I use to get straight A’s in honors maths (algebra 1, 2, and geometry) but all of a sudden when I began taking Pre-Calc, I could not understand a single thing! I was lost the entire time, and no matter how many times the teacher explained it to me, I was lost in everything. I really don’t know why. I asked my counselor if I can drop it and take Statistics instead and she just told me to try and see how I would do during the fall semester. But i’ve been trying really hard to get a good grade, but I can’t.
Also, I’m two months into the school year and I am taking regular pre-calc, not honors.
My courses: APUSH, Honors English 11, Chemistry, Pre-calc, French, Entrepreneurship (if that info helps, idk)
@lizmf21 Ah. I see, a problem of real concern. For my school, pre calc was the exact same as Alg 2/Trig. Have you tried talking to your teacher? Khan Academy? Extra study time? This 53% didn’t come in one sweep, so I don’t see why you didn’t drop earlier.
Go to extra help with your teacher. He needs to know that you're trying. Lots of time things become more clear one on one.
Go to extra help with another teacher, maybe the one who teaches Calc? Maybe last year's Algebra II & Trig teacher? Sometimes an different explanation makes all the difference.
Is there someone you're friendly with, also taking Precalc, who could tutor you? Again, sometimes a kid's explanation cuts to the chase and makes things clearer.
Here's what I want you to do this weekend: Take out your notebook. For every single problem type, I want you to make up "Process" notes. Look at an example the teacher has done, and write a "how to" list of the steps he did. (For example:
To solve an polynomial equation.
I know it's a polynomial equation because of all the exponents.
Find the degree; it gives the number of zeros...
and so on.
What you’re doing is making up a directions manual for Precalc. Once you get the hang of it, you can do it in class or as part of your homework each night. You’ll be amazed at how easy Precalc is once you have that instruction manual.
I'm not a huge fan of Khan Academy; I find them really dry. But there are LOTS of other videos out there, made by math teachers for their classes. You can find them on teachertube.com, educreations.com and even youtube.
@lizmf21 If you got straight A’s in algebra and geometry, and really understand the material, pre-calculus shouldn’t be too difficult.
For example, a piecewise function is simply a function that, depending on your input and what range it falls under, can map to a different “sub-function.” If you know how to plot the individual sub-functions, then you should know how to plot the piecewise function. Not too hard, right?
Some topics that you didn’t cover in algebra II might be a little more abstract or unfamiliar, so it will take a bit of practice. Remember to solve lots of problems, and you want to be able to understand the material to the point of being able to explain it to someone else (this is my “test” of understanding).
Once you find a video you like, look for others by the same person-- they tend to use the same teaching style.
It can take a bit of shopping around, but there’s a wealth of information to be found on teacher videos.
You might also consider starting a thread asking if anyone here has a Precalc teacher who does great videos, and asking for a link to that teacher’s site.
If you are still having trouble or come across any academic obstacle throughout your high school career, I would suggest you get student tutoring. Typically your classmates know how to translate the complicated jargon within mathematics into what you would understand. I know that is what helped me. Good luck.