Do you remember what a cosine is? What about an isosceles triangle? If 10th grade math is a distant memory, there’s no reason to feel like a dunce.

And you’re definitely not alone if you feel like you’re “bad at math.".

Math Anxiety is Real

Math anxiety is defined as feelings of apprehension or increased physiological reactivity when dealing with math or having to manipulate numbers, according to research published in Psychology Research and Behavior Management.

In that study, 93% of adults say they feel some level of math anxiety and 17% of Americans suffer from high levels of math anxiety.

Indeed, math anxiety can have real consequences, including long-term anxiety, lack of motivation, and keep students from succeeding.

A study from the University of Chicago found that people who have math anxiety often steer away from math problems and can even keep them from being financially successful in life.

The study found math anxiety could affect everyday decisions like calculating tips or change at a restaurant.

It All Adds Up

Instead of running away from math, you should embrace it. There are tools and resources to help you conquer your fear of math.

Photomath is a perfect app if you’re a visual learner. With this app, the user takes a picture of an equation and Photomath will not only give the answer but will present a step-by-step guide with how-to animations. The app is useful for everything from pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus to statistics. There is both a free and paid version of the app.

Another app to help overcome your fear of math is Mathway which is another convenient photo-solving math app. With Mathway, you can get solutions for math problems, either printed or handwritten. The paid version includes the step-by-step solutions and includes live access to math tutors in case you need math help in real-time.

Helping Teachers Help You

Teachers know all too well about how math anxiety can keep a student from reaching his or her potential. Even the best teachers have to turn to math apps to help their students.

For instance, Brandi Snelson, a middle school math teacher, said she has used math apps like Mathway, Khan Academy and Demos to work with students.

“Khan Academy I used for different forms of understanding, such as practice or example explanation,” Snelson said.

Julieane Reed, another math teacher, said she enjoys using Photomath with her middle school students.

“The app helps students with math problems - not just giving them the answer but works it out step by step," said Reed. 

Noelle Griego, a mom of young twins, said she uses Prodigy Math.

"They really enjoy it and it still challenges them,” Griego said. “They also use iReady. I like both programs because they are simply using math.”