A new school year is upon us with new classes which means yet another math course. Unfortunately for some students this will eventually lead to a lot of unwanted stress and struggle. 

Some students have been struggling with math since an early age, explaining how it made them dread taking math because they feel like they are constantly behind.  

“Yeah, I have been struggling with math probably ever since second grade. I think math comes natural to some people and others need a bit more help. It is stressful to keep up with all the stuff I’m learning in class especially because I take two math classes,” Freshman Jenna Doiley said. 

Math courses require a lot of thinking and problem solving that can be hard to remember, and for some students this can be seen as another mountain to overcome in the long stressful school year.  

“All the work I do in that class is just a lot you know, and it just takes a while to do because a lot of the time I don’t understand it. It interferes with the whole school year and the other classes I take,” Freshman Jailah Fievre said. 

Most high school students take the following math classes Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and depending on the school Pre-calculus and other courses offered. Of course, this can be a bit overwhelming having to constantly take classes that you find difficult or deem as unnecessary.

“It’s incredibly stressful just because I feel like math itself is just very prestigious and overall, just something you really have to be in the element to do. I honestly feel like the only reasonable math class in high school is financial math that teaches us how to grow up and calculate our bills,” Fievre stated.  

Seeing how math can be seen as a tricky subject in school to master for a lot of students. Extra guidance is important to those who do not understand the information taught in the classroom as quickly as other students. 

“I’ve struggled half the time but at the end of the day I usually get it. I think I’ve been struggling or don’t fully understand it until someone shows an example of the problem. I need a teacher or to watch a video to show me specifically how to do it otherwise I will be a bit confused,” Sophomore Matthews Perez explained.  

Not only can math cause a lot of unwanted stress, but it can also lead to anxiety that can eventually affect a student’s learning ability. Even students who excel and often do well in their classes may feel this wave of anxiety when big math assignments come up or they are given challenging mathematical problems. 

Freshman Rashika Alam who is currently taking Geometry honors explains, “my honest opinion about math is that once you get the hang of it becomes easy and fun but when you don’t know what you’re doing it can be stressful. Sometimes if it’s a big test or an assignment that will be worth a lot it gets me anxious because I want to have a passing score.”