I’m really scared of Math, and I don’t know whether I’ll ever be able to overcome the fear of math’, said an anxious #gmat Prep student. It made me think about the intangible FEAR of math.
Being WEAK in math and being FEARFUL of math are two different things. It’s likely that a student who’s sacred of math, in addition to just being weak in math, is almost sure that any effort he/she makes would ultimately prove to be a waste of time. So, for a person who’s scared of math, a bigger deterrent than not having a solid conceptual base is their mental block itself, for any effort to get better that they do make is compromised by their own doubts and apprehensions.
Yes, there are few(rare, rather) who are just not intellectually capable enough to get better at math, but, for most of you out there, there’s nothing to fear but the FEAR itself (cliche? It doesn’t matter if it’s true). So just get on with it; engage, deliberate, analyse, and seek help if necessary. Learn how to not engage with the thoughts that make you give up (PRACTICE!). You’ll definitely get positive results if you persist.