I'm terrible at math. Throughout my life, countless tears have been shed over word problems and various mathematical equations.For some reason, the numbers simply won't stick in my head. You'll see me count on my fingers, scribble simple formulas down on a piece of paper, or even whip out my calculator for things anyone else could figure out in my head.

I'm extremely self conscious about my math skills. I recognize that many people have this in common with me, but I can't help but feel slightly stupid each time I'm faced with an equation that takes me too long to figure out. When called out to solve an equation, my brain freezes and my face burns red with embarrassment. My ability to solve problems completely disintegrates, and I'm left looking like a fool.

Thankfully, I only have to take one math class over the course of my college career, and I've already gotten that out of the way. However, the fact that I haven't kept up with my basic math skills means that I've completely forgotten the rules that should've stuck with me throughout my life, ultimately adding to my anxiety around math.

The worst is when I'm faced with math that I have to do on the spot, with no hope for escape. For example, when I'm working the register and I already know what change I'm giving back, and then the customer hands me more change to "make it easier", I completely freeze. I feel so exposed and so on the spot that I can't even think. People have even called me out on it, suggesting that it's ridiculous that I can't simply figure it out.

I'm aware how dumb I look in that moment, incapable of mental processes and speech, but even with my embarrassing math skills, I've still maintained at 3.9 GPA in college, so don't just assume that I'm stupid because I can't do the simplest of math problems on the spot.

We all have our strengths and we all have our weaknesses. That's what makes us human. You might not be able to write a comprehensive essay, but that doesn't mean that you aren't a computer whiz. We all learn differently and we all understand things differently, finding challenges in different subjects regardless of our intelligence. It does well to remember this quote:

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”