Calculating percentages can seem tough, especially when you don’t have a calculator handy. Many students find it tricky, and it can feel like you're trying to solve a challenging puzzle. But don’t worry! There are some easy tricks that can make it simpler.

1. Break Down the Percentage:

• Instead of trying to find, let’s say, 37% of a number in one big step, try to break it into smaller parts.
• For example, find 10%, 30%, and 7% separately:
  • 10% is the number divided by 10.
  • 30% can be found by taking 3 times 10%.
  • 7% is the number divided by 100 and then multiplied by 7.

2. Use Benchmarks:

• Get to know some common percentages, like 25%, 50%, and 75%. This will help you estimate quickly:
  • 50% is half of the number.
  • 25% is a quarter (that’s dividing by 4).
  • 75% is the same as 50% + 25%.

3. Practice Doubling and Halving:

• When you're dealing with 20% or 40%, remember that 20% is one-fifth and 40% is two-fifths.
• You can find 20% by halving 10% two times.
• This can save you from doing hard calculations and makes things easier!

4. Percentage Increase/Decrease:

• To find out how much something has increased, you need to compare the new value to the original one.
• Use this formula:
  • Percentage Increase = (Increase ÷ Original) × 100.
• For percentage decrease, subtract the new value from the original. Then divide that number by the original value and multiply by 100.

These methods can help make percentage calculations less stressful. Just remember, the more you practice, the easier it will get! With consistent effort, you’ll turn complicated problems into simple calculations in no time.