Did anyone else (or their kids) earn (or working towards) their 4 yr degree without having to take any math classes after high school/in college? If so, for what degree/major?
I have a bachelor’s degree in business administration from a well-ranked public state school. I took AP Calculus BC in high school, didn’t fare well, but by some miracle I still got a 3 on the AP test which was enough to give me credit for two semesters of calc and it completely fulfilled the math requirement for my degree.
Now I’m planning to go back to school for nursing and while my placement test shows that I don’t need to take any pre-req math, I feel like I should or at least want to. I feel like I’ll struggle in the science classes with only my high school math (my senior year calc I didn’t even keep up, it was a waste. So I feel more like I only had 3 years of high school math. Didn’t take any over the summers, etc).
Or am I overthinking? Do we all forget what we learned in these classes eventually? : ).
I’d love to know if anyone else is in the same boat…no math class since high school, none taken in summer school, etc. Do you feel like you’re lacking in this area? Is this scenario common today with college students?
I have taken one math class since my junior year of college- a joke stats class in my masters program that I never attended and still got like a 98% in.
I now use math all the time in my work. I am the quant person on projects. Not entirely sure how it happened…
But math has always been one of my easiest subjects. It just comes naturally to me. I didn’t pursue it because it doesn’t interest me.
I was good at math in high school but topped off at algebra II. The only math class I took in college was statistics. I majored in journalism and went to law school a few years later. My relative lack of math classes has not affected me professionally.
My older daughter might have taken one math class in college but certainly not more than one. Her college concentration (kind of like a design-your-own major) was in writing, painting, and cross-cultural studies. She has not missed the math, either.
My younger daughter double majored in math and economics and has found the math part invaluable in her graduate program in economics.
I didn’t go past geometry in HS, but took CLEP tests and earned 6 math credits, which satisfied my college requirements. I always scored well on math aptitude tests but I found the study of math boring. I couldn’t bear the thought of missing a history class in order to take math. Like @rosered55 , I began as a journalism major, but ended as a poli sci and history major. I went to law school straight from college. In all honesty, the lack of math has not hindered me in any way, shape or form in my life.
My S17 is dyscalculic and also went only through geometry in HS and this past summer, he took a math class at the local CC. He got an A (he was really relaxed knowing he only needed a C to get the credit and he had a really good teacher) and earned his credits. He is a theater tech major and has no intention of taking any other math classes.
For you, @jr4472, however, some math is necessary for nursing. I would check into what is required and maybe audit a class or work with a tutor if you feel rusty on those skills. I think nurses need to know metric (I stink at conversions) and how to convert to calculate weights and dosages. I admire you for going back to school. My friend’s H went back to school for nursing. He had to finish his UG degree first and is now working on his BSN while working as a nurse. It’s been tough for them but he loves it and it’s something he was not ready to do when he was younger. Good luck.
@techmom99 what’s in the water with theater tech? My dyscalculia daughter was a theater design bfa till she changed her major. She was great at estimating for costume etc and was always on budget. Just saying… A calculator is a wonderful thing. She was able to substitute other classes for straight math for credit.
It sounds like what you really need right now is confidence. Auditing a math class could be a good solution. If you do, don’t be passive. Do all assignments as if they were for credit.
Many times with math, seeing the material a second time (with a different teacher) makes all the difference.
If you took a placement test, and it says you don’t need to take a math class…I don’t think you need to take a math class. You have remembered/understood the math that the nursing school says you need for nursing school. If you got to Calc BC, then you are very good in math.
You could always watch Khan Academy videos to get re-exposed to various concepts.
I’ve always been greatful that in my day not getting beyond HS algebra was not a factor in getting into college. I never took ANY math or math related class in college for my history/polysci degree. I am a discalculate and I fear that in today’s world this would have been a big issue where in mine it was not at all. Despite the insistence of some I have never ever needed to perform math as an adult (oh and lol about the teachers who told me I couldn’t carry a calculator around with me…oh dearies…yep every single person does…it’s called a phone)
The “ experts” also told me not to ever tell my girls I hated math. Sorry but I believe in being open and honest with kids. Maybe thats what got me to STEM daughters including a double engineering major ( well that and her engineer dad)
I assume you have to take chemistry? If so, my opinion of general chem is that it is really just algebra with some fancy definitions. So if you aren’t confident in your algebra abilities, I would suggest you brush up on your math skills prior to taking chem. Strong math skills make chem so much easier!
My younger son didn’t take any math in college. He took BC Calc in high school. I think he got a 3 with 4 on the AB part of the exam. At that point he knew Tufts would only take 5 of his AP Courses so he kind of blew off studying. He majored in International Relations. Courses that might have use a bit of math were Econ and Ecology.
A year and a half after graduating from college he decided to apply to Officer Candidate School - he had to take a pretty comprehensive test which covered a lot of math and physics and engineering type of stuff that he had not seen since high school and some of the engineering physics he’d never seen at all. I don’t think he needed the calculs. He sat down with review books and taught himself it all again. Apparently he did very well on the exam.
If your placement test says you are okay, you probably are. If you want to review I’d check out some review type books from the library.
I have an associate’s degree in nursing. There was no math class needed for my degree. In my nursing program we did med math at the beginning of each clinical rotation. I was able to learn the math needed for each section and pass the tests. I imagine a bachelor’s program is different.
My daughter earned a BFA from an art school. In that program she took no math classes at all. However, when she decided a few years after graduating that she wanted to earn an MBA she realized that she needed to bone up on math in order to do well on the GMAT admissions exam. So she took a college-level course, as well as studied math as part of her exam preparation. She also took a self-directed online Princeton Review course prepping for the GMAT. She got an excellent GMAT score on her first try, equally high on both major aspects of the test (720 overall score). And she got into a top 10 MBA program.
I took Algebra II as a sophomore in high school, then took bookkeeping/no other high school math after that. I took a trig class in college to meet a math requirement. Got a C. I have a BA and MA in English lit. (Calculus requirement kept me from majoring in biology.) Now, 35 years later, I’m a math tutor.
You probably don’t need review if you did well on the placement test. If you feel rusty, try a math section of an ACT or SAT practice test online.
Back in the Stone Age…I took two challenging statistics courses in college…and no other math. I didn’t even complete the full year of Algebra 2 in high school.
I’m a speech pathologist. I don’t think the requirements have changed.
One of my kids has bachelors and masters course in music performance. He never had to take a math course in college, and completed algebra 2 and then statistics in high school.
Kid two and DH were engineering majors…They made up for the rest of us.
I have a BA in History and Political Science, MLitt in International Security Studies, and JD. I last took math as a senior in high school in '94. I took AP Calculus AB and got a 5. It placed me out of collegiate math (thank goodness).
Eons ago for me, but had calc in high school and placed out of all math requirements in college. Majored in accounting and never took a math class, did have one stats class. No math in T10 MBA school either.
Gosh, I always thought I was the only one to escape 4 years of college without a math course but apparently it’s not rare. I was an English major and we were given the choice to take math or philosophy to satisfy graduation requirements. I had only progressed to Algebra 2 and Geometry in HS so it was a no-brainer for me.
Your placement tests show that you know enough math to handle your nursing needs. Physician here and can see how you could do that. You will improve your skills with use, not a math class. You also will use your native intelligence skills that generated your original college degree. Relax.
btw- I’ll never forget how son told me they were reviewing precalc math in AP calc so he didn’t need to study for the SAT math test. He was wrong- could have had a higher score with more attention to it. Ancient history.
My suggestion. Look at math for nurses books in your local library or even buy one. Go through them and figure out any weaknesses you want to shore up. I’ll bet you know more than you think.