These 8 devastating mistakes have crushed the dreams of countless students. You will not be one of them.

Mistake #1: Forgetting the Negative Sign. A dropped negative is a tiny error that creates a catastrophic failure.

Mistake #2: Incorrect Distribution. Forgetting to share a value with EVERY term inside the parentheses.

Mistake #3: Violating the Order of Operations. PEMDAS is not a suggestion; it is the law.

Mistake #4: Messy Handwriting. An illegible '2' that looks like a 'z' is a self-inflicted wound.

Mistake #5: Only Performing an Operation on One Side. This is a mortal sin against the god of balance.

Mistake #6: Panicking at the Sight of Fractions. A fraction is just a division problem in disguise. Do not fear it.

Mistake #7: Combining Unlike Terms. You cannot add x² and x. It is forbidden.

Mistake #8: Not Checking Your Answer. This is pure arrogance. The pros always check their work.

These are your enemies. Know them. Hunt them. Eradicate them from your work. Victory will be yours.