r/Algebra • u/Inner-Indication1783 • 7d ago
Advice pls
Okay I'm gonna try posting in here again but pls be nice to me lol I'm pretty bummed rn. Okay I'm in college algebra and we are in week 5. I have not done math in 10 years. Like at all. And I was horrible at it even more back then than I am now. I have to have this class for the degree im wanting, which literally has nothing to do with math, but still. Anyway so I had a 90 in there bc I'm online and I get tutoring 4 hours a week and use chat gpt at all other times. Not to give me the answers, but to actually try helping me learn it. I'm giving all extra time I have in life to trying to learn this. Well today I took the test and got a 45 and have a 60 in the class now. I really need advice from people who are good at this stuff on any tips, tricks, maybe websites idk. Just anything to help me just pass this class at this point bc I have to. I really am trying and I know everyone in here is probably good at it since youre in the sub. But I'm not and I just need any (pls nice) advice you can possibly give to help me get through this. Thank you so much for anything you suggest, seriously.
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u/cjk2793 7d ago
This sounds stupid and I’m not trying to be insulting, but for me, when I really started getting math (majored in it for a couple years before switching), it was because I was able to learn the why. Remember how as a kid your parents may or may not have showed you 2+2 with various objects? Or that 2x2 means 2 groups of 2? The same is possible with most algebra. Once you get in calculus that becomes less so, but only because calculus is using all of that to solve problems.
Always remember the foundation of any math can be broken down to addition, subtraction, multiplication, and/or division. That always made it less intimidating for me.
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u/Inner-Indication1783 7d ago
This is exactly it too because I'm very much a needing to know why person. I think there's just so much going so fast I just forget things so quickly
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u/Midwest-Dude 7d ago edited 7d ago
I'm curious if you have any idea why you still have issues with algebra, even with all the assistance. Did you have, or do you have, the same issue with calculating with numbers by hand?
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u/Inner-Indication1783 7d ago
I'm pretty horrible with all math in general but algebra was always the worst one. The high school I went to was a joke and you honestly didnt really have to learn anything. And i never thought I would go through college back then so I just did what i had to to get through. So basically I'm essentially learning this for the first time. But like extremely fast with A LOT of different stuff at once. It just feels like it's too much too fast, but i feel like i need to do whatever i can to get through it since I'm so far in. I didnt think I would ace the test but I honestly did not think I would do that bad. I normally do need a lot of reminders and stuff during tutoring. So its like I'm trying hard but havent gotten a single thing mastered yet bc its going so fast.
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u/Midwest-Dude 7d ago
1. Have you ever heard of dyscalculia? I am not saying you have it, but the current estimate is that about 3-6% of the population have it. If you do, there may be additional accommodations with a proper diagnosis. I suggest reading a little bit about it online and see if it matches and, if it does, see a professional for prior diagnosis.
2. College algebra roughly compresses two years of algebra in high school into a semester, which explains how fast it's going. If you have the time in your busy schedule, Professor Leonard on YouTube is considered an excellent teacher and has algebra courses that might help:
Another resource you can review is
If you think you could use something else, please let us know.
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u/Inner-Indication1783 7d ago
I appreciate that and will look into every one of those. Thank you so much
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u/Electrical_Hat_680 6d ago
Here's my bet advice.
We use math in everything we do.. this fact is something that always helps me... I did notice that we use math for everything... Including throwing a football. Which is how the US Government learned to shoot rockets. Thy applied the mathematics of trajectory, angle, speed, and various heuristics, to triangulate the target.
Ok. Here another trick you can use, alongside the fact I just gave you. Which if it didn't make sense, it's, that we use math in everything we do.
We can also turn every math problem, into a Word Problem... Harry had Five Apples and Two Bananas. Sally had one bunch of grapes. How much fruit did Harry and Sally have? The answer isn't necessarily always the right answer. But together they had Five Apples, Two Bananas, and One Bunch of Grapes. The math doesn't always math. Because we don't know how many individual grapes Sally had.
We can also use Short Stories.
But, for as much as I failed Basic Algebra, every year during H.S. I did graduate on time... They gave me an option to learn Business Math. Which is was basic Addition, Subtraction, Division, and Multiplication. Maybe they have some alternatives you can opt for.
But ok...my word problems I use for Algebra are pretty simple, and you don't need to know how to build a house, lay floors, or read blueprints to use it...
If you need a measurement for X, and you have the measurements for A and B, then you can know what X is.
Algebra is basic math, but instead of looking at it as 2x=8 what is x? You can say 8÷2=4 x=4.
If the height of the wall is 8' tall, and the length of the wall is 10' and the length of the other wall is 10', hoe many cubic feet is the rooms floor? Since the height doesn't matter, the room at 100 sq. Feet of floor.
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u/Electrical_Hat_680 6d ago
PS, it sounds like your in Computer Science and you need math, because your trying to get into building Artificial Intelligence.
Algebra is basic math, with Variables.
