Do you Have Math Anxiety? - (Part 2 of 2)

Do you Have Math Anxiety? - (Part 2 of 2)

6 ways to reduce Math anxiety (especially during tests and exams)

1. Learn relaxation techniques.

Techniques such as slow deep breathing while counting  from one to five  is helpful when dealing math anxiety especially during tests and exams. Count slowly from one to five, exhale on every count, then repeat the next cycle from one to five until the anxiety disappears.

2. Combat negative thinking.

Lack of confidence is a big hurdle for students with math anxiety. Replace those negative

thoughts (“I can’t do this”, “I’ve never been good at math”, “I won’t finish in time”) with positive thoughts  (“I know this”, “I’m prepared”, “I can do this”).

3. Visualize yourself succeeding.

When I was younger, I competed in sports, my coach taught us the technique of “visualization” to prepare for  competitions. I found this mental preparation technique applicable for test and exams as well. The night before and on the day prior to the exam, imagine yourself being relaxed,  confidently solving the problems and scoring well for the paper. This technique will calm you down and keep you focus on what's important. 

4. Do “easiest” problems first.

Be like a scavenger (think: vulture). Attempt all the easy questions first and pick up the easy marks, Do not be so rigid as to stubbornly try to complete questions in a sequential order (i.e. Attempt Q1 complete Q1' attempt Q2, complete Q2...). Once you have gain some easy marks, attempt the more challenging questions on the second try. This technique will boost up your confidence when you already know you have gain some easy marks ( hopefully >50%) on your first try, It’ll help you relax when you tackle the “harder” stuff.

5. Start preparing early.

If you try to “cram” the material quickly, you are likely to forget it quickly too. If you practice the

material over a period of time, you will have a better understanding of it and are less likely to forget it

when under stress. When you "cram" material, most information will NOT be transferred from short-term memory to long-term memory. But if  you practice the same  topics a few times over an extended period ,  the information will be stored in your long-term memory and you will less likely to forget to next time you need to retrieve the information from memory.

6. Try to understand the “why” of math concepts rather than memorizing.

The first thing to go when you are under stress is your short-term memory. You will forget what you "cram" in your head the night before. This is one reason it is so important to understand that math is not just a set of rules that you have to memorize but that each concept builds on what came before. If you understand the reason behind the rules, you will remember the concepts better and be able to apply them in many different types of problems (not just ones you’ve seen before). That is why during tuition lessons, I keep on emphasizing on the concepts and NOT on easy tricks and short-cuts to solve problems.


All the best for the Mid-year Exams

Jason.

Additional Math (A-Maths) and Math (E-Math) Tutor in Woodlands, Chua Chu Kang,

Sembawang, Bukit Panjang, Yishun and Johor Bahru.

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About Unknown

I created this Blog after my students told me that there is very little information about how to solve GCE O Level Math and Additional Math (A-Math) questions on the internet. Even if they manage to find, the solution were for very basic questions. I am a Full-time Math Tutor in Singapore. I tutor mainly in Northern Singapore (Woodlands, Chua Chu Kang, Bukit Panjang, Yishun and Sembawang). I also tutor in Johor Bahru.