‘‘Men can do math better than women.’’
‘‘Math requires logic, and you’re not very logical.’’
‘‘You should be able to do math in your head.’’
‘‘Boy, that’s a stupid question.’’These comments can be made by parents, teachers, spouses, and even
friends. They can make a person feel very inadequate when doing mathe-
matics.
I have heard that it takes ten positive comments to overcome one negative
comment.
Have you ever been made to feel stupid by someone’s negative comment?
REASON 5: EMPHASIS ON THE CORRECT ANSWER
Mathematics involves solving problems, and solving problems involves get-
ting the correct answers. When doing mathematics, it is very easy to make a
simple mistake. This, in turn, will lead to the wrong answer. Even when you
use a calculator, it is very easy to press the wrong key and get an incorrect
answer.
Furthermore, when students are under pressure in a testing situation, they
become nervous and tend to make more mistakes than they would on their
homework exercises. When this occurs, students may feel that it is impossible
to learn mathematics. This can cause a great deal of anxiety.
Have you ever failed a test, even when you knew how to do the problems
but made simple mistakes?
REASON 6: PLACEMENT IN THE WRONG COURSE
In college, it is easy to sign up for the wrong mathematics course – i.e., for a
course in which you do not have enough math skills to succeed. Therefore, it
is necessary to be sure that you are properly prepared for the course that you
are going to take.
Most mathematics courses, except the introductory ones, haveprerequi-
sites. For example, in order to succeed in algebra, you need to have an
understanding of arithmetic. Success in trigonometry requires knowledge
of algebra and geometry.
Before signing up for a mathematics course, check the college catalog to
see if the course has a prerequisite. If so, make sure that you have successfully
completed it.Do not skip courses. If you do, you will probably fail the course.
SUPPLEMENT Overcoming Math Anxiety 275