Why You Struggle with Math — and How to Fix It!
Why do so many students struggle with math?! While the reason or reasons that any given student finds math to be the bane of his or her existence may vary from student to student, we have found four common denominators (math pun!) that tend to accompany students of all ages who struggle in this area.
Addressing these four areas is not a golden ticket to math success, but if you find yourself struggling in your math class, regardless of your grade or math level, there is a really big chance there is something for you on this list.
Not Organized
Ask any math teacher—the high-achieving students are organized, and the struggling students are not organized. But why is this? For starters, if you aren’t organized, you won’t be equipped to review and study for tests. Beyond this, however, is a well-documented fact that would be hard to believe if it weren’t backed by decades of research: a well-organized backpack translates into a well-organized brain. Get connected to an Academic Coach at Bumo to help set goals and get organized.
Not Enough Practice
Does watching a football game make you a great football player? Didn’t think so. In fact, watching one hundred or even one thousand football games would not make you a great wide receiver for the NFL. The only way to do well in math is to have enough practice. Most struggling students need more practice than what is entailed in the homework. Do not believe the myth that your homework is enough. Just because your teacher isn't assigning more practice doesn't mean you don’t need more of it.
Not Seeking Help
Many students are unaware of the free resources at their disposal for both further instruction and additional practice. Another reason many students fail to seek help is because they are embarrassed. Get over it. Getting extra help should be the first line of defense for the struggling student, not a last resort. Reach out to friends, parents, teachers, and our instructors at Bumo. Get the help you need through a 1-on-1 session with one of our math instructors.
Not Having A Positive Mindset
It is hard to do well in a class that you hate! For many, math causes debilitating feelings of fear and failure. Of course, this hurts their ability to learn and perform. When students expect to fail, they encounter failure more often. Likewise, when students believe that a class will be difficult, they are quicker to give up, adopt a negative mindset, and adopt a cycle of low confidence in the class.
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