I’m a sophomore taking Algebra II Honors, which is considered advanced in my school. I’ve developed math anxiety recently because of feelings of inferiority and not being “good enough”, especially as an Asian.
I currently have a 87 in Algebra II Honors because I got a D on my last test and an F on my last quiz. Yes, I know this is terrible, and yes, I know my grade is terrible too, but hear me out. When I got my results back on both the quiz and test I realized that I actually knew everything and that I only made stupid mistakes because of how nervous I get during the test.
What’s so odd is that I do all my math homework (many of my classmates don’t), get it RIGHT, and UNDERSTAND it, but still am recently struggling with tests/quizzes. I think it’s because I’ve developed math anxiety. Today, when I took a math quiz, I blanked out and started panicking and forgot how I did problems on my homework, despite knowing all the formulas and everything.
I really can’t end up with a B in this class. Finals are coming up in less than two weeks. There’s no way that I’m getting 100% on the final; no one does.
I don’t know if math anxiety is considered something that is worth seeing my counselor for. I really want to talk to my counselor about this to see if I can demonstrate my understanding of math (because I truly do understand it) and somehow replace the D on my test and F on my quiz. I’m open to anything. My school does not allow retakes for math, but would they make an exception for me? They are more lenient to those who have learning disabilities and although I wouldn’t consider myself having one, I hope that having math anxiety would somehow help.
Having my grade drop from a 90 to an 87 is TERRIFYING, especially considering the fact that I plan on majoring in STEM. I know this may seem like a good idea, but I know that I’m decent at math. I do understand the concepts, but I have math anxiety and blank out really badly on tests and panic.
I would appreciate any help. I’m really worried that this B would prevent me from getting into decent schools; I’m already Asian and middle-class with parents who attended college.
An 87 in a class is not going to ruin your chances of going to a good college. Nothing should be terrifying about a B. The important thing is that you understand the material. That puts you ahead of the game. Talk to your teacher and to your counselor about test techniques to help you avoid making those little mistakes and ask for help working on reducing your test anxiety.
My daughter had a similar problem freshman year where she completely knew the concepts but would make careless errors. After lots of talking, it turned out she had a fear of not being able to finish the test in the allot time so she was rushing. When she went back to look over questions, they “looked right” to her, even when they weren’t. She had to re-learn pacing, to slow down, check her work more carefully, and we stressed to her that the important thing was a thorough understanding of the material. It took a while for that to turn around, but it did. She’s done with high school next week, has a 100 in AP calc, and projected to get a 5 on the AP test.
Are you guys on the semester system for your transcript? An 87 is a B+. That’s not bad, lol. If you are on the semester system, check what your semester grade would be.
For starters, speak to your teacher. Explain what you’ve written here-- even consider printing it up if you think you’ll stumble on the explanation. Teachers have been known to make exceptions-- yours may very well let you take a makeup or explain your way through a half written, half oral exam or something.
OK, next. There’s absolutely NOTHING wrong with a B. Ignore the voices that tell you otherwise. You’re a 16 year old kid; taking an advanced class no less. And in my opinion as a math teacher for decades, it’s one of the most difficult classes in most high schools. Perfection is not expected. You’re allowed to make mistakes.
A B will NOT Prevent you from attending a “good” college. There are thousands of good colleges in this country, and their admissions requirements vary widely.
Please, take a deep breath and put this into perspective. Then ask your math teacher if you can stop by after school.
… or get extra help from a teacher other than the one they have this year. Sometimes another teacher’s explanation will give you that “aha!” moment that you can’t get from your teacher. Please trust me on this one: your own teacher won’t mind. We want our kids to succeed, regardless of who provides the right words. Besides, we’re already busy helping the kids of other teachers.
If making silly mistakes is your downfall, try redoing problems after you’ve completed them initially on an exam. This helped me a lot in finding mistakes that I overlooked the first attempt of completing a problem. You also get more confidence in your answers if you find that you’ve gotten the same answer in two different attempts of doing the problem.
Practice problems are also good for committing steps in solving a certain type of problem to memory, so you definitely should try as many of those as possible. It will also make the material more familiar, which helped me in dealing with my own math anxiety (it got rid of that horrible feeling that I didn’t remember even how to begin a problem).
