Having an Effective Attitude

• Have a positive attitude about studying and about math. View the learning of math as a challenge. Focus on the long-term benefits of knowing math.
• When studying, use your full concentration. You can practice your concentration: every time, you notice you are distracted, put a tally mark on a piece of paper. With practice, the number of tally marks will reduce.
• Develop an internal locus of control. This means you feel you have control about how well you do in math. You can develop an internal locus of control by
  • studying on a regular basis
  • rewarding yourself for good study habits
  • delay rewards to study first
  • reward yourself for doing well on tests
  • after a low test score, instead of berating yourself, give yourself a pep talk and make a detailed study plan to prepare for the next test. Review what you could have done better and implement these ideas.
• Avoid learned helplessness. This derives from an external locus of control.
  • People with an external locus of control believe that other people or "the system" controls what is happening to them.
  • An external locus of control often develops after trying and not succeeding. A student may think, "Studying doesn't help anyway.
  • To break this bad habit, realize that you may have lacked the skills to study effectively. Work on your study skills and take back control over your math success.
• Avoid procrastination. Some reasons for procrastination are
  • fear of success.
  • fear of failure.
  • fear of competition.
  • rebelling against authority.
  • Explore your reasons in your journal. Procrastination is a waste of your time and energy.