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College Algebra is kicking my ass.

NoPromiseMade

NoPromiseMade

Bluelighter
Joined
Jun 22, 2010
Messages
198
Location
Houston TX
I hate math, numbers, asain professors(not really). Either way, the course is kicking my ass, should I drop it and try it again later with a lower class road so I can focus on it more?

I just want an english degree, I fail to see how this is required for anything that would involve what the degree entails and I am bombing the course. I am not an idiot but this class certainly makes me feel like one. Any suggestions y'all could give me would be great.
 
I'd say stick with it man, the professor might see how hard your trying and maybe cut you some slack.

If not try it again when you have more time to focus on it, just cause you fail one class does NOT make you an idiot by any means!

good luck man! :)

(*edit*) lol four hundred and twentieth post!
 
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Don't give up on it man. It's not you it's your professor. Math is the only subject that makes sense, there are no exceptions to the rules and they can be proven over and over using several different methods. I hated math at one point and had a geometry teacher that broke it all down for me and it applies to algebra, geometry, calc, and physics. Once I got that thru my head I went on to become a mechanical engineer.
 
I am with you. the only reason I don't have my college degree (English as well) is because of math. I have three more math classes to go, and they are basic classes but they are difficult. I go to a huge university where the professors in mathematics can barely speak English. it's tough. you don't want to become old like me (25) and sans-degree just because of math.

I would recommend getting a math tutor. usually they are free at the university, and people like you and me (whom are smart yet mathematically troubled) really need it. lets not give our collective hopes up, ok?
 
I wouldn't get yourself too down. I'm a biochem major and I don't hate math but I hated my intro college math classes with a passion. The problem at large state universities is that everyone is required to take at least calc I & II usually freshman year so they hire 200 new professors straight from taiwan just to teach the intro calc classes. The professors aren't good at teaching or generally don't care and they do not write the exams: the math department does. And if your school is anything like mine, the exams aren't exactly easy.

I find upper math courses easier because the professors are usually passionate about what they are teaching and genuinely want you to understand the material. The class sizes are smaller and you can get individual attention easier. I'm taking Stats 501 right now and I love it, while I hated the shit out of calc 131 and 132.

I agree, it's probably your professor, not you. That might not help much, but don't think you're an idiot. A great math teacher can work miracles but they're sadly in very short supply.
 
I wouldn't give up on it, algebra is worthwhile to get through imo. I'm taking precalc atm at a community college and I'm really struggling, but apparently even the 4.0 students are having a hard time with this professor. All the students are working their asses off and getting tutored and shit so they're actually starting to understand the shit (just as more shit is piled on), but I hate school oh so much though and I'm already putting in 2-3 days of studying a week for just this class while currently failing.
 
Thx guys I am gonna try to stick it out. The prof does suck so I am going to see what the school offers tutoring wise. I am no stranger to hard(ish) work and busting ass but b/w the prof and my other classes it is a struggle.
 
Perhaps a tutoring session might help, but you need to understand that math is a LOT of work. It seems to me like people who do poorly in math classes just don't practice enough.

Learning math you've never done before can easily require 3+ hours of practice per day. That's just the nature of mathematics.
 
Don't drop it.......if you are not good in math, you really wont get better if you take a lower course. If you hate, you will continue on hating it. I tutored a lot of people in my lifetime in math since high school through college and after. Go to the math lab at school....or study with someone else so you can get that shit out of the way. Post your grading scale and your grades and I will help you figure it out if you would like. Best of luck to you :)
 
Totally know how you feel. I(or anyone else) shouldn't have to ace statistics and geometry just to get a degree in Sign language.While it is great to have a vast knowledge of multiple subjects I am starting to think my Community College want's me to rediscover the theory of relativity thus revolutionizing the fields of mathematics and physics before they give anyone a degree in anything.
 
kudos for sticking with it.
:D
mathematics are as said above, basically the only facts we know of. i am so interested in it, and grasp its endless importance.

but fail miserably, when i try and push myself with it.
i skimmed by my community colleges intro algebra class. so so interesting, but brain no compute that way.
 
panic in paradise said:
but brain no compute that way.
Click to expand...

Not true!

Every person who is of at least average intelligence can complete mathematics courses successfully through the entirety of calculus.

You simply haven't figured out how to teach yourself mathematics efficiently yet. If you really dove in and gave it your full effort, you could master an astounding volume of conceptual material-- you would surprise yourself. :)

Math just can't be half-assed, though. It's an all-or-nothing kind of thing, you have to devote at least a few hours to it every single day or you'll never progress at an acceptable rate.

HigherAwareness said:
Totally know how you feel. I(or anyone else) shouldn't have to ace statistics and geometry just to get a degree in Sign language.While it is great to have a vast knowledge of multiple subjects I am starting to think my Community College want's me to rediscover the theory of relativity thus revolutionizing the fields of mathematics and physics before they give anyone a degree in anything.
Click to expand...

No offense, but not knowing statistics and geometry is like not knowing how to use a computer.

I wonder why so many people consider mathematics to be such an ancillary and specialized segment of academia-- it forms the basis for the entirety of logical thought-- I think it should comprise a sizable portion of education relative to any field of study.
 
