Not a math guy?

College Search & Selection
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<p>I've never been one for math since i first started school. It doesn't interest me, and I also find it incredibly difficult. It's come to a point that when my finals grade's came in last week I had all A's in all my other classes (all others) and a B- in a COLLEGE level Algebra course, the lowest level mathematics course available to freshman. It's getting ridiculous.
I have basically come to think of three different things:
1) If I had an interest for it I would do better</p>

<p>2) I am putting a mental block on myself, because I keep thinking that I'm not a math guy.</p>

<p>3) I will never understand math, and I am doomed in terms of SAT. I will never have a chance at my dream school Carnegie Mellon. </p>

<p>I have been put into a college geometry course next year, while all my friends are taking Honors Algebra II and Honors Trig. Math is my only college course, a fact that irritates me greatly. At this point If I wanted to jump into the highest math program possible I would have Ace college Geometry and take Honors Alg II and Trig in Junior Year, and somehow be able to go from Honors Pre Calculus to AP Calculus in senior year.</p>

<p>So I guess I want to ask if any of you have been able to ignite interest in math. How does one grow to like math? Have any of you been in the same situation as me? Additionally, is it possible to go from pre algebra to AP algebra? Generally people go from pre calc to calc and than to AP at our school.
Please help a English/Science lover in trouble.</p>

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<p>Just realized I put this in the wrong forum. If anyone could help/ move it that would be great.</p>

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<p>superbump…</p>

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<p>What do you mean by “college algebra” and “college geometry”? There are such things, but they’re not prerequisites for HS classes - they’re the kind of things that math majors take, well past Calc. Unless you mean some kind of remedial math?</p>

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<p>Ok well I’m a rising sophmore in HS. College is the “average” level of course. The honors and Ap levels are above it. Everyone must take Geometry, Algerbra, and Trig, but my frustrations arise out of the fact that I am taking a lower difficulty level than in my other subjects.</p>

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<p>You probably mean the non-honors “college prep” math courses, right?</p>

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<p>Yeah I do.</p>

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<p>And in my above post i wrote (all others). I meant (all others are honors).</p>

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<p>Bump…</p>

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<p>I don’t think you’re the only person that is “lopsided”. plenty of people excel/struggle in certain areas. I’m the same as you - horrible at math, terrifies me etc. I did awful on my math SAT. i’ll try again in the fall. </p>

<p>I take AP/honors in all my english/history/language and “regular” for math. I took trig. this year and worked really hard. grade went up each quarter - 84,85,86, and got a 92 4th quarter. unfortunately, i bombed the final which brought my final grade down but a solid B overall. i’m happy with that. </p>

<p>while i’ve satisfied the math requirement for most of the colleges i’m looking at, i will be taking pre-calc next year. i’ve learned to use my weakness in math and make it a strength in other areas. it will also show colleges (I hope) that i am not afraid of a challenge and have no interest in taking the easy out. </p>

<p>my struggles with math (from as early as I can remember, just like you) has taught me to be an incredibly hard worker due to all the tutors, extra help, etc. every teacher i’ve had in HS has commented on my work ethic. i truly believe i am an excellent student (in everything other than math LOL) because i’ve had to work so hard in math, which has helped me in the rest of my school work.</p>

<p>i will most likely major in engish so i’m hoping it won’t kill me too much - I could see if I put down Bio or engineering as a chosen major, i’d have a big problem.</p>

<p>If you’re looking at an Ivy or top 20 then i’d say you (and me) will not make it - all of those kids are strong in all areas, advanced classes across the board, etc. For the majority of the other schools (and some that are pretty competitive) i think i have a very good chance. </p>

<p>hopeully you’ll have some advanced classes in other subjects and just do the best you can do with math. get a tutor if you can, go to extra help as much as possible.</p>

<p>I wish I was great in math but on the other hand i know some kids who are incredible in math and have trouble putting together a paragraph, so it does work both ways.</p>

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<p>Thanks! I just wanted to know if anyone had a situation like me and could answer my questions.</p>

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<p>How does one grow to like math? By doing well at it, I suppose. If your stomach hurts at the mere thought of a subject, you’re not likely to study enough or the right ways. Which leads to a self-fulfilling circle.</p>

<p>There are ways to break the chain: model what successful students do. You can find some advice for that in post #3 of <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1177796-aspiring-mechanical-engineer.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1177796-aspiring-mechanical-engineer.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>In math, you need to do the homework and be super-honest about it. For each problem, you need to get the answer, *know *that you’ve got the answer, and know why it’s correct - all before you look it up. At worst, you need to understand where you went wrong, and why the right answer really is correct. But mostly, you need to understand it so that you can be right. That means you need to work. There’s no other way.</p>

<p>It’s not like other subjects. There’s no fuzziness here, no way to argue it; you’re either right or you’re wrong. And when you’re wrong, it’s because there’s something you don’t understand - not something that you didn’t memorize, but a missing concept. Sure, there’s the occasional small error, but that doesn’t matter. The hole in your understanding is what matters; that’s what you need to fill. </p>

<p>So you gotta put in the effort to learn it so that you can be right, there’s no other way. That’s the mindset you need to have! So go do it!!</p>

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<p>I was about to say “College Algebra” is the equivalent of Pre-Calculus…</p>

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<p>Yeah sorry about that. I didn’t read the post after i finished. The Math course I took was a two semester Algebra I.</p>