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[Vector]

So.  I'm a bit of a math nerd, as I'm sure many of you know.  I like to think that I'm pretty good at it.  The problem is that I'm absolutely petrified of mathematics and have very little confidence in my abilities, though I have greatly improved of late.

The question is this: do you have any ideas on what one might do to reduce anxiety with respect to this particular problem?  For reference, I'm a pure math student in college and hoping to become a mathematician, so it's not like I can just ignore it until it goes away.  Furthermore, I have a solid 8.5 months until I need to return to school and do this for grades again, so I've got a bit of time.


Suggestions, anyone?

[Jookia]

Design and wear a T-Shirt that sums your problem up.

[Vector]

Design and wear a T-Shirt that sums your problem up.

... I'm afraid that doesn't exactly address the issue at hand, but thank you for the suggestion.

[Kebooo]

Try to pinpoint what about it makes you anxious.  The idea you might fail at it, or not live up to expectations?  The difficulty of learning it?  Whatever it is, focus on it, attack it, try to work on the weakness.  For example, if you feel weak in certain math theory, work specifically on it, extremely hard, to the point it becomes so normal and familiar to you, you'll feel more confident about your knowledge and ability. 

[smigenboger]

Two of many possible routes...

Math as a peaceful activity
Math as a stimulant

For the first, relax, close your eyes, take deep breaths, possibly lay down or sit cross-legged, and enjoy a scented incense or candle. Clear your mind, and devote an indeterminate amount of time to your math. Allow the world to fall into a solipsm of math and you. Make it your happy place.

Or, for the second, close your eyes, take two deep breaths, drop to the ground and do some pushups. Anxious? Do some sit-ups. Tired? Excellent. Now, while you're catching your breath, start in on your math. Focus every bit of attention you have left into it. Just math and you. After you've recovered, do more physical activity. Once that runner's high has arrived, stop with the physical stimulation and use that extra heightened awareness and feel good feeling and devote yourself wholly to the math. After a few times, instead of anxiety, you'll get pumped for math.

(Using classical conditioning with screamo and running, I would get a jolt of the good kind of adrenaline just from listening to the music)

[Vector]

Try to pinpoint what about it makes you anxious.  The idea you might fail at it, or not live up to expectations?  The difficulty of learning it?  Whatever it is, focus on it, attack it, try to work on the weakness.  For example, if you feel weak in certain math theory, work specifically on it, extremely hard, to the point it becomes so normal and familiar to you, you'll feel more confident about your knowledge and ability.

I'm honestly terrified--completely terrified--of being unable to solve a problem/not knowing how to attack it.  You'd think that the answer would be to solve a lot of problems, but I've done that and it's just gotten worse.  The other thing I'm afraid of is forgetting everything I've learned, or suddenly losing my abilities.

Bleh.  I guess I just need a lot more practice.

Math as a peaceful activity

For the first, relax, close your eyes, take deep breaths, possibly lay down or sit cross-legged, and enjoy a scented incense or candle. Clear your mind, and devote an indeterminate amount of time to your math. Allow the world to fall into a solipsm of math and you. Make it your happy place.

Yeah, I'm hoping for peaceful activity someday.  I'm going to try to do it after my morning run + breakfast most days, and see if making it into a habit associated with food and relaxation will help remove my stress.  Thanks for the advice =)

[eerr]

Try to pinpoint what about it makes you anxious.  The idea you might fail at it, or not live up to expectations?  The difficulty of learning it?  Whatever it is, focus on it, attack it, try to work on the weakness.  For example, if you feel weak in certain math theory, work specifically on it, extremely hard, to the point it becomes so normal and familiar to you, you'll feel more confident about your knowledge and ability.

I'm honestly terrified--completely terrified--of being unable to solve a problem/not knowing how to attack it.  You'd think that the answer would be to solve a lot of problems, but I've done that and it's just gotten worse.  The other thing I'm afraid of is forgetting everything I've learned, or suddenly losing my abilities.

