Joseph J. answered 02/20/13
I specialize in tutoring math.
This is an exercise in understanding, so it isn't truly a math problem. In my mind, the obvious fill-in is "panic".
Don't panic when you see the term "function".
I would extend that to
Don't panic over any concept in math.
Panicking doesn't help you understand anything (except possibly the feeling of panic). Math gives you a set of tools for manipulating information. Try to find a tool that works on your problem. Work in a step-by-step manner. Quite often you cannot see the answer to the whole problem at once, so break it into pieces, or find steps that take you toward a solution. If you cannot see the first step, find someone who can help you break the problem apart into simple steps. It's a skill, so it takes a good model or example, then practice.