Preparing for a Math Class

Rethius

Hey there.

This summer I am going to the local community college to get started on my generals. The only class I am taking is basic math, so that I can get a feel for college. Math has always been my weakest subject, and I find myself unable to remember basic stuff like the times tables.

I didn't take math classes in my junior or senior year in high school, and I feel very unprepared. It's been more than a few years since I attempted this stuff. I have a few questions.

1. Do you know of any way (websites, maybe self help books, I'm not beyond the idea of hiring a tutor, but I have no idea how to go about doing so) I can bring myself up to speed with the basics?

2. How much different is a typical college level course from a high school course? Am I encouraged to ask the professor questions, or will that just piss him/her off?

Thank you for reading this. I appreciate all of your input.

Frog

Lets see here...

1) A good website to start is http://www.math.com/, but you should take the placement test that most community colleges offer to see what math you SHOULD take.

You may feel that you are beyond what they place you in but you do not want to get in over your head. They call it a mastery experience to successfully complete something, and it is important to have a bunch of these "mastery experiences" for math since you just build upon the formulas that you know and use them in more complex ways.

For instance, the formula y = 2x^2 + 6x - 2 can either be factored to solve for x or done using the quadratic formula. If you do not know how to do either of those you should place below Pre-Calculus.

Go talk to your councilor and see about the placement tests.

Rethius

I took the placement test a couple days ago, and they have me in math 0950. I think I might need to downgrade to 0920 (the very lowest) simply because I can't remember basic stuff like times tables. I'd like to get a solid foundation under me so that I can actually understand the math later.

Sorry, I should have been more specific.

Frog

Most if not all the math you are going to do is the manipulation of symbol (numbers can count as symbols as well) and has little to do with times tables since you will be able to use a calculator. Keep in mind that while you do not want to be overwhelmed with the math level you do take, you also do not want it to hinder your finishing your associates. I say this since math below pre-calculus does not count towards credits at most place.

Also, most of the science courses have pre-requirements of a basic math level before you can even take them, which means you may end up with a heavy language/humanities load combined with a extra math course until you get caught up with your math.

Also, most of the math offered by colleges is just rehashed high school math at the starting levels. Most of the colleges also offer a math tutoring center which is the most helpful for the basics than for the advanced stuff. You might check into that.

BlochWave

How many years has it been? Did you at least have, say, an algebra class and a geometry class, possibly another algebra class?

Remember there's a difference between literally unlearning something and just forgetting something you once knew from lack of use. If you googled times table, you'd probably have it all up to snuff in less than two hours, tonight

Still, don't take a class if you're uncomfortable. If you take the easy class and it's just too easy and probably too low level to count for anything, you haven't completely wasted your money and time because now you're fully reinforced in the basics and confident

If you take the higher class and bomb it, you've wasted your money and time completely

Rethius

BlochWave wrote: »

How many years has it been? Did you at least have, say, an algebra class and a geometry class, possibly another algebra class?

Remember there's a difference between literally unlearning something and just forgetting something you once knew from lack of use. If you googled times table, you'd probably have it all up to snuff in less than two hours, tonight

Still, don't take a class if you're uncomfortable. If you take the easy class and it's just too easy and probably too low level to count for anything, you haven't completely wasted your money and time because now you're fully reinforced in the basics and confident

If you take the higher class and bomb it, you've wasted your money and time completely

It's been about 7 years since I even attempted a math problem. When I was in high school geometry was the highest level math I took.

Cylarana

We're in the same boat, more or less. I'd like to go back and get my math out of the way at the local JuCo, but I'm so horrible at it that I'm terrified. I'm very good at the basic stuff (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) but once I get past that, I'm lost. Fractions? You'll see me hide under a table. Quadratic formula? I'm running out of the room at that point.