Math Anxiety Advice

knittingmonster · May 22, 2010

I've always struggled to remember equations. The idea of having to learn several different ones for nursing and remembering which formula to use was not pleasant.

What helped me personally and made me start to enjoy doing the math was leaned differential analysis. All I have to do is look at what I'm solving for and plug in numbers. I don't have to worry about remembering what goes on top and bottom. I just have to plug things in so that the units cancel out. It's made life so much simpler.

choc0late · May 23, 2010

I have horrible math anxiety yet swung out of med math with an A! I have to credit that too many things. First, yes my hard work, I made flash cards, and went through an entire 1 subject notebook just practicing until it made sense. Secondly the book, math for meds by Curren (? spelling) was just an easy to understand book, I also bought and used something like "Stressed over nursing drug math" as extra help. Lastly, my teacher. She was very no-nonsense this is how you do it type teacher. She showed no fear and taught that way. She showed us various formula's and just stuck to the basics. I definitely am now tolerant of the math, and will never feel comfortable I don't think with it. Even though I scored a 100% in my second semester (the math class was in my first semester) med calc exam. I do remember my formulas, partly because I wrote them so much! RNTUTOR-If you ever need a pure math idiot to run things by I'd be more than happy to help!

choc0late · May 23, 2010

I really think the anxiety subsides a bit once we understand the formulas to do everything with are always the same once you master them. I carried around a set of handmade formula flashcards that I hole punched in a corner and used a round clip the entire semester and looked at them probably daily, lol!

Michaelxy · May 23, 2010

What helped me personally and made me start to enjoy doing the math was leaned differential analysis.

Do you mean dimensional analysis? Agreed, this is a very good method.

Michaelxy · May 23, 2010

Math anxiety is the result of a weak math background for whatever reason. It is unfortunate that this most fundamental and important aspect of ones knowledge base is overlooked until college years. Be that as it may, the college instructor is left with the dilemma of supplementing a students shortcomings, or taking the position of too bad, so sad for you. I assume you are assuming the former attitude I mentioned since you did pose this question.

Did I ever have math anxiety? Most certainly yes as I was maybe at a 5th grade level when I took my math assessment exam in college. After 2 attempts at college algebra I thought it was hopeless but after much effort I did pass and also passed applied calculus. This I would have to say was due to a teacher that went above and beyond the call of duty as he gave me lessons on the weekend using his free time. I will always be grateful for that.

Now I am not suggesting you take this approach, but what I am suggesting is that you make yourself available at office hours for students that need a little one on one time. Perhaps you can have a member of your school math help center come to class and explain their services and how the math center works. It may seem obvious but many students are not aware that certain help such as a math center are available. I will end with the worst thing you can do to someone with math anxiety is ask them to work a problem on the board in front of everybody. This happened to me once and I did not like it at all. I will try to think of things I used to help my math skills and post em later...Good luck

RNTutor, BSN, RN · May 23, 2010

I have horrible math anxiety yet swung out of med math with an A! I have to credit that too many things. First, yes my hard work, I made flash cards, and went through an entire 1 subject notebook just practicing until it made sense. Secondly the book, math for meds by Curren (? spelling) was just an easy to understand book, I also bought and used something like "Stressed over nursing drug math" as extra help. Lastly, my teacher. She was very no-nonsense this is how you do it type teacher. She showed no fear and taught that way. She showed us various formula's and just stuck to the basics. I definitely am now tolerant of the math, and will never feel comfortable I don't think with it. Even though I scored a 100% in my second semester (the math class was in my first semester) med calc exam. I do remember my formulas, partly because I wrote them so much! RNTUTOR-If you ever need a pure math idiot to run things by I'd be more than happy to help!

