I need advice from someone good at math

[Starman]

I'm taking a math course in college, just intermediate algebra, and I have a serious problem taking tests.

I study, I do the homework, and when I'm at home I understand the material perfectly and can work out all the problems correctly. But when I'm taking a test in class, I feel like my brain has been put into a box, and I cannot get myself out of it no matter what I do.

All the problems I was able to do at home the night before suddenly look as though I've never seen them before in my life. I sit there and stare at one problem for fifteen minutes, and finally I recognize what to do with it, just as some people are getting up and turning in their papers. Two hours later everyone is gone from the class but me, when I finally finish. As I'm walking to my car, I already know which problems I got wrong, and I remember exactly how to do them, and I feel stupid.

The instructor is very understanding and is helping me every way she can. I'm passing the class, I think only because she feels bad for me.

I want to know how to fix this, but even more, I want to know what's wrong with me.

There's just no way I'm ever going to accept that some people aren't good at math, and that I'm one of them. I've got to get over this somehow.

Please Help

[RRR]

This sounds like test anxiety. You can find information about test anxiety online. There may be beliefs or past events you have to deal with, has this always happened when you were taking math classes? When did you first start to have test anxiety?

Potential solutions: Google: Stress management. Google: Test Anxiety. Consider studying and doing homework in a classroom environment, this will anchor your mind to remember in this setting. Or find a way to take the tests in an environment where you are comfortable. Try studying with other people around and see if you have trouble concentrating, it may be that you find classrooms full of people distracting. If you know the answers it is not that you are bad at math (such a concept is a bit ridiculous in my opinion), but that you are having anxiety.

[Hyperchiller]

Hey Starman

It might be a good idea to do some practise tests under exam conditions so you can get used to the time limit of exams. You can ask your teacher if they have practise exams. If not you can possibly create your own based on questions done in class.

Whenever you do an exam, work out how many marks there are and the time limit for the whole exam/test. Then work out how much time you have per mark. You will then realize that some questions are worth more marks and you might want to do these first. Usually the first parts of each question are routine and can be done fairly quickly.

Another thing is that if you get stuck on a question, skip it if you cannot see how you could solve it within 20 seconds. Give it to your subconscious mind and say to it - "I don't know how to do this right now but maybe you do - I will come back to this and I hope you will give me an idea of how to approach this." When you come back to it you might have some idea. But the best thing about skipping is that you get to work on the questions that you are able to complete.

I hope that helps.

[Parthon]

Originally Posted by Starman

I study, I do the homework, and when I'm at home I understand the material perfectly and can work out all the problems correctly. But when I'm taking a test in class, I feel like my brain has been put into a box, and I cannot get myself out of it no matter what I do.

All the problems I was able to do at home the night before suddenly look as though I've never seen them before in my life. I sit there and stare at one problem for fifteen minutes, and finally I recognize what to do with it, just as some people are getting up and turning in their papers. Two hours later everyone is gone from the class but me, when I finally finish. As I'm walking to my car, I already know which problems I got wrong, and I remember exactly how to do them, and I feel stupid.

Like RRR said, this is purely test axiety. The pressure of being in a test situation causes your mind to freeze up in panic. You immediately go into the basic fight or flight response and that stops you being able to use your higher thought abilities, like mathematics. It's only when you get stuck for 10 minutes that your mind finally realises what it needs to do, and lets you have only a little bit of your upper brain power, then on the next question it clams up again.

I've never had test anxiety in a written situation. I'm always on the ball and everything is recalled easily and naturally. It's almost like my mind is set up to believe that this is the time to shine and it goes to work straight away. It's not a pass or fail, life or death situation. It's time to do what you've been practicing to do. It's time to make it.

I do however clam up when it's a physical practical, or anything oral. I've failed many presentations and driving tests purely because that's when I clam up. The one way that's worked for me is to put myself in those situations more often. Let your body and mind get used to it. Set it up with your teacher to create an exam situation once a week for you, with time limit, marking and grades, and see if you can get used to it with an immersive technique. If you do it enough, your mind will eventually get used to the fact that it's not a do or die situation and finally allow you to access your talents and abilities.

[Starman]

Originally Posted by Parthon

Like RRR said, this is purely test axiety. The pressure of being in a test situation causes your mind to freeze up in panic. You immediately go into the basic fight or flight response and that stops you being able to use your higher thought abilities, like mathematics. It's only when you get stuck for 10 minutes that your mind finally realises what it needs to do, and lets you have only a little bit of your upper brain power, then on the next question it clams up again.

You hit it on the nose. That's exactlly how it goes. Thanks Parthon, Hyperchiller and RRR.

I think that's a great idea, to simulate the test conditions and practice until I realize there's nothing on the test or in the class that's going to kill me. The funny thing is, it's not like I'm trying to do this to myself, or that I'm afraid of anyone in the class or anything on the test. I'm not even conscious of this happening to me until I realize I can't function, and think to myself, why can't I do this? $&^@&!*!!!

