I’m a 23 year old student in community college, as you can tell by the title of this discussion it’s about math. As I said before I’ve struggled with it ever since I can remember just the thought of it makes my chest hurt. What’s worse is that I’m studying Business Management, I know I picked the wrong major if I hate math so much. I just can’t seem to grasp it at all, it’s definitely held me back from leaving my current school and to leave for a 4 year university, which is DePaul. I took a gap before going to community because I was unsure what I wanted to study. Fast forward 3 years later (yes I’ve been at this school for that long) I know I want to study Business Management (I was a part time manager at a retail store and I loved it, but I wanted to work hard for something that I can call my own). Due to that gap year I had to take a placement test, I scored high in reading and writing (which I always do), but the math portion killed me I had no idea what equations to use(not that I remembered any) or how to solve problems that had a graphs. I’m finally on the path to leave my community college of August 2019, but before that I have to tackle all the math courses and just looking at it I feel sick. What’s worse I was looking at DePaul’s transfer guide and read the math requirements which said, “Begin your math sequence as soon as possible prior to transferring.(Business Calculus I, Business Calculus II, Business Statistics) students who complete the full math requirement prior to transfer will not be required to complete additional math at DePaul. If students have not completed calculus prior to transfer, students should be ready to complete calculus at the time of transfer to DePaul. Waiting to complete math requirements after transfer to DePaul may slow progress to degree completion.” Now for you to understand my worry I’m not even in College Algebra because I didn’t place in it when I took the test. So these are the courses I have planned out by a counselor: MAT-085 Algebra & Geometry II FALL 2018; MAT-110 College Algebra SPRING 2019; MAT-134 Intro to Calc for Bus & SS + ECO-170 Stats for Business & Economics SUMMER 2019. The summer classes will be my last and then I would be able to transfer to DePaul. My question is should I be changing these classes with the ones required for DePaul? Now since I have not taken College Algebra I won’t be able to take Business Calculus I.
NOTE: Please don’t suggest I change my major.
I need honest responses and that are serious, I poured my heart out to the internet.
Are your math skills just weak or do you have dyscalculia? I’d start at whatever level the math placement test indicates you’re ready for and work from there. It’s not a race. You want to take the time you need to really learn the material.
I’ve never heard of dyscalculia until today. I always just thought math wasn’t my strong suit. How do I know I have this or if I just need to work harder?
Google the term and you’ll find a list of symptoms. My daughter is dyscalculic, and it took a long time to get the basic math facts down. I don’t remember all the symptoms, but some are difficulty memorizing the multiplication tables, problems remembering the steps to a multi process problem like long division, issues with subtraction because she had a tendency to subtract the bottom from the top if the top number was the larger one, trouble making sense of fractions, and difficulty seeing the relationships between numbers which made working with fractions difficult.
Math takes lots of practice, and if there are learning challenges it can take lots of time too. If the problem is a gap in education my advice would be the same. Take the time to learn the concepts really well and don’t try to rush it.
Like any degree, there’s always a part that you won’t like. You’ll just have to suck it up and take the math. I would suggest lightening your load a little and make up the other courses during the summer.
I never fully memorized my multipiation tables, even when I had a tutors at school in elementary. Even today I still write them down over and over again hoping I’ll memorize then and all my math problems will be solved. I’ve always passed all my math classes with a C growing up.
Math is an area where it is important how you think about the problem. You need to understand why things work the way that they do. As such, just working harder doesn’t always help. A good tutor who is a good match for you can help you consider other ways to look at the problem and other ways to think about a problem.
If one tutor doesn’t work, then a different one might.
My school does have math tutors. They’re all students who go there, some are professors as well, but usually they’re students. I’ve went there for help a long time ago, and found someone I really liked he was extremely helpful, but when I came back he wasn’t there. My school has changed the tutor room now, and I’ll plan to be there more.
It really, truly is OK for you to work slowly through the math sequence. What is important is that you eventually do master the concepts. So start with the lowest level class your placement test places you in. Work with the tutors. If you find one who is very helpful, get thet person’s schedule so you can be at the tutoring center when they are.
Two websites that my pre-GED math students like are KhanAcademy.org and PatrickJMT.com Both of those websites have lots of helpful videos that you can re-watch as many times as you want.
