Attitude conquers math fear
by Tami Abernathy, reporter

    A positive attitude and practice can make all the difference in math, NE Campus counselors said during a student skills workshop last week.
Subtract Fear, Multiply Confidence, presented by Richard Vela and Carolina Saleh, academic advisors, gave students tips and advice for achieving their math goals.

   “Having an I-can-do-math attitude and showing it by making every effort to attend class, do all assigned homework, taking notes and asking for help as soon as you need it is the key to success,” Vela said.

   Math is a linear-learning process and different from other classes because what was learned in the last lesson becomes the foundation for the next lesson, Vela said.

   “In some classes, you can skip chapters 3 or 4 and do well on 5, but not in math,” he said.

   Saleh compared learning math to learning a foreign language.

   “Math is like a foreign language and must be practiced everyday,” she said. “Set aside a specific time to do homework and treat it like a scheduled class.”

   They also said students should do homework as it is assigned. Hoping to cram three or four weeks’ worth of learning into a couple of days of study is futile, Vela said.

   Vela and Saleh also suggested doing homework in the math lab, ATB 233, because students can get help with homework as problems arise, instead of stopping altogether.

   They recommended that students take detailed notes by copying the teacher’s examples step by step. Then students should write an easy-to-understand explanation of what is being done next to each step.

   If there is anything that is not understood, students should put a question mark by it and ask the teacher to explain those areas, Vela said.

   “Don’t just let it go thinking you will figure it out later; many times it does not happen.” he said.

   Saleh also recommended that students review notes continuously and highlight the titles from each lesson to get an overall picture of what is being done.

   Although study techniques are important, Vela stressed that a positive attitude and a willingness to work hard will make the difference between success and failure.