Are you the one how has Maths anxiety? For that you should first know what is Maths anxiety. It is the fear that interferes with Maths performance. In easier language, it is that feeling of anxiousness which one can come across while solving new questions on Mathematics or while attempting some Mathematics examination. If you feel so or even after understanding the chapters in Maths, you don’t feel the confidence to solve the questions in your examination then you may feel depressed and also this can be a big hurdle in your defence examinations, because in all the defence examinations Maths is one of the most important factors for the selection. I can understand this problem very personally as in my childhood days I used to feel the same, and today I have successfully completed my master’s in mathematics. And from my own experiences I would like to share some factors which cause Maths anxiety and also the tips to overcome the fear of mathematics. If you will follow these small tips then possibly you can do wonders in your defence examination under Maths section.
Factor 1:
The problem starts in the early schooling days itself, and one of the major reasons is to have less self-confidence due to which the you start depending on your fellow mates for the solutions. You may feel that even if you know the concept you will not get the right answer. You start getting nervous and slowly this nervousness take over you and you start to get wrong solutions leading it to worse situations.
Solution 1:
Always remember that “Mistakes are expected, respected, inspected and then corrected.”
No matter how many wrong answers you get, just believe yourself. If you dint get the answer correct in one go, refer to the correct answer and then again in some time try to solve it by yourself. It does not matter whether you have referred the answer key and then got the answer initially. If you will just keep on solving more questions, even may be the same set of questions, you will ultimately develop the conceptual approach, and this will make you feel confident. Like this you will overcome the biggest reason of Maths anxiety.
Factor 2:
Under confidence leads to exam phobia. That is what pulls you back in your examination. Sometimes while sitting in the examination, it feels that your brain is frozen, and you can’t recollect even the formulas which you have learnt. This happens because since the young age we are afraid of getting insulted and that fear later becomes phobia and that’s why we can’t perform properly at the time of Maths test.
Solution 2:
No matter what has happened in past and however test phobic you are, try to face it by performing small tests daily. Give yourself a test, and check and face it where you stand. This will help you to try again and test the waters. Gradually while practicing tests or quizzes daily will overcome your fear and then you will start liking the challenges in the form of the Maths problems.
Factor 3:
The habit of learning the given data without understanding the concept properly may lead to another trouble before examination. At that time, you may feel you have so many formulas to learn and you can’t remember those. This happen when you try to cram the formulas. This is because, unfortunately, we have been in a habit of doing so since always. I am not at all saying learning is bad, but cramming is surely bad.
Solution 3:
The solution to this problem is very simple and most of us know but we become lazy while implementing it, and yes! The solution is understanding the concept, trying to relate it to our real life and then learning the formulas. Also, how to learn the formulas? Do not just read and feel you have learnt it, rather, write the formulas by your own by just recollecting all that you know about the concept. And then verify how much you could remember. Also, write the formulas at least 3 times in all, till your examination. You will surely remember then.
Factor 4:
One of the most common factors for causing Maths anxiety just before the examinations is practicing without using paper and pen. A few of you may be feeling that no one does that for Maths, but for the people who do so may connect to this.
Solution 4:
And for all those, who does the above mentioned, I would say that the day you start practicing the questions with proper rough notebook and pen, the more you scribble while solving the solutions, the more you will improve. Without working through math problems and understanding the why behind them, you will have a hard time seeing their value. This will help you analyze your own solutions and you will be able to track yourself, at which step you went wrong. So, try to follow this strictly in Maths at least.
Factor 5:
Many students feel the pressure caused by the time limits which causes a negativity in them about themselves. You may start feeling that you hate Maths, you can’t do it. As fast as the timer moves, the heart pounds faster causing the pressure on the brain. But in examination, no one can stop the clock, but you can surely control your mind.
Solution 5:
For this, try to attempt maximum test series or mock tests in which the timer is also there. This will make you familiar with the time management and you would definitely end up performing the tests in the best ways. Performing tests will be a solution of all of the above mentioned factors in some or the other way. So, try to attempt maximum mock test papers before your examination and kill the feeling of fear in the examination.
I these points help you in overcoming the Maths anxiety, it surely will if you understand the depth of the above mentioned points. Also, you may find many of the mock test papers and conceptually covered lectures on SSBCrackExams defence portal itself, so you can try those as well and I am sure you will not feel any sort of Maths anxiety in your upcoming examination.
Jai Hind