For memorizing multiplication tables, consider learning some math songs from Schoolhouse Rock (ask some elementary school trachers for more ideas too). Many students remember songs better than visual images.
Thank you for the suggestions, I’ve always been very ashamed that I haven’t memorized my tables especially for how old I am. I don’t know why, but I have this anxiety when I see a table I don’t know which makes me really frustrated with myself. To all who have replied, thank you.
I hated mathematics when I was in middle school, but ever since I started at the beginning, I’ve got good grades from all my math courses so far. Try to figure out what math subject you are weak at and start fresh at that point. Then, I am sure you will do better.
I have a child that always struggled with math. Even with some extra help (including a private tutor from time to time) she never really had her math facts pinned down, never understood how to show her work when doing problems etc. She definitely has some executive functioning issues which contributed to her struggles; whether there’s anything else going on I’m not sure - but it caused her tremendous anxiety and was a blow to her self-esteem for so long. In 8th grade, we discovered a series of math books that were life-changing insofar as they taught math in a way that clicked, and built good habits that allowed her to finally achieve some mastery. The series is called Life of Fred and math concepts are explained and practiced within the scope of a story. The books range from the most beginning math through advanced calculus, and she spent a year starting almost at the beginning, relearning and strengthening basic concepts and finally catching up with her peers. She’s a strong, avid reader and this method of teaching “spoke” to her like nothing else ever had. She’s still not a great math student but she’s perfectly adequate, which is more than enough for her area of interests. The books are not cheap, but maybe they are worth looking at in case they are a better fit for your style of learning. (there is a big secondary market for the books — we have sold all of ours on various Facebook groups for about 3/4 of what we paid, making for a much less significant investment). Whether you consider this path or not, I agree with the other posters: go back and work on the fundamentals and work slowly towards your goal. You can do it!!
@Bubblewrap666 when were these books made? I looked them up, and I don’t think the price is bad. The collection is the amount I would pay for one college text book. Thank you for your suggestion!
@mariavictoria94 I’m not sure when they were first published but they are definitely still being made; they are directed towards the homeschool market. I bought them all from Z-Twist books (free shipping), and think we started with Fractions, because she did a ton of review before moving forward. Ymmv but the time, any online math teaching or review (khan academy etc) made her feel really anxious, like she was being tested, while this was calming and almost fun. Good luck!!!
Some of the signs we saw in our child with dyscalculia are:
Counting on her fingers well past the time others could do mental math.
Great difficulty telling time on an analog clock.
Inability to memorize the times tables.
Feeling lost in math class when everyone else has moved on to a new concept.
Inability to recognize wildly wrong answers. For instance most kids, even those who can’t do the exact mental math, recognize that 93+114 is going to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 200. A kid with dyscalculia might solve the problem on paper, mistakenly shifting a column and get 1233 for an answer and not know it must be wrong.
You’ve set yourself up to take a lot of math. Are you really sure you want to pursue this? If so, I would hire a personal tutor just to drag you through each class. You will most likely fail to retain much of what you learn in earlier math classes but if all you need is the credential a good tutor can probably help you get enough of the math down to pass each class as they come up. The key is to have someone consistent work with you one on one. I would contact the school’s disability office. You can tell them you haven’t been formally diagnosed but you need to work with someone experienced in working with students with math LDs.
Have you looked at a place like Wyzant for tutors? Many of the tutors there are overpriced but sometimes you can find a good one there. Since presumably you’re in the Chicago area, there should be many to find either in person or online.
Try one of the books. But I also agree about the disabilities office. You likely don’t need just any tutor, a student worker, but one who understands the challenges and the ‘work arounds.’ Maybe that’s someone from the education dept.
Even in business, people use a calculator. Of course, you need to understand the basics, even for that. But start easy. It’s like opening your mind to any new skill, small steps.
For years, DH couldn’t even figure a tip. He finally learned the shorthand, not math theory. The first times he had to calculate student grades were awful. But he learned how to simplify and make it work.
@Sue22 This is true I do have many math courses, but these are the requirements given to me by a counselor. My summer semester will be only math while I am anxious about it, I plan on seeing tutors from my school. As I can’t afford a personal one.