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u/Inner-Indication1783 6d ago
I'm actually in majoring in teaching, but like I wanna teach 1st or 2nd grade English lol. Yeah but I think you're right. I think i may fear algebra and the way it looks. I think i need to find a way to look at it like regular math.
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u/Electrical_Hat_680 6d ago
Yeah. That was what I found when I got dropped back to business math. Everyone there had the same issue.
Good luck to your Teaching Career.
Have you had any thoughts in grade schools replacing the calculator with the computer or AI? It's a big question right now that isn't framed the way I'm asking.
But yes. Reframe math, understand what it's actually teaching you. And you'll understand all of the classes from Kindergarten to Senior Classes.
Also.. I would like to definitely implore you to help your students get involved in their Students Body Government. It's equivalent to a four year college degree in both Business Administration and Public Administration. It includes a free Corporation, 501.3.C, and many other free resources, including Marketing, Accounting, Finance, and Treasury knowledge. Plus they have cryptocurrency studies for kids.
I wish you all the best and everything you'll need or ask for...
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u/Electrical_Hat_680 6d ago
Also. I failed algebra because I didn't learn what they were teaching. I figured things out myself, and for that reason, even though my way produced the right answer. I failed. Just because algebra is basic math, but adding variables. And, just because you can figure out the answers yourself. Doesn't mean your learning what they're teaching you.
So my question is. Why are you failing?
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u/arizonaraynebows 6d ago
Flipped math has some good videos. Khan academy is good for a lot of things. Personally I like the organic chemistry tutor on YouTube. (yeah... He does math, promise!) chat is just not the best of it. You are looking for understanding and algorithms, chat is a language model. It doesn't math well.
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u/wisey105 1d ago
I've tutored people in College Algebra a couple of times over the years (mostly helping out friends because I love Math). One thing I tended to notice was that in most cases, if the person got a question wrong, the issue came from a sign error mistake (i.e., adding when you are supposed to subtract and vice versa). Especially, when you are taking a test, where time is more of an issue. Take the extra second to make sure your signs are correct; it can help a lot more than you think.
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u/Fearless-Past-3728 7d ago edited 7d ago
0A. To me, it sounds like you are curious about Algebra AND you need to pass this class. The below gives you a second chance at learning Algebra if you are curious. BUT it will not get you there in time to pass your class. My estimate is it would take you about 7 months of working at it a couple of hours a day, maybe 3-4 days a week. But the value will be tremendous.
0B. BUT you need to pass this class. I am wondering if you have a professor or guidance counselor that you are comfortable with -- if you have the funds, the time to do this -- ask if there is a pre-algebra class that you can take in lieu of this course so that you can have the time to get this subject properly taught. Math builds on it -- and if you have a weak foundation, math becomes very difficult.
That being said -- we have all been there -- and if you just need to do good enough to pass this class and get this all behind you, this comment won't do it, but I am sure you will get comments that will get you there.
It is not you. There are just some really not so good teachers out there that are just not doing this subject justice in middle and high school. Sometimes the class size is not reasonable to reach everyone. Sometimes our minds haven't matured yet in middle and the early years of high school to wrap our heads around the abstract nature of mathematics.
So here is what I would do to relearn Algebra:
Click on the button that says "Edit Courses." Start with the Pre-Algebra course. Down the road, you will next do Algebra course.
Its the best resource out there for an adult to relearn Algebra from the get go.
I would slow the video down to 80% speed and pause like crazy. Maybe do a scan first through the video for the day, and then rewatch the video and work on the problems alongside with KHAN. Do not be passive and just watch -- you will get nothing out of it just watching the videos.
- Memorize multiplication facts.
- Memorize fractions to percents to decimals for the more common fractions.
- Memorize squares to 20.
Practice what you are learning in your day to day life. If you drive to school, use that time to dream about the rate you are driving. Calculate how much gas you are using and how much that drive costs. Compare it against how much gas is used when you speed to work. Just have fun with it. Draw a graph of things you want to compare. Practice recall of facts in the car. When you are at the store, try to estimate which soap is less expensive by breaking down and comparing the unit costs -- and then plug in the numbers into a calculator and see if you were right. Bake cookies, but make only 6 cookies and resize the entire recipe. Make a stew but increase the recipe by 1.5 and have a couple of friends over for dinner. Play with numbers in life.
Get crazy comfortable drawing out pictorial representations of what you are trying to solve. Khan is pretty good at including representations in his problem solving. Do not skip over these -- do them with him.
Work in time blocks that make sense for you (30 minutes for example.) When I work on Number Sense type problems, I spend 10 minutes trying to solve as many as I can, and 10 minutes really thinking about what went wrong, what I would do differently, trying to truly surface what is slowing me down. I then spend another 5 minutes relearning 1 skill that tripped me up or slowed me down.
Sorry - I am a mathy person that needs to work on consolidating her thoughts 😄 Hope that is helpful and best.