Category :
Help yourself to get rid of Math Anxiety
The moment your ear listens that it is time of ‘MATH,’ your heart starts racing, your palms grow clammy, fear of failure weights on your shoulders and your mind starts grappling with unanswerable questions. This is called ‘Math Anxiety’ or ‘Math Phobia.’ Actually, math anxiety is quite common. It affects people of all ages across the world. It is nothing but a feeling of tension that arises in one’s mind while manipulating numbers and solving mathematical problems.
Math phobia climbs high during examination time, particularly during board exam. Here are a few steps to follow to help yourself get rid of your mathematics anxiety and gear up for board exams with a calmer mind.
- The first and foremost thing you should do to get rid of math anxiety is to acknowledge that you have it. Once you realise this, it’s easier to perform activities that will help minimize anxiety or panic caused by the subject.
- Do breathing exercises. Since mathematical calculations sometimes cause stress and panic, breathing exercises can help calm your mind. You need your mind to be very calm while performing tasks that require problem-solving and critical thinking.
- Never hesitate to ask questions in the classroom. Be determined to ‘understand math.’ Asking doubts is a sign of strength and your fellow students in the classroom will benefit from it as they have doubts too.
- Know the Basics. Since Mathematics builds on itself, make sure that you know and understand your Math from earlier grades. Go back and relearn if you have forgotten.
- There are multiple ways to solve a single problem. If you find it difficult to solve the problem in the teacher’s way, work hard to understand the problem and find your own way to solve the problem.
- When you find a problem extremely difficult to solve and your techniques don’t work, try solving it with your peers. Discussion and idea sharing sometimes make things very easy. Sometimes you need a different approach to understand certain concepts.
- Try different ways to clarify your math confusion. You can refer different Mathematics textbooks, journals, follow video tutorials, research on the internet, ask your friends and family and even create a study group with your friends.
- Practice regularly, especially when the concept is difficult for you to understand. Do not just read over your notes to understand the concept do math by yourself again and again. Make sure you thoroughly understand what you are doing.
- A smart way to get rid of Math phobia is to read your math book and try solving the problems before a chapter is taught in your classroom.
- Be positive. Move a positive attitude and work hard to meet the target.
Leave a Reply