@momofsenior1 That’s incredible! So happy for her. I hope to be able to make progress the way she did.
@ab2002 If by semester system you mean having two semesters per school year, then yes, I am on the semester system. The thing is, at my school, they ignore pluses and minuses on transcripts, which means that 101% and 90% are both an A. An 87 isn’t that bad for most people, but I’m Asian AND middle-class AND going into a STEM field, so I guess it would hurt me? I’m not aiming for MIT or Stanford or anything, but I hope to get into UIUC or Georgia Tech (basically, decent public schools with good STEM programs).
@bjkmom Thank you so much for your advice. Last week, when I got my quiz grade back (F), I did explain to my teacher that I understood the concepts but panicked (and on top of that, I was sleep-deprived and my head was pounding). I asked her if there was any way I could retake it, and she said no, because retakes are not allowed for any math classes. I’m not sure if going to the math department head or my counselor or any other person with more authority would help. My mom said that I might have to go to a psychologist for WRITTEN proof that I have math anxiety. Could you please give me tips on what to do? I feel pretty lost, since this is the first time in school that I’ve felt so academically incompetent.
@r2v2018 I already do more practice problems than most people, but I think doing even more would definitely help. Thanks
OK, how about asking your teacher for a blank copy of the test, so you can redo it-- NOT for credit, merely to find and fix the errors so you don’t repeat them on the final?
I have no idea about written proof of math anxiety; I teach in a Catholic school and we simply don’t have the means to deal with kids with those sort of issues. But to be honest, I think I would be suspect of it developing suddenly towards the end of a difficult class; I would think it was something that typically develops earlier. But, as I’ve said, this is so NOT my area of expertise.
What topics were on the test? Is there anything I can help you with? As you might have gathered, I’m a high school math teacher.
Have you gone over the test with your teacher in extra help after school? And, while we’re on the topic, have you attended extra help with your teacher before testing? Maybe knowing that you’re in good shape for the material she wants you to know before the test begins will help your anxiety issues. At the very least, your teacher would be aware that you DO know the material, for whatever it’s worth.
And, revisiting your OP, yes, you really CAN end up with an 87 in math!!! A B is an absolutely respectable grade!!! Striving for perfection will only make you more anxious. An important part of growing up is realizing that, as humans, we’re not perfect. Not you, and not the other people in your life. Perhaps this is God-- or if you prefer, the Universe’s – way of teaching you that it’s OK to be less than perfect, that it’s also OK for the other people in your life to be human. It’s a hard lesson, but one that’s vital for your mental health and future relationships.
That’s an amazing idea, but unfortunately, I don’t think my teacher would give me blank copies because I could potentially give them to underclassmen (which I never would, but this is a rule that applies to everyone). That’s why math teachers don’t let students take quizzes and tests home.
The topics that I got a D and F on were inverse circular functions and trigonometric equations.
I did go over my quiz and test with my teacher after school, but never got extra help before tests/quizzes because I thought practice at home would be enough (since I would always enter tests/quizzes feeling somewhat confident, but after getting the test/quiz, i would start to panic and blank out).
Thank you for your kind words maybe someday I’ll accept this, but as of now it’s incredibly hard to
I just want to say YOU GOT IT! In the end, it is about the effort you put in and what you learned from the experience.
I have struggled through the same problem of doing well on homework, but then ending up with a bad grade on the actual test. If there is an answer key, I have found that it is helpful to “annotate” your homework and write down the differences/similarities between how you solved the problem vs the homework key for more practice. Also, I would suggest not checking each question at a time and rather wait to check after a few questions, which will not install a sense of false confidence. When you make a mistake, ask yourself “why” and then “why” to the previous “why” question and continue until you find a source.
I am in Calculus right now and have found that sometimes you have to learn WHY you are answering the question the way that it is being asked. Instead of memorizing formulas, it is helpful to know how they are derived. I would also take some time to relax, watch some TV, and go outside. This is called a “diffused mode thinking” where your brain will make the neural connections and help you remember concepts easily.
You are good at math. You can do it. You are strong and resilient. GO CRUSH THAT NEXT MATH TEST! Good luck! :)>-
@bjkmom I might do that. Thanks for the suggestion!
