Handling Math Anxiety

712 Words2 Pages

Crystal Hutchison Hutchison 1
Julie Borchers
IDS-100
30 July 2014 Handling Math Anxiety and Succeeding in Math Classes Math classes can make a person a nervous wreck and fearful of what will happen. Did you ever think about what could be going on? There are reasons why people have trouble dealing with any math classes and there are ways to make these feelings go away or at least even help them. Approximately 93 percent of Americans indicate that they experience some level of math anxiety (blazer). Many people get nervous having the thought of what people may think if u get the …show more content…

One definition of math anxiety is the panic, helplessness, paralysis, and mental disorganization that arises among some people when they are required to solve a mathematical problem (weber). Math anxiety can be hurtful to many people when it comes to their education. It can affect their homework, test, quizzes and their overall grade for that class. You can get math anxiety doing any kind of mathematical problems. Become overwhelmed when you are trying to take a quiz or test and just shut down and your mind goes blank. Hutchison 2
Knowing that you are suffering from math anxiety is very important to be successful in any math class. There are four common symptoms that are common among people: panic, paranoia, passive, behavior, and lack of confidence (ALA). There are three types of symptoms you could have and those are physical can include increased heart rate, clammy hands, upset stomach, and light headedness: psychological can include inability to concentrate, feelings of helplessness, worry, and disgrace: behavioral can include avoidance of math classes, putting off math homework until the last minute, and not studying regularly (Blazer). You could be suffering from math anxiety because of a bad experience that has happened in the past when dealing with math. It may even …show more content…

Most students that think that keeping quiet and sitting in the back of class will help with their math anxiety but really can make it worse. Do not be afraid to ask questions during class and take plenty of notes. Practicing the math problems before and after class can help a lot. There are counselors that will be there to talk and help you come up with a coping skills plan to keep the anxiety under control. The most important would be to believe in yourself and give yourself positive self-talks (TSA). Study tips ca also fall into the category of resources that can help you overcome anxiety. Finding a quiet place to look over any notes you have taken. Read any textbooks that you have to learn the foundations for the math problems. Working with other students can help you get a feel for how math is done. Peers can be

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