Roger&Me said:
Not true!

Every person who is of at least average intelligence can complete mathematics courses successfully through the entirety of calculus.

You simply haven't figured out how to teach yourself mathematics efficiently yet. If you really dove in and gave it your full effort, you could master an astounding volume of conceptual material-- you would surprise yourself. :)

Math just can't be half-assed, though. It's an all-or-nothing kind of thing, you have to devote at least a few hours to it every single day or you'll never progress at an acceptable rate.
Click to expand...

you are inspirational... ;)

im an all or nothing kind of guy when i get started with,,, anything. thats my lifes little tug-of-war.
 
Roger&Me said:
No offense, but not knowing statistics and geometry is like not knowing how to use a computer.

I wonder why so many people consider mathematics to be such an ancillary and specialized segment of academia-- it forms the basis for the entirety of logical thought-- I think it should comprise a sizable portion of education relative to any field of study.
Click to expand...

Well yeah, basic geometry and statistical math are a part of everyday life. People should be able to find distances and divide using geometry. Statistics is great for probability and logic. I just think It's unnecessary to have to take that much math in order to be placed in the workforce. Higher education IMHO should be more merit based.
 
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Is there a part specifically that you're finding challenging, or is it the entire subject?

Are you comfortable with the basics?

There are actual mathematicians on this board, but from my perspective math consists of three intertwined activities:

1) Understanding intuitively why a concept works;
2) Becoming familiar enough with the concept to recognize when it may be helpful in solving a problem, or creating a proof;
3) Proving rigorously that a concept works.

I think the issue bright students run into with math, particularly if they're skilled verbally, is that they assume that they can read about a concept, understand intuitively why it might work, and then close the book.

It doesn't work that way. Read about the concept, understand why it works, and then practice it.

The analogy to English would be having a basic understanding of what the terms of grammar mean (subject, object, etc.) but having no practice actually writing sentences, or paragraphs, or essays.

Or to games: imagine reading a rulebook, but then never playing the game. If the exam asks you to actually play a game, you'll do quite poorly.

Just remember that understanding the concept is only the first part of your work. The second part is practice. As to practice, don't worry if it feels awkward initially at first. Use it as a time during which you give yourself permission to escape from anything else you might be worrying about.
 
try to think about why youre preforming the operations that youre preforming. dont just memorize the concepts, understand why your doing something and How it works.

it may sound simple but that fram of mind helps with mathmatics. A lot of people tend to get lost in all the rules but just try and see the problem, know what its asking and simplify it down.

believe it or not, in calculus its the algerbra that normally fucks people up, so dont get down if your not getting it just keep trying
 
NoPromiseMade said:
I hate math, numbers, asain professors(not really). Either way, the course is kicking my ass, should I drop it and try it again later with a lower class road so I can focus on it more?
Click to expand...

When studying math I found that the single most important thing is to fully understand a concept before moving on. Because the next page/concept is likely to be building on top of the previous one, you'll be totally lost very quickly if you aren't on top of everything.
If that means spending a couple of hours on a single page in your text book, so be it. Repeat and repeat until you get it. Don't stick to the textbook you've been given, use various textbooks, sometimes a different presentation of the same material makes all the difference.

It also means understanding every little nuance and meaning of the symbols used. Don't gloss over nuances such as:

if for all x and y such that x ≤ y one has f(x) ≤ f(y)
vs
if for all x and y such that x < y one has f(x) < f(y)

There's a quite a difference in how such a function would look.

A few questions to ask yourself:

- Are you lacking in prerequisites for the course. Without the proper background for a math course, it's an uphill battle. I've been there - it hurts. Fix that first. While in college I had to get to grips with a lot of high school math first before even starting to study the stuff required for the course....

- It's worth dropping the course if you have no hope in hell of ever getting enough study time in to complete the course. If it takes x hours to grasp a single page in your text book, given the number of pages you need to study, can you afford to spend (pages * x) hours on that course - without messing up your other courses?
 
Roger&Me said:
I wonder why so many people consider mathematics to be such an ancillary and specialized segment of academia-- it forms the basis for the entirety of logical thought-- I think it should comprise a sizable portion of education relative to any field of study.
Click to expand...

Because we have non-mathemeticians who calim to be Math Teachers in our junior high and highschools and their awful bastardizations of math subjects and constant pressure to "teach to the test" completely evaporates any real essence of what Math really is, and why it's important.
There is absolutely NO time spent on those two questions other than the feeble "real world applications" that comprise a pitiful amount of any given Math Class or test.
The classes are usually taught by the crabbiest and most miserable people on the teaching staff in a completely non-user-friendly way.
These factors greatly contribute to the widespread attidude of "I hate math" or "I suck at math" that seems to be so acceptable for so many people, students and adults alike.
For a person to actually enjoy doing math he or she would have to have a unique attitude and not be easily influenced by the mediocrity that surrounds them.

It's a combination of groupthink, under qualified teachers, and standardized testing, and many other cultural factors, that essentially kill the drive in many Americans to be even remotely intellectually curious.

Tl,dr: It's not really that amazing that math is giving you problems, it'd be amazing if it WASN'T giving you problems base on how our society presents the subject to it's great unwashed.
 
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