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You cannot study for math the day before an exam. You need time to understand the concepts learned in your math class and to learn how to solve the equations you'll need to do. Spend some time every day, or at least every class day, reviewing your notes, going over quizzes, and reading material from the textbook. Some experts recommend spending three hours studying for every one hour of class time. This is a very effective way to reinforce the material that you learned in class. If you study the day you had class, the information will be fresher in your mind. You'll also be able to stay on top of the work more easily. Remember that there is only so much your instructor can help you with. It is ultimately your responsibility to learn the material, test yourself, and ensure that you understand it. Because math can be very complex, the textbooks you use in class tend to be very dense. It's often difficult to understand all the material after just one read through the chapter. Reread it as many times as necessary and test your knowledge by solving problems without looking at your notes or textbook. Go through the chapter summaries (if your textbook has them) at the end of each section. You should understand the material well enough that you could write a few sentences about each concept without checking your notes or the book. If you cannot do that yet, go back and review any material that you're still struggling with. Part of your regular study sessions at home should include doing practice problems. You may not have to turn them in, but practice problems can help you test your understanding of a concept or a formula before you discuss the homework and the assigned reading in class. If the practice problems are part of an assigned chapter, there's a chance that those problems could appear on a test or quiz. If nothing else, you'll get a chance to review the material you've learned as you complete the practice questions. Any time you turn in an assignment to your instructor, you should always show all of your work. It's not enough to get the answer right, and getting the right answer won't prove anything if your textbook has an answer key in the back. Showing your work lets your instructor know that you've spent time studying and doing the assignments, and that you either understand the concept or you don't. Never write out the answer without showing your work, unless you write a separate solution sheet and attach it to the paper that shows your work. Your instructor won't need to know every single addition and subtraction, for example. But you'll need to prove to your instructor that you can solve the equations and get the correct solution. When in doubt about how much of your work to show, imagine that you were writing out your work for another student in the class. Your professor obviously knows the material, but another student would need to see how some of the steps are done. A good way to prepare for the next day's class at home is by reading ahead and trying your hand at advanced problems. You may not get them right, and that's okay. You'll know what aspects of those equations you struggle with and can work on them accordingly. Read ahead if you know the next section your instructor will be covering. Try your hand at some problems from that section. Take notes on any part you find confusing/unclear. During your next class, you can ask your instructor about the problems that were confusing for you. You can also ask about any other part of the material that was unclear. Any time you sit down to study for an upcoming quiz or exam, you should go over previous homework and quiz assignments as part of your study plan. Spend extra time working through problems you got wrong or only received partial credit on, and make sure you understand how to do them correctly this time around. The material covered on your homework and quizzes is likely based on the material that will be on the test. Make sure you understand how to solve the equations from your previous assignments forward and backward. This should be a large part of your exam preparation. Working with other students can help you motivate one another and bounce ideas off of each other. If there's some concept that you're struggling with, someone in your study group can probably help explain it to you, and vice versa. Keep your group small so that you can all stay focused. One to three other students is plenty. Make sure the students you choose for your study group are similarly dedicated to doing well in the class. Don't just choose your friends; go with students who can help you work through difficult equations.
Devote plenty of time to studying and homework every day. Read your assigned textbook chapters more than once. Do practice problems at home. Show your work on all assignments. Try out advanced problems before class. Review your homework and quizzes before exams. Form a study group with other students from class.