Is Mathematics Difficult?

On February 10 of this year, my article was published in this esteemed daily under the title “Calculus Phobia” after that I received an email from a student, who recently passed out his 10th  class examination. The student expressed a desire to opt for Non-Medical stream, however, he has a concern; though he likes mathematics, sometimes it gives jitters to him, and he wants to get a solution to overcome this fear. In response I wrote to him that I was also an average student in Mathematics till my class 10th, as I was not giving more time and not concentrating on the subject, but only watching and playing cricket. And after sometime when I faced some complex problems in 11th class, I realized that I have to shun the previous practice and get more concentrated on the subject. I practiced it, cleared my doubts, and after a few months, I got the confidence that not only I can clear my subject, but can help others to solve the questions.

I have experienced that whenever students face a mathematical problem their hands get sweaty, which is a sign of anxiety. Some students get worried and fail to concentrate on the subject, which they feel that it is becoming a cause of embarrassment. Researchers have found that 20% of the student population is suffering from this problem. Some psychologists even consider it an under-diagnosed condition.

   

Mathematics Anxiety doesn’t mean that the student is bad enough to take maths as his subject. Maryam Mirzakhani, an Iranian influential Mathematician who dreamt of being a novelist, was struck by the spell of Mathematics; she later went on to win the “Fields Medal”, the highest award in Mathematics. She too felt unconfident and lost interest in mathematics, as her middle school class teacher didn’t find him so intelligent. Some psychologists think that because of mathematical anxiety, students are failing to concentrate on the subject, which decreases their cognitive ability and later they didn’t properly organize the information they need to complete their academic task.

Pressure to solve mathematical derivations quickly dials up stress, even more among middle school students. Students should be given some time and space to work on their subject. Sometimes some students solve the equations faster than other students, who later feel ashamed and sometimes humiliated by the class teacher. Such practices do not work, it has negative effects on the students. You should try to clear their doubts and focus on the weak sections of the subject fro him.

Students should remember that math anxiety is not a reflection on their ability, but it is something they can conquer with time and practice. Some students believe that they have not been taught mathematics in a right form, therefore thousands of students who love the subject, are not doing good mathematics. However, students who do it are those who take it easy. They practice and get strong with their mathematical skills. Such hard work will help students to focus on other subjects too.

Tailpiece

Worrying about mathematics and getting puzzled on mathematical equations, is no solution to this stressful condition. If students are not comfortable in mathematics, then it may impact their quantitative analysis, logical reasoning, and aptitude part which are the part of all job oriented competitive examinations. Mathematics is not a theoretical subject that can be grabbed by consulting the text books for reading. However, making notes of solved questions and practice make the student perfect. If the students practice again and again, I hope they will definitely find out the process of solving the questions easier.

(The author is a freelancer, having Electrical Engineering from IUST Awantipora)

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