimes it helps me to 'talk' through every step of the problem in my head so I am double checking that everything I'm writing down is making sense and in a way double checking that all my values are being written down correctly.

[Emily_Stenzler_2H]

Additionally- I've started to write little reminders for things I typically make careless errors on. For example, I know I have written something like "5.6" instead of "5.6x10^-5" down from my calculator numerous times (not looking all the way to the end of the number) so I am now paying extra attention to not making this error/ other errors I know I have a tendency to make. In addition I think the more you practice going through problems carefully, the more natural it will come to pay close attention to the factors you tend to mess up on. You got this! :)

[Brianne Conway 1D]

I guess this doesn't necessarily apply to simple math or calculator errors, but it's a good idea to write out units when doing calculations to make sure you have the correct values for whatever units you need. I know Lavelle sometimes likes to throw in questions where you need to convert units first, so it's just another precautionary step to avoid careless mistakes.

[Kyla Villarama 1E]

I really relate to this! When my answer seems off I retrace my steps and find out where I went wrong but that isn't always possible to do for every problem especially when there's a time limit. Doing more problems that are solved in a similar manner will avoid small errors in the future.

[kateraelDis1L]

saying my numbers out loud while I am typing into the calculator helps me. your brain catches it if you have to remember how to say the number you're typing in.

[Norah Gidanian 3D]

I usually do this a lot to and what works for me is doing the problem really slowly and checking after every step that I didnt miss something. Also just going a little slower might help as well.

[Lisa Seidl 3H]

I definitely relate to this too. I always try to think of my answer in the context of the problem and try to estimate what the value should be to make sure my answer makes sense. This is just kind of another way to double-check your answers, especially if you are running low on time and can't go over every step of the problem.

[BKoh_2E]

When doing calculations, I always make sure to double check the values before moving on. Especially when using the calculator, make sure to check again before pressing the enter button. I've entered the wrong digits and decimal places into my calculator way too many times.

[Anvy 1G]

Me to honestly the best way is to take your equation (the one that is wrong) and actually go through it number by number comparing it to another one the same equation and problem. single number by number is the only way its tedious but it helped me. Maybe not on the midterm but I mean it works no?

[Victoria Dao 3G]

Hi! I'm so guilty of this too, especially since these questions are more challenging and it's timed. What I do to prevent myself from making these mistakes as much as possible is to write down every single step and calculation on my scratch piece of paper. This way, I can really reinforce the process while also writing AND typing answers into the calculator, which helps me to catch silly decimal errors.

[Shruti Kulkarni 2I]

Honestly, the only way to improve this is to slow down and double-check everything you are doing very thoroughly. You should also be thinking about what your calculator outputs and if it makes sense for the scenario as a whole, and if it doesn't then look through and see what mistake you could have made. Silly mistakes happen, you just have to be vigilant!

[Gina Spagarino 3G]

After doing all the problems, I like to go through and redo the steps on my calculator to make sure I didn't enter something wrong. It does not take too much time either since everything is written out already. On the midterm, this saved me for one problem because I had mistyped the first time going through I guess.

[SophiaNguyen_2L]

I totally get where you're coming from because I'm the same way haha. My strategy has been to write EVERYTHING out clearly and neatly on a paper with lots of spaces in between. When I punch in values on a calculator, I tend to double or triple check my numbers. This has helped me a lot so far. Also, whenever I have left over time, I'd do the problem again just to make sure everything is right. Hope this helps!

[apurva-3E]

Keep your work organized so you can catch yourself on the mistakes!

[Akriti Ratti 1H]

I understand, and feel the same way. At the beginning of the quarter I found myself making silly mistakes because I would write messily on my scratch paper. I'm getting into the habit of writing out each step I take to solve the problem very clearly and that has helped a lot!

[LexyDenaburg_3A]

Honestly, I do find it tough not to rush through problems but we just have to take our time and analyze the situation!! Double checking my work also helps me

[jia207]

I think its important to pay attention to detail, sometimes reading a question outloud to myself helps me catch some minor details.

[Jada3J]

I can relate to this also. What I try to do is just make sure what's on my calculator is what I put into the problem. I just look at it over and over to make sure.

