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What to do when you're completely stuck on a math problem

Everyone gets stuck. The difference between students who get better at math and students who don't is mostly what they do in the next five minutes.

1. Say what the question wants

Write it in your own words at the top: "find x", "find where the two lines cross", "show this is true". If you can't, reread the question slowly and underline the last sentence. That's usually where the actual question is.

2. Write down everything you know

Every number, every fact the problem gives you, and any formula from the unit that looks related. Putting it on paper frees your head to think, and the connection often jumps out.

3. Find a problem like it

Look in your notes, the textbook section, or the examples from class. Don't copy the answer. Copy the method: what was the first step they took, and why?

4. Try a smaller version

Replace ugly numbers with easy ones, or solve a simpler piece first. If the problem has three parts, can you do the first? Getting anywhere breaks the "I don't know where to start" feeling.

5. Find the exact line where it breaks

If you have working that ended in a wrong answer, go through it one line at a time and check each step on its own. Most wrong answers come from one slip, like a dropped minus sign or adding on one side only. Fix that line and redo from there.

6. Ask a good question

If you're still stuck, ask, but ask about the step, not the whole problem. "I don't understand why you subtract 7 from both sides" gets you further than "how do I do number 4?", from a teacher, a friend, or a tutor.

Don't skip the struggle entirely

Being stuck for a few minutes is the part where your brain is actually learning. The goal isn't to never be stuck. It's to not stay stuck.