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Math Hacks for Math Haters

From multiplication shortcuts to the quickest way to calculate a percentage in your head. Plus: Mental tricks to soothe your math anxiety.

Pocket Editors

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If you regularly find yourself sweating when it’s time to calculate a tip or convert a recipe measurement, you’re not alone. Many of us relied on memorization to (barely) pass math courses in school, and in our struggle, never really understood the relationships between the concepts we were studying. Not to worry—it’s never too late to learn simple tricks to confidently tackle some of the everyday calculations you dread. Read on for a roundup of useful math hacks to make your life easier, from multiplication shortcuts to the quickest way to calculate a percentage in your head.

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Overcome Crushing ‘Math Anxiety’ With This Simple Psychological Hack

Make math anxiety a thing of the past.

How to Calculate Percentages in Your Head [WATCH]

Can you calculate 85 percent of 24 in your head? This is not as hard as it sounds. If you know how to halve numbers and divide by 10 you can probably do this in your head. This video explains how to calculate many percentages as a combination of ones that are easier to compute.

9 Secret Shortcuts of People Who Are Good at Everyday Math

How to calculate a tip, convert temperature quickly, and more.

A New Way to Make Quadratic Equations Easy

Many former algebra students have painful memories of struggling to memorize the quadratic formula. A new way to derive it, overlooked for 4,000 years, is so simple it eliminates the need.

Think You’re Bad at Math? You May Suffer From ‘Math Trauma’

Many Americans feel anxiety or dread when it comes to math. A lot of that anxiety starts in childhood.

Math Professor Shows How Adding and Subtracting Left to Right Is Actually Easier and Faster [WATCH]

Howie Hua shares two videos showing how easy and quick it is to add multidigit numbers left to right instead of right to left, and it’s genuinely mind-blowing.

Do Math in Your Head With These Mental Math Tricks

How to do math beyond your basic multiplication tables.

How I Rewired My Brain to Become Fluent in Math

The building blocks of understanding are memorization and repetition.

How To Make Sure Your Math Anxiety Doesn't Make Your Kids Hate Math

Creating an environment in which math is part of everyday life won't transform kids into overnight math sensations, but perhaps it can help kids realize math is a subject for curiosity, discussion and growth.

The Japanese Way to Multiply Is So Much Cooler Than Ours

You have to try it.

BONUS READ: How to Solve a Rubik’s Cube, Step by Step

Follow the eight steps described in this video and you too can start solving Rubik’s cubes faster ... and faster ... and faster.

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