Bleh.  I guess I just need a lot more practice.

Math as a peaceful activity

For the first, relax, close your eyes, take deep breaths, possibly lay down or sit cross-legged, and enjoy a scented incense or candle. Clear your mind, and devote an indeterminate amount of time to your math. Allow the world to fall into a solipsm of math and you. Make it your happy place.

Yeah, I'm hoping for peaceful activity someday.  I'm going to try to do it after my morning run + breakfast most days, and see if making it into a habit associated with food and relaxation will help remove my stress.  Thanks for the advice =)

Deliberately attack a math problem that is impossible for you to do, duh.
Then slowly practice learning math your own dam way. Also study conditional probability because it rapes standard probability in the ass. And it is fucking confusing. You do that shit you gain _base_ confidence.

With that said, save your anxiety for class and closely watch your classmates. you don't need to beat the system, you just need to beat all of them.

[Vector]

I already am beating all of my classmates.  But that isn't what matters, in the long run.  What matters is ability when measured in an absolute scale.  The class covering Bayesian probability was the first one I got an A+ in.

And yeah, attacking some problems I have no way of doing actually sounds like a pretty good idea.  I probably need to learn to accept "failure," on top of my goal to become more patient and balanced =)

Thanks, I'll give it a try and report back in a bit.

[eerr]

Bayesian? man thats like the entire basis.
You probably know this stuff anyway,

or at least you won't be surprised.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PwnvqGEHoU&feature=fvw

The OJ Simpson example is particularly good, because it's not as confusing as the others.

[Virex]

I'm dead sure there's someone in your school who knows how to deal with anxiety, since it's pretty common. Just ask your teacher if he can hook you up with that someone. He should be able to help you.

[Vector]

I'm dead sure there's someone in your school who knows how to deal with anxiety, since it's pretty common. Just ask your teacher if he can hook you up with that someone. He should be able to help you.

1. College student.

2. Math professors (hint: their advice looks like "study 14 hours a day").

3. Already seeing a counselor.

4. Just kind of looking for advice from people on the interwebs who might have ideas.

[Armok]

Try to put numbers on how likely exactly the things you fear are to happen. That shuld either comfort you, or inspire you to do something abaut it. [/extremly generic advice]

[zchris13]

I already am beating all of my classmates.  But that isn't what matters, in the long run.  What matters is ability when measured in an absolute scale.  The class covering Bayesian probability was the first one I got an A+ in.

And yeah, attacking some problems I have no way of doing actually sounds like a pretty good idea.  I probably need to learn to accept "failure," on top of my goal to become more patient and balanced =)

Thanks, I'll give it a try and report back in a bit.

The only thing I can think of is to stop being a real "Type A" personality.  It's a pain in the ass, and will only get you killed (if you become rich and then suicide).
Just loosen up.  Chill out.  Anxiety can only get to you when you let it.  The hard part is stopping yourself from keeping the pressure on (it's a human thing. It's helped keep us alive, as a race, for millenia.) when it really shouldn't be.  Math shouldn't be that stressful.  I'll bet that alot of your problems are caused by stress, Vector.[/psych_rant]
[stupid]DUDE JUST CHILL. GO SMOKE A BLUNT OR SOMETHING.[/stupid]

Yeah, I've seen these before.  Find some chill people.  I suggest taking, like, an English course, a chill one.  Where the learning is more about the problems than the solutions, or something stupid like that.
It's just pondering some of those great mysteries of life that allways gets my head really loose.

You seem like a smart enough chick.  You'll do fine.

[Heron TSG]

Math as a peaceful activity

This.

Approaching math as an activity instead of an obstacle helped me. Instead of problems that you have to crush and destroy, they instead become learning tools to help you understand the concept being taught.

[matthiaspaco]

I know this doesn't help, but it has to asked. Why the crap are you a math major if it scares you so much!?