Math Anxiety

What is Math Anxiety ?

Math anxiety is a feeling of intense frustration or helplessness about one's ability to do math.It is a negative, emotional response to math based on past experiences.

When confronted with math, your mind perceives a threat and your body reacts by creating adrenaline. Breathing may be inhibited, heart rate may increase, you may break into a sweat and you may have difficulty recalling learned information. The ability to reason and concentrate may be impaired. These changes in your mind and body are symptoms of anxiety that typically make it very hard to function normally, much less concentrate on mathematics, especially a math test. This response may control your approach to math to the extent of avoiding and maybe even hating math. Since this is an emotional and learned response, it can be unlearned and overcome.

If you believe you suffer from math anxiety, there is professional help available . The Augusta State University Counseling Center provides students free, confidential and individual academic, career and personal counseling. Math anxiety is one of the common problems that motivate ASU students to seek academic counseling. In addition to counseling services, seminars on math anxiety are typically offered on a regular basis, where students can attend and learn more about math anxiety and how to minimize it.

If you would like to talk with a counselor or find out about upcoming math anxiety seminars, please call or visit the office.

Do You Have Math Anxiety?

Rate your answers from 1 to 5; add them up and check your score below.

(1) = Disagree, (5) = Agree

• I cringe when I have to go to math class. 1 2 3 4 5
• I am uneasy about going to the board in a math class. 1 2 3 4 5
• I am afraid to ask questions in math class. 1 2 3 4 5
• I am always worried about being called on in math class. 1 2 3 4 5
• I understand math now, but I worry that it's going to get really difficult soon. 1 2 3 4 5
• I tend to zone out in math class. 1 2 3 4 5
• I fear math tests more than any other kind. 1 2 3 4 5
• I don't know how to study for math tests. 1 2 3 4 5
• It's clear to me in math class, but when I go home it's like I was never there. 1 2 3 4 5
• I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up with the rest of the class. 1 2 3 4 5

CHECK YOUR SCORE :

40-50 Math anxiety is probably very strong for you.
30-39 You are probably still fearful about math.
20-29 You may be on the fence with math anxiety.
10-19 Math probably does not cause you anxiety.

How Can I Move Past Math Anxiety?

RECOGNIZE MATH ANXIETY IS AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE

• Without this step, no other progress is possible.
• Math anxiety is an emotional response and severe math anxiety is a learned emotional response. As with any strong emotional response, there are constructive and unconstructive ways to manage math anxiety.
• Learned responses can be unlearned - but only if we are willing to admit that our anxiety is not a result of a math myth or other irrational belief.

BECOME AWARE OF UNCONSTRUCTIVE WAYS YOU MANAGE MATH ANXIETY

3 Types of Unconstructive (even damaging) Behaviors

• Rationalization means finding reasons why it is okay, inevitable, and justified, for you to react with math anxiety. All of the math myths are examples of rationalizations that might make you feel better (or at least less bad) about having math anxiety but they will do nothing to lessen it or help you get it under control.
• Suppression means having awareness of the anxiety but trying very, very hard not to feel it. Students who use this approach usually experience severe self- criticism because they feel they shouldn’t feel this anxiety. They consider it a weakness that must be overcome by sheer will or effort. If their frequent attempts to just “get over it” fail, the self criticism is reinforced and grows stronger leading to severe frustration and loss of self esteem. This is particularly true for students where the stakes are high, possibly in situations when career or personal goals are riding on a successful outcome in a math class or when parental disapproval is a factor.
• Denial is an extreme form of avoidance. Students in denial are likely to never attend a math anxiety seminar much less recognize that they have carefully constructed their lives around avoiding math as much as possible. They may choose college majors, and later careers, that don’t require any math or at least the minimal amount allowed by their school. The denial approach has an advantage of allowing the person to totally avoid their negative feelings but drastically constrains their lives. The process of living a “math free” life limits personal and professional goals which often results in lower status, lower paying careers.

TAKE POSSESSION OF MATH ANXIETY BY USING CONSTRUCTIVE BEHAVIORS

• Step #1 : Understand and accept that your feelings of math anxiety are not uncommon and they definitely do not indicate that something is wrong with you or inferior about your ability to learn math.
• Step #2: Exploring your negative experiences with math may help you complete Step 1. Although it may be difficult, it can be made easier by exploring your “math history.”

What is Your “Math History?”

Think back on your career as a math student. Identify those experiences that have contributed most to your feelings of frustration about math. Today, we will examine one principle episode. You may recall several such episodes. Once you are home, be sure to repeat this exercise for each additional memory. It is important to explore your complete “math history.” Use the extra lines for additional experiences.

