My parents tell me practise is everything but its hard to bring myself to face the books i have feel really anxious when i go to my maths book.

I really want to do well in maths since i want to be an astrophysician.

Any advice would be appreicated.

Other than that, I think you have to do what you have to do. There is no other way. Except, perhaps, try to separate your efforts. School math aside, while working on it, try to think of what is difficult to you and work back from there. Get to the root of the difficulty and master it. Then reverse your way a step at a time. This should come on top of carrying on with you school assignments.

If you are so depressed with maths, why do you want to be an astrophysicist, a career which requires not only maths, but possibly a PhD in physics or something similar. You say you want to love maths, not that you love it. Is the astrophysics thing your own ambition or are other people perhaps pushing you towards it? If your school offers counselling and/or careers advice I would strongly advise you to talk to the appropriate person.

I failed 2nd grade because I couldn't tell the difference between the number "8" and the letter "B", or the letter "q" and a number "9". Silly? No way! It was stumping me just like walking into a wall would. Then my good teacher told me "you can do it, keep trying, you will understand, you CAN understand...” So, after the 2nd time through second grade I DID! Math went to the top of my list. Everything I said I converted to some kind of math. Two halves make a whole. Divide a candy 3 ways for three kids etc.

I kept at it and eventually went to college, and soon became a 4.0 honor student in math and chemistry; as promising candidate for a teacher the world was very exciting. I was taking advanced calculus and chemistry and was on my way to finding ways to teach these "higher concepts" to 4th and 5th grade students. Then....

It was about 9 years ago when I was struck down by a stroke. Sadly that almost ended my life, and worse, my will to teach and improve upon math. But, I am now coming back! It took a few years but I refused to quit. Without math we can get nowhere; so with your help and others we can help each other learn and learn a better way to learn math. Use the "old ways" then when you master them, go on; go on and improve the way we teach until it is easier, and easier.

We cannot get to the STARS by re-inventing the wheel every generation. Math is a tool, like a hammer. You don't pound a nail with your fist so don't solve a problem with myth. Stay away from those who say, "You can't do that.... I can't be done..." Those are ghosts of the past. Move ahead. Then you will see: the difficult can be done; the impossible just takes a little longer!

Now get to work.... or I might say, have fun. Because math is truly fun if you apply yourself 100% to it -- and refuse to quit.

Shelli