Many students have a negative attitude towards mathematics. They perceive it as a difficult and extremely hard subject to read, comprehend and understand. Once a human mind perceives that something is hard or extremely difficult, it becomes weak and is not able to do that particular item properly or with ease. Students tend to assume that mathematics is difficult generally, without considering that there are easy topics such as addition, multiplication, subtraction and division. They focus on the difficult areas in mathematics that they get to know from relatives, parents, teachers and peers such as differential equations. Having a negative attitude blurs one’s mind from concentrating and learning on what is being taught, when mathematics is being taught.

Students fail to understand fundamental items and basic principles about mathematics. One has to know and properly understand basic principles in mathematics such as addition, subtraction, division, multiplication and carrying forward. These are fundamental items that apply almost everywhere when one is doing any type of mathematical calculation. Once students fail to grasp and understand these concepts properly, they feel they cannot do well in mathematics and end up hating mathematics.

Some students feel that mathematics is not necessary to their lives. They feel it does not apply to their day to day activities or the lifestyle they have. They think that they can survive without mathematics. Many students assume that they will survive without the need of having mathematical knowledge. They perceive that in areas where mathematics is required to be done, there are people to do those calculations. They consider supermarkets to cashiers, banks to have accountants and firms to have auditors. This way, they do not see any reason why they should pump up their brains with mathematical information, when there are professionals to do the job.

Students feel that mathematics is their weak area. They feel that they do not have the power or ability to do mathematics as well as they do other subjects. They consider mathematics as a weak point which pulls down their grades and overall academic performance. This makes them hate the subject as they feel that they were not born with “mental strength” to do the subject like the rest of the students who do well in it. When they assume that they are weak in the subject, they do not bother to know their areas of weakness or modes of learning and revision they can use to help them get a better understanding about their areas of weakness and different units that the subject has. They are not able to improve on the subject as they do not work on their areas of weakness. They always remain down in terms of mathematics. This is because they totally feel mathematics is an area they can never thrive or do well.

Many students are lazy and do not want to put in effort that is required in learning mathematics. Mathematics requires a lot of hard work to pass. It is a subject that requires someone to be disciplined. It needs one to be attentive in class in order to keenly listen on what is being taught, complete assignments and revise on the assignments and classwork. One must constantly practice on the formulas and methods applied in mathematical calculations, for one to become conversant with them. Students do not want to tire themselves with such work as they feel it will consume and take so much of their time. They feel mathematics is a subject that requires a lot of their; time, concentration and effort which they are not ready to part with. Thus they end up hating it.