Math is one of the simplest subjects in college. However, most students find the subject difficult due to lack of practice and fear. College students who don’t perform well in math usually come up with myths and spread them to discourage their colleagues.
These myths are repeated countless times until most college students adopt an attitude of defeat. And this becomes a difficult task for tutors to overcome. To get good grades in math and algebra, you have to be confident when learning to grasp concepts. In this article, we are going to discuss the 5 top myths about college algebra that scare college students away. Knowing these education myths will help you avoid struggling and get good grades.
1. The math gene
This is one of the common myths about math class. As a college student, you’ve probably heard of the misconception that you either have the gene to understand math and get good grades or you don’t. This myth greatly affects students because they never put the effort into learning and practicing regardless of how they are taught.
To become a successful mathematician, you have to put in the time and energy. Nothing good comes easy in this world. You’ll have to solve lots of algebraic problems and practice different problem-solving approaches to have an easy time in the future. Regular practice will help you learn how to break down a huge problem into manageable chunks to understand and solve it easily.
2. Algebra is not useful
When you are trying to solve an algebraic problem, you’ve probably wondered how this unit will help you in the future. Or someone has suggested that algebra isn’t useful after graduating. Most people underestimate the importance of algebra and math as a whole in our daily lives. It is one of the most important skills that you’ll need to survive and thrive.
Think of every job or skill that requires people to understand algebra – creating a budget, building homes and apartments, and boosting sales and revenues to name a few. You have to understand algebra and other important math concepts to achieve your biggest goals in life. When you practice the concepts that you learn in every unit, you’ll have an easy time understanding and applying them in the days to come.
3. There’s only one way to solve algebraic problems
Another popular myth is that there is only one approach or method to solve algebra problems. Just like the problems we have in life, there are lots of ways to solve a math problem. To understand how to solve math problems quickly and effectively, you need to figure out your preferred learning style. There are auditory, visual, kinesthetic, and group learners.
If you don’t know your learning style, you should incorporate different styles into your education program to find college algebra answers easily and quickly. In algebra, there are many types of questions. They include equations, word problems, and graphs to name a few. Understanding how questions are asked and knowing that there are multiple ways to solve a problem will help you succeed in this area. Seeking help from math experts can help you identify and correct your mistakes quickly.
4. Algebra is all about memorizing and solving problems quickly
Most college students think that math is all about memorizing problems and solving them quickly. If all you do is memorize formulas, then it’s likely that you don’t understand what you are doing. This means that you’ll have a hard time solving a problem that is asked using a different format. You cannot solve a problem effectively without understanding it fully. When you understand different concepts, you’ll easily build on them to solve more complex problems in the future.
5. Drill and kill learning method
Our final myth is the use of the drill and kill learning method. Some college professors use this method to teach algebra. Although it can help some students understand concepts and get good grades, it’s not the most effective way to introduce new concepts. If a learner doesn’t understand a concept or is anxious about math problems, it can make them feel defeated before they start working on it. If learners don’t understand concepts from the beginning, they won’t benefit from this learning method.
Conclusion
As you have seen, there are a lot of myths about algebra. And these myths can make it difficult for college students to understand concepts and solve problems. Most students get poor grades in this unit because they’ve heard many scary myths being peddled around. And this makes them uninterested and unreceptive to math. Math and algebra are one of the simplest subjects and units in college. All you have to do is put in some time and energy every day. As the popular saying goes, practice makes perfect.
Author Bio:
Kathy Mercado is a renowned mathematician and academic writer. She is passionate about helping college students with math and research papers. She spends her free time learning new concepts and seeing the world.