George Arun A
Some people may be at greater risk to fear math not only due to negative experiences, but because of genetic factors related to general anxiety and math skills, according to a study at Ohio State University, Columbus. The study provides a revised view on why some children--and adults--may develop a fear of math that makes it more difficult for them to solve problems and succeed in school.
They say in order to conquer your fear of something, you should learn more about it. I applied this credo to my fear of flying. I started learning about how planes work, what the creepy noises I heard onboard were, and the procedures taken in cases of emergency. I didn’t totally conquer my fear, but I was much better equipped when my in-flight anxieties would kick up.
When software engineers start to study algorithms, the math-averse tend to start worrying, me included. However, once I started to break down the reasoning and math behind Big O, it became a lot easier for me to understand. I’m going to go through a few elements behind the math and logic of big O in simple terms in order to try and demystify some of the spookiness around this subject.
Mathematics can be one of the most challenging subjects, students may take, in middle grades, high school and college. But it can be one of the most fun courses to take as well. As a tutor of basic math, algebra, geometry and trigonometry I have found that some students are very reluctant in enrolling in these classes, science classes too but I will cover that in my next article. We often look at such geniuses as Albert Einstein, John Nash, the movie (A Beautiful Mind) and others and wonder what may be wrong with our abstract thinking process, why can’t we understand math and its theories and formulas like others.
I say with confidence don’t be afraid of learning math; guess what, math is basically learning the formulas and remembering where and how to apply them. You may think the guy sitting in front of you who gets a good grade on each exam, test or pop quiz every time is brilliant. He may be but most likely he has studied and remembered the formulas and learned how to apply them to the problems given.
Some of us have study harder than others when it comes to math problems. I was one of those, but it helped me tremendously.
Here are few basic concepts I adopted in my grasp of mathematical knowledge.
Ask questions if you are unsure about the formulas and don’t be ashamed, many people may have some type of difficulty when it comes to math.
Study each formula carefully, in order words spend twice the amount of time studying and learning math equations from the time you are in class. Ex: if your class meets for one hour spend two hours away from class studying time on math problems. This does not mean you have to spend two solid hours studying, break your time up in 30-minute intervals.
If there is someone else in the class who has a better understanding of the content get with them for one-on-one tutoring or a small study group. This seems to help a lot when your peers tutor you and it may be fun. Keep your group around 4 to 5 members and do this early on if problems start to arise, smaller groups seem to get more done.
Always, always let your instructor or teacher know you are having problems. This will allow you some leverage that they are aware of any problems you may be having and may devote some additional help or sources of help to assist you.
You may want to study each theory or formula with a friend by conversing what you have learned with them. I found this to be very helpful.
Write down notes as the problems are being explained. And always try taking courses in sequential order if you can. For example, take pre-algebra before algebra and algebra I before algebra II and trigonometry, well you get it.
Finally, a very helpful tool is Math.com on the internet. This is a great website that breaks down problems and provides a better understanding of math.
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