Is this the Bermuda Triangle?

I used to hate math. I could feel it stalking me whenever I had to look at percentages or do arithmetic in my head. (Think fast: 7 x 8). Binary numbers? You want me to remember converting from decimal to binary and binary to hex? What about logarithms and big-o?

Is your heart racing? Do you feel like less of a nerd? You shouldn’t.

Math used to scare the hell out of me on a daily basis. It began in the third grade when a really awful substitute teacher felt compelled to teach me division with remainders. At this point, it’s obvious to me that she didn’t know what she was doing. All I remember is being screamed at for hours and told how stupid I was. My math grades were never the same after that.

This is just one way that a math phobia can start. It typically has very little to do with your actual ability and everything to do with anxiety and confidence. At this point, I divide people into two groups when it comes to math: those who are scared of their own shadow, and those who are not. Those of you who absolutely love numbers and have never had a problem working with them…good for you! I hope you love, cherish, and appreciate your gift while also having tolerance for those of us intimidated into doing without.

It has taken me years, to live with and even find enjoyment in math. Much of this is because I eventually found a calculus teacher who showed me that I am, indeed, not stupid when it comes to math. How did she do this? She taught me a few tricks that have helped me feel more confident:

1. Review is the key. It is math. You will forget things. You will forget things you have studied several times. When you come across something like the Pythagorean theorem, for example, there is a very good chance that you won’t remember it. Not if, but when that happens, it’s ok to say, “It’s been a while since I used this so it’s time to review.” This is normal and perfectly acceptable.

2. The best mathematicians SUCK at arithmetic. I didn’t just hear this from my calculus teacher but also from my discrete math teacher. When was the last time your life depended on 15223 / 48? Does it pay your bills? I mean, let’s keep life in perspective. My feeling is, as long as you can make change and count your money…WHO CARES! (Good for the people that do…it’s time to quit worrying if you don’t.)

3. There are people who are born not sucking at arithmetic. I admire them, but I don’t beat myself up because I can’t do what they do. To extend this, I don’t beat myself up when I have to use the calculator or excel for decimal to binary or hex. Life’s too short for me to care.

4. Pictures and colors are your best friend. Math class never came alive for me until my calculus teacher drew graphs and equations on the board in color. She wouldn’t work without it. I found myself understanding concepts that had confounded me in my previous 2 (yes, TWO) attempts at calculus. It was as if I was learning a different subject entirely.

This is not to diminish the importance of math skills. I’ve just seen too many people get upset with themselves for something that a) is not their fault b) is insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

Testers need to know math. In particular, testers need to be familiar with statistical concepts. I’ve seen rampant mis-use of percentages (and testers aren’t alone in this, devs do it too. Saw it at work last week). My personal theory, based on no science whatever, is that not all, but many testers like using bug counts because they don’t know anything else.

Are you feeling scared? Don’t worry. We’re all in this together. I have to review my statistics as well, and I plan on doing it here. The book I’ll be using is Head First Statistics. Another good book that I had to give away before my move was the Manga Guide to Statistics. You see, learning math isn’t the same as it used to be. There’s no need to be scared anymore.

When I was cleaning out a bunch of old papers in my file cabinet before the move to Oz, I came across an old IQ test that I took in the third grade. My math skills were rated “superior.” I chucked it with a bunch of other crap I just didn’t need anymore.