[Breanna Ouyang 1I]

Try writing everything out! I sometimes do the same thing and make mistakes over and over again, so I've tried to make it a habit to write down all the important numbers. On exams I just try to do every question 2 or 3 times to confirm I'm right.

[Faith Lee 2L]

I relate to this! It's so frustrating when you know how to solve something but still get it wrong by overlooking a mistake. I personally like to use the "ans" function on my calculator so that I can copy the exact value to my next calculation rather than having to type it again by hand (you can also scroll up to a value and click "enter" on the value you want if it was not calculated in the most recent calculation). I also try to check my answer by asking myself if it makes sense in the context of the problem :)

[Isabel Luu 1I]

I would say for exams it definitely helps to me talk out loud when I'm doing calculations. I accidentally press the wrong buttons a lot when I'm nervous but if I am also saying out loud what I mean to type it helps me catch my mistakes. Also just trying to take deep breathes and stay calm so that I can think more clearly helps me avoid careless mistakes during tests. For textbook problems, writing out all of your steps may also help. It's easy to make mistakes when you skip steps and try to do some of the work in your head.

[Violet Kwan 3H]

I totally relate to this as well! I catch myself making simple calculation mistakes often. One thing I do is write out all the steps on paper so that I can match it with what I am typing in the calculator, and it will be easier to check for mistakes. Another thing that may help is breaking up the equation you input into the calculator instead of entering it all at once. Sometimes this makes it easier to see all the steps and check for small details (if it's long, sometimes you have to scroll through the equation which may take more time).

[Jonathan Malau 1F]

I can definitely relate to this as well. To avoid careless mistakes, I try to make sure I'm giving my full attention. Other than that, as mentioned within posts above, double-checking steps before moving forward seems to be the only way.

[Chloe Shamtob 2H]

I 100% know what you mean. Careless errors always happen and the best thing to do is check over your work. Also repeat the problems a few times to make sure you get the same answer again. I would also put my full attention to what I'm writing and calculating.

[BKoh_2E]

This happens to me all the time. Before I do any chemistry work I always wash my face with cold water to really wake myself up. It also helps to double check the calculator inputs before pressing enter.

[SophiaJenny3I]

I can definitely relate to this! Just focus on taking your time, especially on an exam. If you don't know a problem, skip it so you don't rush through the ones you know. I normally try to leave time to go back and quickly redo the problems to a certain extent, or at least go back through my work again. Normally I catch mistakes here! Also, make sure when you get an answer it makes sense. Ask yourself it's a probable answer. This has saved me many times! You got this!

[Isabel_Eslabon_2G]

Hello.

I don't know if this helps, but after doing lots of practice problems, I have a good idea of what a "reasonable" number would be for my calculation. Like if I was converting grams to moles, usually I wouldn't get a number like 5,000 moles.

When I look at intermediate values while calculating, I ask myself "Is this a reasonable looking amount for what I just calculated?" If it is, then I continue. If it isn't I go back and see if there is a mistake or figure out why the number is reasonable.

Of course, this doesn't really apply to all calculations in this course, but it may help.
The best way to really check is to either not rush too fast or to make sure you have enough time at the end of the exam to check your calculations ("opposite" pieces of advice, which is tricky, but you can try what works best for you).

[Chesca Legaspi 2E]

Like others have said, I would just advise you to take your time and try not to rush through problems. It's better to do it thoroughly and precisely the first time, even if that results in you having less time to check over everything. If you were deliberate at every step, your chances of getting the question right will be higher than if you just rush through it. Also definitely contextualizing your answer is a great way to estimate if you're on the right track!

[Margaret Xu 3C]

A mistake I used to make was rushing through the test problems so that I would have time to go back and check my work. Although double-checking is always a good idea, I've realized that it's better to take my time being cautious so that I don't end up messing up the first time around! It's definitely frustrating missing small mistakes though, I feel you.

[Katelyn_Ortega_1D]

I had the same problem as you! Especially for the midterm. My suggestion would be, if you have the time, once you are done with all the questions go back and redo them to make sure you get the same answer. because for me it is hard to find mistakes just going over my work.

[Yu Jin Kwon 3L]

This is a really good question, and I really struggled with this for some time before too!! I think what helped me most was practicing under a time crunch and forcing myself to adjust to working carefully in small increments of time. This helps prepare me for the stress of time during the actual test, and because I have some exposure to it before the test, I can better adapt during the test. In addition, I recommend writing down almost every huge step because when you write stuff down, you give yourself more time to process the information, and if it seems off, you can tell right then.

