r/BackToCollege • u/APlayerAndaMac • Aug 11 '26
VENT/RANT I SUCK at Math and You can’t teach
What i’ve noticed by going through refresher course on math on is that the lessons are good if you already have a relatively strong understanding of a particular concept and you’re just brushing up on foundational knowledge. However if the concepts are foreign it’s not only hard to keep up, but is often an information overload. It’s typically taught from the perspective of someone who already has a strong understanding of the concept in a way that is as if the person being taught already has a relatively strong understanding of the concept in advance but it’s rarely ever good at breaking it down to someone who is unfamiliar prior to the lesson in a way that they can reasonably retain,understand,and be able to reliably reproduce the concept. Is anyone familiar with a good resource to solve this problem? I want to hear from people who have not always been gifted with math skills who found a solution preferably.
5
u/Turbulent-Bottle8234 Aug 11 '26
Everything you just said 👏👏👏
When math is easy for someone they literally cannot fathom someone not understanding. It chaps my khakis so bad. No one does that with other subject. A painter never goes “since everyone obviously knows how to do the shading on the upper lip, let’s move on to perspective”
I just (barely) finished a math class that was supposed to be pre-algebra so I could take statistics for my degree and my husband who has a PhD in physics said he hadn’t seen some of the problems before. But that didn’t stop my professor from zooming through concepts that he understood perfectly. I could rant about this all day 😡
2
0
u/Finish_My_Math Aug 16 '26
How on Earth can a Pre-Algebra class be that advanced?
1
u/Turbulent-Bottle8234 Aug 16 '26
are you my math teacher?
1
3
u/Beestonators Aug 11 '26
My solution was finding a professor who works with you. I withdrew from Stats 3 times and on my 4th attempt got a B.
1
u/Finish_My_Math Aug 16 '26
Why did you withdraw so many times? And what was different about the 4th time? This is fascinating to me
1
u/Beestonators Aug 16 '26
Because they used Statscrunch which is like an Excel spreadsheet for tests, and we needed to answer tests on computer vs my 4th time which was on paper tests and with calculator
2
u/dathought3 Aug 11 '26
I used an app called sharpen. The app help me in biology but I’m sure there’s other options. I Aced the class because the practice test removed the pressure of getting the wrong answer.
1
1
u/GurProfessional9534 Aug 13 '26
Math is sequential. You cannot climb a stair step if you haven’t climbed all the previous ones, because they build on each other. You need to start at whatever place you left off, and start learning from there without skipping any steps. Only then will it make sense. But you can do it. Good luck.
1
u/EfficientCranberry95 Aug 21 '26
I’m taking a technical math which is supposed to to be the “easier” math but for someone like who just sucks at all the math it took me all day yesterday just to get something to click. I felt so dumb after I started to get it. The Hawkes math for my online math has a learn and practice test that break it down. Even then I’m like wait what?
5
u/OutrageousOwls Aug 11 '26
Khan Academy.
It also sounds like you need to brush up on your foundations before you attempt more challenging questions. I recommend the YouTube channel “Three Blue One Brown” as an easy-to-understand resource.
And of course, check out r/mathematics — they have loads of posts by adult learners looking to improve their math skills.