Describe your most vivid “math memory” in detail. How did you react? What were your feelings at the time? How do you feel about it now?

• Step #3 : Bring it into the present. Not until after we consciously and deliberately identify our feelings and desires towards math will it become possible to take possession of our emotions about math anxiety and become free to implement strategies for coping with those feelings. Take a few minutes to answer the following questions to help you identify your feelings and goals about math in the present.

What are your feelings about math at this point in your life?

What are the reason(s) you wish to succeed at math?

What are your barriers ?

Tips For Success In Math Class

Selecting Math Classes

• Make a special effort to schedule math class at a time of day when you are mentally sharp.
• If possible, meet instructors before actually signing up for the class. Compare your learning style to their instructional style.
• If you have a choice, select a math class that meets more often during the week (such as M, W, & F instead of only T & Th).
• Plan to take the next math class as soon as possible after completing the current course.
• Be sure to sign up for the correct level math course. Your academic advisor or the Mathematics & Computer Science Department can help with this choice.

Time & Place for Studying Math

• Schedule a study period after your math class. Set a regular time and treat it as if it were a scheduled class. Review notes after class and do homework.
• Spend as much time on math homework as needed. This may require additional time after the scheduled study session. Stay current with math homework.
• Determine a specific place with few distractions to use as your regular study spot. The math lab might be a good location.
• For every hour spent in class, spend at least 3 hours studying outside of class.
• Find study buddies and set up group study times.

Study Strategies for Math Class

• Make sure to attend every math class.
• Get help early in the semester before you get far behind in the course.
• Complete your most difficult homework assignments first. (Usually, this means math homework.) This is when you are most alert and less tired.
• Do math homework every day. Re-work problems you missed on homework.
• Read ahead in the math textbook and prepare questions for the instructor. If there is anything you don’t understand, it means you need to seek extra help in that area.
• If you have trouble understanding your text, consider finding an alternate text to supplement your learning. (Check with your professor or the library.)
• Use a good math note-taking system. Math classes are no different from other subjects. Taking notes is important.
• Take notes on how to solve difficult problems. Copy all steps in your notes.
• For each chapter, prepare your own list of math vocabulary words.
• For practice, do all example problems in the text. While doing homework, write down questions for the instructor/tutor.
• Verbalize (silently) problems the instructor writes on the board. Solve the problem or silently verbalize each solution step.
• Make note cards to remind yourself how to solve various types of math problems.
• Take full advantage of all the helpful resources in the math lab.
• For understanding, recite back the materials you have read in the math textbook.
• If you miss a class, ask your instructors for permission to attend the same course that is taught at a different time or day. Remember: You are held responsible for material covered in classes that you have missed.

Math Tests

• Learn how to relax before tests are taken. (The Counseling Center can help with this!)
• Have a light breakfast before tests.
• Avoid showing up extra early for class on a test day. Pre-test discussion often heightens anxiety considerably. Allow enough time to avoid rushing but avoid sitting around listening to everyone else’s pre-test jitters.
• Preview the entire test before beginning.
• Expect some level of panic. Expect it and assume ahead of time that it will happen. If you are prepared, there’s far less tendency to have an uncontrollable panic reaction when it happens. (This is a good time to utilize the skills you learned from the Counseling Center.)
• Begin with the easiest questions first.
• Be aware of time allotted while taking a math test.
• Don’t linger on any one question too long. You can come back to that question if there is time later.
• Use the full amount of time allotted for the test. Math tests are not races. Don’t rush.
• Carefully check or re-work as many problems as possible in the time remaining before turning in your test.
• When tests are returned, keep a log of the types of mistakes you make on tests (i.e. concept errors, application errors, careless errors, etc.).
• Stay up to date so you don’t have to cram the night before the test. This is not an effective study strategy and also tends to heighten anxiety for those with math anxiety.

Anxiety

• Believe that you can succeed in math class.
• Overcome negative self talk. ( Counseling Center can help with this.)
• Recognize that having study partners in class can help lower anxiety.
• Develop practice tests and time yourself while taking them. Familiarity & practice helps lower any kind of performance anxiety, include math anxiety.
• Take advantage of the free services of the ASU Counseling Center. Counselors can assist you in learning a variety of relaxation techniques that are highly effective in reducing all kinds of anxiety problems.
• Keep things in perspective. It is only one math test or one math class of many other classes or tests you will take in college. Overblown fear of a math test or a math class will make the problem seem much bigger than it really is.

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