@potatoepotatoe Thank you!!! I’ll definitely start using your tips.
@bjkmom@potatoepotatoe
Unfortunately, I have only one quest left before finals (a quest is worth more points than a quiz but fewer points than a test), so even if I score 100%, it wouldn’t really bump up my grade that much. I’m currently at an 86.25, which is really stressing me out, because this means that I’ll have to get a 102.3% on my final to get an A. Even if I somehow get my grade up to an 86.9, I’ll have to get 100% on my final. I’m just really hoping that my teacher will allow me to retake certain tests and get the average of my retake and original grade back. Do you think it would be possible to do this if my mom emailed my teacher and explained the situation? I don’t want to drag my mom into this situation, but she would definitely have way more influence over my math teacher than I do.
Absolutely don’t have mom email the teacher unless there are mitigating circumstances at home-- pretty much something that involves a 911 call. Beyond that, you’re expected to handle things like this on your own in high school.
@bjkmom I see your point. But I’ve tried to ask my teacher for retakes or help, and everyone in my grade knows that she’s irresponsible and lazy. In class, she gets off topic when teaching, doesn’t like students that are ‘good’, and instead likes students that are ‘bad’. For example, in my class, she always singles out this really smart kid who never takes notes (but it’s because he doesn’t need to - he just listens and absorbs everything), but she loves joking around with another kid who has a D in the class and another kid who doesn’t show up to school half the time (I’m not exaggerating). During class, she goes online shopping and spends way too much time on her computer instead of teaching us. None of the people in my grade like or respect her.
She is not someone who would genuinely care for or listen to a student like me who has issues with math, but she is definitely someone who would follow through if given a little push by a parent or guardian.
I have nothing against her, it’s just that she’s known for not being a good or responsible teacher.
I’ve asked her about retakes and help many times, and she often does not have time to meet up (she has 2 kids, so I don’t blame her), and she does not allow retakes.
I thought that, since my mom would be seen as someone who has way more authority and credibility than me, my teacher would actually LISTEN to my mom and understand my circumstances.
My parents almost never get involved in my academics (I get straight As without my parents pushing or helping me, with the exception of math obviously), so this would be a once-in-a-lifetime thing.
Please let me know if you still think that it wouldn’t be a good idea to bring my mom into this. This is sort of a last resort and I would never do this in other circumstances.
At this point, I would recommend that you study for the quest and ace it. Then, if you decide to bring your parents in later, you can show the teacher that you have improved and grown throughout the year in your math skills. Then, the teacher may be able to offer a grade bump by doing corrections or an alternate assignment.
For what it’s worth, neither I nor anybody else here besides you, OP, have any idea whether or not your teacher is actually competent.
However, I don’t think you have any recourse against your teacher if you do bring your parents into this. Notwithstanding your teacher’s abilities, it really doesn’t seem as if you’ve been given less than a fair opportunity to perform well on your tests. If you were given a retake in an attempt to “fix” your grade, your teacher would have to offer the same opportunities to everyone else (which sounds unlikely, considering she doesn’t allow retakes in the first place).
If corrections are offered to you, do them and anything else your teacher makes available to try and boost your grade as much as you can, but if an A is realistically out of reach for you at this point, the best you can do is to maintain your B in the class and improve in later years / later math courses so that this doesn’t happen again.
Please do not be a grade grubber over a potential B. Teachers hate that stuff, and it really isn’t fair to your peers. Be extremely careful with next years AP schedule. Do not overextend yourself. Getting a mess of B’s or even a C junior year by taking too many AP’s would be a huge mistake.
Last week, when I got my quiz grade back (F), I did explain to my teacher that I understood the concepts but panicked (and on top of that, I was sleep-deprived and my head was pounding). I asked her if there was any way I could retake it, and she said no, because retakes are not allowed for any math classes. I’m not sure if going to the math department head or my counselor or any other person with more authority would help. My mom said that I might have to go to a psychologist for WRITTEN proof that I have math anxiety. Could you please give me tips on what to do? I feel pretty lost, since this is the first time in school that I’ve felt so academically incompetent.
maybe someday I’ll accept this, but as of now it’s incredibly hard to