Thanks! I think that a lot of students do tend to avoid the "practice factor," but it sounds like it really helped you (an entire notebook!!). And I will definitely check out the books you recommended. I also just found a book called "Calculate with Confidence" that I'm trying out as a resource to help me to help explain the concepts. Because another problem that I didn't mention is that almost all of the students I work with use the formula method, but I have always used ratio and proportion. So when I am teaching, I am usually uncomfortable discussing the formula method, but I don't want to try and teach them a brand new math method (especially if they are very close to test-time!). But this book is helping me to 'learn' the formula method a little better so I am more comfortable teaching it.

And I am sure you are selling yourself short on your math skills, but I will most likely be taking you up on your offer!! :lol2:

RNTutor, BSN, RN · May 23, 2010

I've always struggled to remember equations. The idea of having to learn several different ones for nursing and remembering which formula to use was not pleasant.
What helped me personally and made me start to enjoy doing the math was leaned differential analysis. All I have to do is look at what I'm solving for and plug in numbers. I don't have to worry about remembering what goes on top and bottom. I just have to plug things in so that the units cancel out. It's made life so much simpler.

I agree. I always used to do ratio and proportion, and dimensional analysis was like greek to me. But I finally sat down one day and made someone teach me how to do it, and was amazed at how much easier it can be, especially for the more complex IV calculations. I do like to encourage my students to learn this, but many times when they come to me it's close to test time, and not a good time to try and master a new concept...

But I am going to start to be more proactive about improving math skills early, and I think I will definitely be considering a strong focus on dimensional analysis for that.

RNTutor, BSN, RN · May 23, 2010

Did I ever have math anxiety? Most certainly yes as I was maybe at a 5th grade level when I took my math assessment exam in college. After 2 attempts at college algebra I thought it was hopeless but after much effort I did pass and also passed applied calculus. This I would have to say was due to a teacher that went above and beyond the call of duty as he gave me lessons on the weekend using his free time. I will always be grateful for that.
Now I am not suggesting you take this approach, but what I am suggesting is that you make yourself available at office hours for students that need a little one on one time. Perhaps you can have a member of your school math help center come to class and explain their services and how the math center works. It may seem obvious but many students are not aware that certain help such as a math center are available. I will end with the worst thing you can do to someone with math anxiety is ask them to work a problem on the board in front of everybody. This happened to me once and I did not like it at all. I will try to think of things I used to help my math skills and post em later...Good luck

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it :coollook: ) I am not a professor at a college, I do tutoring as my own business. But that is a great suggestion to pass along to my students, because I am sure that many of them DO have those resources at their college. And that would probably be a good reminder to them to use the resources they have available!

And I am not a big fan of putting people with anxiety completely on the spot. I've got a clinical psych background myself, and I think it really influences how I interact with anxious students. I do try to move them in 'baby steps' though to get to the point where they can do a math problem in front of someone else (in my case it would be in a 'virtual' classroom), because I think it also helps them conquer their test anxiety. But I would never just throw them in that situation without being confident that they were ready for it and would succeed.

Thanks for everyone's advice, and I look forward to reading any more tips you can think to post!

BacktotheBeach, ADN, BSN, RN · May 23, 2010

I am a math-a- phobe from waaay back! I actually chose my college major (the first time) on what would have the least math classes :) Now I 'm back in school getting my RN. My school offers a separate from the RN program class called dosages, and I figured I better take it. Well, it took my mechanical engineer husband and 2 high school-college kids to get me going. The turning point was getting me to understand the ratio and proportion method!!! I was so delighted to see that I could plug anything into that and get the correct answer. Also, the instructor gave lots and lots of practice worksheets and I did them all. I think that is really important, the repetition and practice! Well, I got an A in the class, my first math A since about 5th grade!!! I'm starting the clinical RN program this fall, and I know I can do the dosage calculations with no problem.

RNTutor, BSN, RN · May 23, 2010

Well, I got an A in the class, my first math A since about 5th grade!!! I'm starting the clinical RN program this fall, and I know I can do the dosage calculations with no problem.

Yay!!! Congratulations :yeah: You are probably the first student I've heard from that actually prefers the ratio/proportion method though, even though it's the method that I prefer as well. But I think I'm starting to see a pattern of practice emerging...