Many of us grew up seeing Mathematics as a field only the gifted can enter. While the geniuses have fun with numbers, the rest of us wade through them either in hazy stupor or in mindless fear. The most we could do was pass the quizzes and exams that our teachers would give so we can move on to the next grade and finish our years in school. If we are lucky, then we’d land a job that requires minimal exposure to mathematical tasks.

However, there is no need to develop an adverse reaction to anything mathematical. The beauty of Math can be seen beyond what the numbers foretell, but how they configure the patterns in nature, and even, inside our bodies. Seeing the symmetry and harmony of patterns will show the presence of the divine and the essence of beauty as human beings see it.

A movie inspired on numbers, geometry and nature, by Cristóbal Vila. Go to www.etereaestudios.com for more info: theory behind, stills, screenshots, and tutorials.

We all use Math in every aspect of our daily lives. From the measurements we make every time we prepare food to the number of coins we had in our pockets, Math inevitably proves itself a very useful tool. If we do not study Math well, then we will find it difficult to manage even our personal finances.

However, few people truly appreciate Math. The general dislike for numbers probably lies in the complexity of equations and formulas we had to study in school. In time, we learned to dread the subject of Math, and the exams we had to take just to pass through grade school, and then through high school and college.

When high school seniors decide what their major in college will be, most of them would look for a course that requires less Math subjects. If they had to take Math subjects, then they prefer the basic courses. To some extent, most people suffer from math anxiety at different levels and with varying degrees of severity.

Most students normally experience anxiety during a Math exam. However, other students experience strong anxiety attacks when asked to solve a Math problem on the board. The combination of Math anxiety and the fear of public disgrace proved too much for some students that they would rather miss class and risk their grades than face another hour of calculating x and y.

Students used to perceive Math teachers as strict disciplinarians, which stems from the fact that Mathematics is a very exact discipline. The probability of getting the wrong answer is very high. This may embarrass the students and make them lose self-confidence. Thus, math anxiety inevitably develops.

There are many ways to overcome math anxiety. As a first step, the student must regain confidence in solving a simple Math problem. To strengthen this, the tutor or teacher should give rewards and hold back on the punishment. This method of reward and punishment comes from Educational Psychology principles.

Through in-home tutoring, the student avoids facing embarrassment and ridicule from fellow classmates. At the same time, positive feedback from an in-home tutor appear more personal and sincere because the relationship between the tutor and tutee is closer than between a teacher and student in a classroom setting.

In-home tutoring provides a less stressful atmosphere, which makes learning Math easy and fun. Professional tutors can give their tutees tips, such as shortcut methods and less known techniques to solve Math problems. An article by Peter Gray in Psychology Today, posted April 15, 2010, supports this, saying, “Math outside of school is fun, useful, and joyfully learned.”

If they didn’t make us take math in school, would we still need tutors? The answer is yes and yes. Of course!  Even if you don’t struggle with English, science, or languages, most students encounter some type of math though their course of studies that quite simply baffles them.

For most people math starts to get tricky after pre-algebra.  Something about solving for an unknown variable just seems to be an abstract concept when you’ve been doing arithmetic and word problems from grade school until about 6th or 7th grade.

Don’t feel bad because you’re not alone. Many students in middle school or high school have problems with math.  Most adults still have problems with algebra or anything beyond, for example, geometry, trigonometry, or calculus and need private tutoring.

We’ve had people call us who are in their 50s needing to take a test that requires basic algebra and they just don’t remember because they haven’t used it since they were in middle school or high school.