Tips to Alleviate Math Anxiety

Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.

- Benjamin Franklin

Do you dread math? You're not alone. A dislike of math can begin as early as first grade, and stickwith you for life. Disliking math is one thing, because not everyone loves everything-but if someoneasked you to figure out the quantity of paint required to redo the interiors of your house, would youfreeze? If you answered in the affirmative, you might have math anxiety.

Math anxiety is incredibly common at all age levels-in fact, it becomes more common as childrenprogress through school. Many college students choose their majors based on how many mathclasses they would have to take.

It's sad-especially when it doesn't have to be that way. Math anxiety is totally fixable, and you can doit all on your own.

Simple Tips to Alleviate Math Anxiety

Understand the Cause of the Anxiety

Math anxiety is caused by having a negative experience associated with math at some point-formany of us, more than one. Everyone is capable of understanding math, but all it takes is a singlenegative association to wreck that belief. If you suffer from math anxiety, it's not because you 'justdon't have that kind of brain', it's because, at some point, someone or something shattered yourconfidence. It actually becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you think that you're bad at math, youwill be bad at math. But the reverse is also true-if you work to restore your confidence, you'll havethe ability to understand as much math as you need to.

Start With the Basics

One of the biggest issues behind math anxiety is a lack of mastery over the fundamental principles.If your anxiety-inducing event happened as a young child, it is bound to stay with you in your adultyears as well. To get over it, brush up. Check out books from the library or study online. Don'tnecessarily take a course-the idea is to make the situation low-pressure, so you can fail withoutconsequence. Go all the way back to the beginning-this means adding, subtracting, multiplying, anddividing. Doing exercises you know you can do without a struggle will build up your confidence, andas you progress through the levels, you'll be rebuilding the foundation that once crumbled.

Learn Differently

Rote learning is a terrible way to learn math. Formulas fall out of your head immediately afterhttp://www.tutor.com/tutor-search?s=math the exam. It's very important to actually understandwhat the formula is doing, and why you're using that formula versus another one. Talk your waythrough it. Relate it to real life. Try drawing pictures or creating a game. Make up little narratives inyour head. Whatever learning method speaks to you, use it. If you're stuck, visit one of the myriad

math websites that come up with a quick 'math help'. Google search, and go from there.

Don't Give up So Easily

If you're taking a math class, failing does indeed have consequences, so it's important to get it right.Begin by preparing for the class in advance-the moment you register, start brushing up on the basicsand whatever concepts give you trouble. If you can get the instructor's syllabus ahead of time, startlooking over the material covered in class, so you don't feel blindsided when it's covered. Askquestions during class. It's not a stupid question-if you need to ask it, it's guaranteed that there are adozen other students in class who also don't understand, but are afraid to ask. Take excellent notesand read them after class. Do all the required homework and recommended exercises at therecommended times. If you still need help, get a tutor or a study buddy from class.

The ability to excel at math is not inborn, and you absolutely can learn to feel comfortable with maththrough sheer hard work and determination. So, try hard, start early, and give yourself permission tofail. You are worth more than your calculus grade, but proving to yourself thathttp://privatetutoring.biz/ you can do it is incredibly empowering.