I suck at algebra....(rant)

[yepimonfire]

Seriously, it takes me like 3x longer then everyone else in my class to understand it. Once i get it i'm alright, but it takes tons and tons of studying the concepts, restudying them, and then practice, practice, and more practice. I was doing so badly in it 3 weeks into the semester i ended up having to quit my job so that i had enough time to study for the exam, and....because i ended up having to cram like 3 weeks worth of lessons, homework, and quizzes all into one week (i was studying like 10 hours a day every day no joke) i ended up getting a D on the exam . I'm sure i would have done much better if i hadn't been so bogged down and trying to work full time and go to school part time (turns out that was a terrible idea.)

The biggest thing that sucks is every time i go to class and sit through the lecture, i barely grasp half of what the instructor is saying, i usually end up having to go home, read the book, google the crap, and teach myself.

Has anyone here struggled with algebra and found a good way to overcome it? Aside from things like khan academy, purple math, and of course reading the book, i can't come up with anything else. I've got a tutor but there is only so much stuff i can go over with him a week during a one hour session.

 

[j_garcia]

Never struggled with math, but have had issues with other things that seem to be tougher for me to get. Everyone tends to have something that is tougher for them, so I'd say it is normal. Sorry, but the best way to get over something like that is always practice/study.

 

[jcl]

I never had trouble with algebra, but calculost I had to work at.

Best advice is to read and attempt the homework *before* the lecture. That way you will hopefully learn more from the lecture and be able to ask questions about what you don't understand.

Sometimes an instructor doesn't add any value, then you are dependent on the book, and perhaps teaching assistants if the prof is using them. If the book isn't helping you can look for another that explains the concepts better.

Good luck.

 

[markw]

Has anyone here struggled with algebra and found a good way to overcome it?

Yes and no. Like white water rafting, I just gritted my teeth and hung on the best I could until the ride ended.

Just pray you don't have to take statistics.

Hang in there. It won't last forverer, but that depends on what field you go into.

Good luck.

P.S. Do ALL the homework, and then some. The more you do, the easier (relatively speaking) it gets

 

[yepimonfire]

Yes and no. Like white water rafting, I just gritted my teeth and hung on the best I could until the ride ended.

Just pray you don't have to take statistics.

Hang in there. It won't last forverer, but that depends on what field you go into.

Good luck.

P.S. Do ALL the homework, and then some. The more you do, the easier (relatively speaking) it gets

engineering technology major. yes, it will last forever LOL. but once i learn it, it's easy. it's the learning it that's hard.

yup, gotta take statistics, and geometry trig, and two levels of calculus.

 

[Swerd]

… Once i get it i'm alright, but it takes tons and tons of studying the concepts, restudying them, and then practice, practice, and more practice.

The biggest thing that sucks is every time i go to class and sit through the lecture, i barely grasp half of what the instructor is saying, i usually end up having to go home, read the book, google the crap, and teach myself.

Has anyone here struggled with algebra and found a good way to overcome it?

All of my math teachers in college were terrible. I had to become my own teacher. And I learned later in the year that most others in the class had the same experience. I think you're on your way to that, and it's really the best way to learn it. It may be the only way to learn it.

Math, especially calculus (for me), is like a foreign language. You have to practice, practice and practice.

 

[Irvrobinson]

Get a tutor. Interview several. Focus on finding someone that can explain math concepts by analogy. Lots of people have trouble inferring and comprehending mathematical concepts explained the way the math community writes textbooks. The problem, IMHO, is that there is a segment of the population that intuitively understands the classical language of mathematics and "gets it", and the segment of the population that can't is seen as not inclined to mathematics. I don't buy it; I think it's a difference in the way people need to learn, not necessarily intrinsic ability. The right tutor can bridge the gap and make it all make sense.

 

[j_garcia]

I have been an instructor for CAD software for years. A good teacher is one who can explain it to you in a way that is understandable to YOU. Since everyone is different, it isn't so easy for an instructor, especially one who has been teaching the same thing, the same way, for many years, will have a method that 100% relates to you. I've had a few students here and there that don't get my teaching style, and plenty of others who like it.

 

[GO-NAD!]

As I understand it, many professors don't actually get formal training in teaching. In fact, someone with a PhD in their field isn't qualified to teach elementary school! They might have all the required knowledge, but having the ability to pass that knowledge to their students can be luck of the draw.

 

[Adam]

Seriously, it takes me like 3x longer...

The irony of starting this thread with that statement...