Hyperchiller: I'm going to try that, dividing an hour by the number of questions on the test and detemine how much time I have for each, as some kind of gage on how long I should be taking.

Thanks you guys!

Starman

[Starman]

Originally Posted by RRR

There may be beliefs or past events you have to deal with, has this always happened when you were taking math classes? When did you first start to have test anxiety?

I don't remember experiencing this kind of thing before, in a math class or anywhere else, but now you've got me thinking about it. There must have been something that happened to cause it.

Starman

[RRR]

I was reading in a book a few weeks ago about how beliefs affect math scores across gender. What they found was that women would unconsciously lower their performance on math test because they held the cultural belief that women are bad at math (this was also influenced by reading a report/showing statistics to them prior to the test in some trials). It was found that female math majors would actually limit their gender instead of this belief, so they had much less chance of wearing makeup and holding other stereotyped behaviors of the average woman. The conclusion is, you will hold yourself within your own beliefs unconsciously.

Do you believe you are good at math? Could your beliefs be altering your ability to perform?

Edit: PS. Are you named after the culture club song? I was thinking about harmonicas today for some reason..then karma chameleon by culture club popped in my head when I woke up (turns out it has a harmonica)..then I found on youtube Culture Club wrote a song called Starman and I had to ask

[Lauxa]

I knew someone in college who was diagnosed with test anxiety and he was allowed to take the exams separate from everyone else and to have as much time as he needed to complete them. I don't know what he had to do to get diagnosed and procure this treatment, but there might be resources available to you if you look around.

[lifetimelearner]

oooooooooooo

test anxiety

I hated that in school

all I can remember doing is deep breathing exercises and praying to the math god


good luck

[Starman]

Originally Posted by RRR

Edit: PS. Are you named after the culture club song? I was thinking about harmonicas today for some reason..then karma chameleon by culture club popped in my head when I woke up (turns out it has a harmonica)..then I found on youtube Culture Club wrote a song called Starman and I had to ask

I've always loved Astronomy, and since I was little I've had a facination with the stars; for me there's nothing more wonderous than being under a completely dark sky and surrounded by countless stars and knowing that I came from all of this. I like the idea that the materials that burns within the stars is inside us, that we're all children of the heavens. Thus, I'm Starman.

I do remember Culture Club though, a big deal in the 80s, but not familiar with the reference you mentioned. I'll ask my wife about it, as she's the huge 80s music fan.

Lauxa:

My instructor is doing some of that for me. She allowed me to retake a test I didn't do very well on, in the testing center, a more private place, and allowed me basically unlimited time to complete it. The score went from a 40 something to 90 something. I have to really give my instructor credit, she's really trying to help me and doing all the right stuff. She says she sees in me a huge math capacity and thinks that once I conquer this anxiety problem, I could easily handle Calc I.

I'm an unusual case. I was diagnosed with a learning disability in high school, and didn't do too well there. I had a difficult time with the mechanics of calculating, but understood complicated math principles, which didn't help me much on tests.

Fast forward twenty years. Now I'm a software engineer, writing the most complicated software for robotics and automation most people's ever seen, and for the most part I'm self-taught. The people I work with think I'm well educated, and I've learned from experience that it's best to just let them think that.

But for some reason, I want to teach computer science in a university one day, so I'm starting my formal college education now, with English 101 and basic math, many years late. My life is back asswards!

Starman

[WordKeeper]

I was very good at math and yet after many years out of school I went back for more. I began with a fairly basic calculus class and could not get through. I would go into severe test anxiety which was completely new to me. I almost failed that class. I had never even struggled in math before.

I ended up dropping that class. But I was taking another math class at the same time and did well in that. The next semester I retook the basic calculus class, did well and went on to take 4 more semesters of very advanced mathmatics.

I also teach test takings skills. One of the techniques I use is too complicated to give fully here but in short it comprises convincing the student about their full knowledge of the subject so that when the anxiety hits they can put their pencil down, breathe slowly and begin using affirmations to remind themselves that they DO know the material but are experiencing anxiety. The anxiety is not related to their knowledge.

After a minute or two the anxiety usually begins to subside and confidence takes over.

Another technique is to use KavaKava which is available at natural supplement stores. This helps suppress some of the anxiety symptoms.

Good luck.

[Lauxa]

Hey Starman, where do you work? I'm always interested in learning about robotics and automation jobs, I had an interest in that kind of stuff in college even though I think I've found my niche for now developing web applications.

[lifetimelearner]

how's it going with this ?

[Starman]

Originally Posted by lifetimelearner

how's it going with this ?

I got a "B" in the class. But the instructor was very patient with me, recognized the real source of my trouble, and really did a lot to help me with it, like coaching, confidence building, allowing me a little extra time to finish tests, etc.

I think I got pared with the instructor I needed. She was terriffic. Because of her, I enrolled in the next higher math course, because I think I can handle it.

"GULP!"

Thanks for checking on me!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hyperchiller]

Nice job Starman!

Doing more maths is always a good idea. It helps improve your thinking and problem solving skill.