Hope this helps!

[Laura 3l]

This is totally understandable, especially since we have to make sure we have enough time to finish our exams because there is a time limit.

[David Jen 1J]

It happens to me too! I think the best way to lessen careless mistakes is to double check as you do a problem. I've found that that has worked for me.

[Summer_Corona 3L]

I sometimes have this problem as well. The best thing you can really do is check your work. I even write down whatever I will be inputting into the calculator on scratch paper so that as I type it onto the calculator I can reference it and make sure I entered it correctly.

[Alisa Nagashima 1B]

I can also relate to this. I think the best way to prevent careless mistakes is just to write out everything, every step even if it's one you could probably just do in your head. Also, I try to be extra careful when inputting numbers into the calculator now. Things like parentheses used to mess me up sometimes, so I think it's really helpful to just make it a habit to double-check before hitting enter.

[Kelly Yun 2I]

Same here--I thought I got rid of this problem in high school but I think doing things online can also cause me to be less focused when doing things and make more mistakes that could easily be avoided if I payed more attention to what I was doing :(

[Jasmine Ho 3I]

For this all I can really say is writing out your work clearly and including units. Also double checking often.

[Nina Fukui 2J]

I have this problem too. To try and fix this (at least during exams), I use the remaining time I have to redo every question again or even twice to make sure I am not making any careless mistakes. And when doing so, I do the whole problem on a new piece of paper so I don't get influenced by my previous work or any other numbers I see on piece of paper I'm writing on!

[Darren1j]

Someone mentioned this above and I completely agree. I tend to make a lot of shortcuts in my head that translate into my scratch work. I think it's important to say things out loud when you can (Especially since there's no one around you when taking these tests right now.)

[LexyDenaburg_3A]

I can definitely relate to this. I would say just double, triple check your work and try to take your time and go through slowly.

[uclakat]

I'm in the same boat, it's all about reviewing your work, checking every answer twice. Don't forget about sig figs :P

[nayha a 1E]

I always make sure to type my problems in the calculator twice. Don't just enter it again from the previous line but actually type out each digit. I hope that helps!

[Sondia Luong 1C]

I usually make careless mistakes when it comes to converting units. Especially now that R has different values depending on the units, I find myself often using the wrong values. Although it's tedious, I think it would be helpful to write out everything during stoichiometric calculations! It helps keep track of your units and makes your work much clearer, which means that you can also have an easier time doublechecking.

[Lauren Strickland 1B]

I tend to make a lot of small mistakes as well, but I've found it helpful to write out all of my work and double check my answer if I have time.

[Britney Tran IJ]

I would say to just check your work a couple of times before inputting the official answer

[Mariah Disc 2C]

It's hard when in a rush but I just would double check entries!

[Mehreen 3I]

I make a lot of small mistakes as well esp with positive and negative signs but what helps me is to go over the problem again and read it out loud and cross-check units to make sure and keep your work organized on your work paper.

[Ethan Laureano 3H]

I would just say take your time and review your work once or twice. And if it is any consolation, the midterms and final will be multiple choice so if you do not see your answer, you know there may be a calculation mistake.

[idella 1D]

I totally feel you on making careless mistakes. after reviewing my midterm with my TA i saw places where I had just slipped and made a simple mistake.
Considering the time crunch we're given, I still highly suggest taking your time and double, even triple-checking questions when there is time. Writing everything out as neat as I can and doing every single step (and nothing in my head) makes all my work on the paper a lot easier to comprehend.

hope this helps

[jia207]

Try and double check when you can, and when you get your final answer ask yourself if it looks correct and logically makes sense for what the question is asking. Thats a good way to see if you messed up.

[Ryan_Page_1J]

It is easier to make careless mistakes if you are stressed and nervous. Take a deep breath during the exam and be confident that you know your stuff. If you have time at the end, go through the problems again and see if you get the same answer.

[Nandhini Ekambaram 1L]

I realized I also made many careless mistakes on the last exam :( For me it was hard not to rush due to the timing, so hopefully this exam will be better since we have more time.