Math anxiety is real and quite common. Many graduate students dread their Statistics class or shy away from data-driven projects. In the short-term, this may work for you, but in the long run, it could be problematic, especially if you go into a field like public health, where many journal articles rely on data to prove their points and studies rely on data for funding. Math anxiety may stem from bad experiences you’ve had in the past with math classes, or you may be the kind of learner who finds it confusing. Whatever the origins, you can deal with math anxiety. Just because it may have been challenging for you in the past, doesn’t mean you can’t face your fears or discomfort with the subject matter and eventually become more comfortable with it. Here are some tips.

  1. Review and learn basic math concepts. This sounds obvious, but for many people, anxiety can get in the way of learning the fundamentals. Reviewing them and learning the basics now can provide a stronger foundation and help decrease your anxiety.

  2. Practice positive self-talk. Yes, really. Negative self-talk can feed anxiety and quickly spiral into panic. Positively reframing situations can help you remain calm, allowing you to think clearly about the challenge in front of you.

  3. Don’t just memorize math rules or concepts; try to understand the “why” behind it. Short-term memory is affected by stress. If you simply memorize things, you’re more likely to forget it when stressed – but if you really understand the “why” behind the concepts and have a deeper understanding of what you’re doing, you’re less likely to become tripped up.

  4. Practice, practice, practice – and get involved. The more you do something, the less anxious you’ll be and the more familiar it will be to you. Talk with your professor and ask for some extra work, or go find a workbook that covers the basics that you need a refresher on. Read over the chapters an extra time or two and take good notes on the textbook and in class. Ask questions if there’s something you don’t understand and attend review sessions or study groups.

  5. Seek help if necessary. Many schools have tutoring centers, or you might have a TA who holds review sessions throughout the semester. Find a tutor or join a study group – don’t be shy about asking for help. Thesis Editor can also provide professional assistance and tutoring, no matter what you’re working on.


Here at Thesis Editor, we know that math doesn’t come easy to everyone – which is why our stats team is ready to assist you with whatever project comes your way. Although we can’t do all the work for you, we can help guide you through the process and help you understand the concepts behind the data analysis, including explaining what the numbers mean and how the results fit in with your work. Contact us today to learn more about our stats team and to see how we can help you achieve your goals.

 

 

 
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Tagged under: Dissertation Methodology and Statistical Analysis   General Dissertation   Graduate School   data analysis services   dissertation data   dissertation data analysis   math anxiety   professional services   statistics services  

I cannot sing the praises of Thesis Editor highly enough.

I am a third year PhD student and I had been struggling for months with my quantitative analysis (both running and interpreting my tests). Any support I had sought out from my institution ended up leaving me more confused than when I arrived. I came across Thesis Editor whilst I was searching online for some stats help, and I am so thankful that I did.

If like I was, you are struggling with an aspect of your PhD, perhaps do not seem to be able to get the help you need from your institution or outside, you will not regret using Thesis Editor.

Dawn, the Director, was absolutely brilliant from beginning to end. I was contacted promptly after my initial enquiry, and there was a very quick turnaround to which a quote was given after assessing my work. I was then assigned a statistitian, Dr Musicha, and received extremely comprehensive feedback within one week. This was then followed by a 1-hour consultation. My consultation with Dr Musicha was nothing less than phenomenal. Honestly I cannot even put into words how much I gained in the hour together. He not only helped me built my knowledge but practically had me share my screen and walked me through my challenges on SPSS so I had a thorough understanding - something that has not been done with my university throughout my PhD. I was taught more in that hour about my quant stats than I have by anyone else. He was also just so kind, and encouraging and really boosted my confidence.

Using Thesis Editor has been an invaluable investment, and I can only thank Dawn and Dr Musicha so dearly.

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