Math Is Hard, Let's Go Kill Zombies

[plumtreeblossom]

Soon I will have to take my math placement test. Unlike writing, I SUCK at math. I never took math past algebra in the 10th grade. My big fear with the placement test is that I will score so low that I get placed in Math 099, the remedial math class that incurs all of the expense and time investment of a regular class but is worth zero credits. EDIT: see footnote below.

I desperately want to make it into Math 101, which will at least give me 3 credits for my agony if I work hard. What I don't know is if there's any way for me to study up before the placement test and hopefully score my way out of non-credit 099. Basically 100% of my math in the last 15 years has been done in Excel, which does the work for you. I'm sure I don't remember how to do long division. I do still have my multiplication tables memorized, but only because of Schoolhouse Rock. It's like that.

I wonder if something like SAT prep would help. Do any of you know of any websites, workbooks, or other math catch-up resources I could use in the short-ish time (several weeks) I have before placement testing?

_{Because surrealestate is smarter than me and actually looked up the remedial math course in the PDF catalog, I now know that the remedial math course is worth 3 credits (unlike the remedial writing course. I did some assuming there). Would still like to make it into 101 though, if only to get it out of the way.}

Comments

[bkdelong.livejournal.com]

I have what I call Math Apathy. I failed Calc twice and Logic once in college. Yes, that's right....logic. *sigh*

Curious what people do suggest. In a few years W will surpass me in math abilities and math homework will become his Mom's responsibility.

[joyeous.livejournal.com]

See my post below, re an excellent online math program, for use in school or at home.

[joyeous.livejournal.com]

Also, Study Island is a very popular online resource for kids K-12, but is more used in preparing kids for MCAS or other standardized tests. Many schools use it now.

[komos.livejournal.com]

I'm so down with the killing zombies idea...

[hahathor.livejournal.com]

Some online references I found fairly quickly:

Practice test (http://www.math.wsu.edu/HS/problems.html) with concepts behind each question

Math 101 preparation booklet (http://www.math.utep.edu/jviram/m101/m101.pdf)

A mess of youtube videos working through math problems (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0zA-I84_ts&feature=related)

If you encounter something that makes no sense to you (how did they get from .2x to 200x - what happened?) Let me know & I can try to talk you through it. I've taught math & stats at levels ranging from middle school to grad school.

Jenny

[aphrabehn.livejournal.com]

I think this is the best way...and if you're more inclined to learn from reading, look for used HS textbooks or even math for dummies. I also have math tutorials and "workouts" on my phone and computer. It's like a muscle you need to start using again.

I hated math until I got a great math tutor in Junior High. She finally clued me in to the great beauty of it - it's present every day in our lives, in everything we do. I started seeing it differently (still can't show my work though, I do it all in my head and can't translate it.)

I'm guessing there's a closet math geek in you somewhere, you just haven't found the right teacher to bring it out.

[gentlescholar.livejournal.com]

Also, you happen to have a friend who is an *ahem* excellent math tutor. Message me if you would like a math jam session sometime.

Advice from a high school math teacher :-)

[joyeous.livejournal.com]

Okay...if you're serious about wanting to do better. I can recommend serious resources. I would absolutely not recommend doing SAT prep or anything related to the SAT. Not only is the SAT much harder than what you're trying to place into, it's taught in a way that is basically just about catching the "tricks" in each question. It will not help you remotely in an actual math class. Its only use is for helping you do better on SATs.

I also would not recommend studying out of a book as your only resource. While books can be helpful in looking things up and doing practice, they do not actually *teach* you, unless you're super inclined to learn math out of a book without a teacher. I am a math person (engineering major) and I would not even be inclined to do so without the aid of a teacher.

Here's what the best resource I can recommend is: http://www.aleks.com

Go to independent use and sign up for a free trial. Choose the "High School Prep for Algebra 1" or "Algebra 1." Don't bother about the lower level ones, otherwise you will hit the ceiling too quickly. It's better to choose one with a higher ceiling and start at the beginning, then pick one that will be too easy for you. It's about $20 for a month subscription. If you decide you like it, I can get you a longer subscription for less. But you might want to try it for a month. It's not a software, it's an online program, so you can do it from any computer. You can also choose more than one course (such as Geometry) for no additional cost.

The nice thing about this program is that it is not just random math facts, it actually gives you a diagnostic test first to see where you are at, then lets you choose which topics you want to practice. You build up your master a "piece of the pie" at a time. I use this program with my own class, and they are VERY remedial. Seriously, any time you ever feel like you are bad at math, spend an hour with my class and you'll feel like a math genius! But anyway, they like doing this program because it adjusts itself to your level after the diagnostic test, so it won't present anything too hard until you master the basic concepts.

P.S. I don't remember how to do long division either. After a certain point in math, you don't use it anymore! :-)

Re: Advice from a high school math teacher :-)

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm definitely going to try aleks.com! I like that I can test there and find out where I currently stand. I may not be as bad off as I think, or if I am, perhaps I can bring myself up to scratch. Great recommendation!

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

If it's any consolation, I'm much the same. My last math class was in 11th grade. If I had to pass a math class right now, I don't know what I would do.

I think I might actually be slightly dyscalculic.

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

I only had high school algebra, but flunked the second year. I got placed in Finite Math when I was a freshman at community college. It wasnt bad at all, mainly arithmetic, only with more grown up problems. A little geometry (nothing complicated) a little algebra of the type x + 38 = 100 - (4 x 2) (answer: 54). I got A's both semesters and so fulfilled my math requirement. If I had had two years of HS algebra and one year of HS geometry I would have had to take Pre-Calculus, so I considered myself lucky. Math and Science are not my favorite things, and I do not shine in those two areas. However, I managed to finish my senior year at Salem State with a 3.97 overall GPA. I never got a grade below an A- in all five years.
Mature students rock! Also, we can spell and punctuate! Professors love that!

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

You will rock, too! Probably more so, because I think you are a lot more "educated" than I was when I started college at age 46.

[http://users.livejournal.com/urban_faerie_/]

I TOTALLY FEEL YOUR PAIN.

I'm totally math-phobic. I got through high school math with a private tutor. In college I didn't test out of math (pretty pathetic since I went to a performing arts school) so I opted to take "college math" over the summer at my local community college. Although it was "college math" the stuff we were doing was probably at an 8th or 9th grade level and I still found it challenging.

Yet I got through it, got an undergraduate degree and I went on to be an A student in grad school who was highly regarded by her professors and fellow students. Now I almost have a second Master's Degree, no math required.

The moral of the story is to not let this make you feel less than. You will take this one class, get it over with and move on to be incredibly successful and do great things.

With all the egg-heads we know, somebody is bound to make a good tutor. :)

Don't let it get you down!

*hugs*