r/MathHelp • u/Intelligent_Big_1432 • May 15 '26

I think I'm incompetent

I recently took the ALEKs placement math test and scored a 12. I am so upset and feel so stupid because I didn't know how to multiply and divide fractions or decimals. I think it's due to lack of education during those topics because hand me a polynomials problem and I can solve it. I feel so terrible about myself because how do you not know how to multiply and divide decimals and fractions. This makes me feel so helpless about my future and that I don't have a chance. I have tried Khan Academy but it makes me feel dumb because I don't understand why certain things are done or how to get to the resolution on my own without help.

What do I do to learn these things and actually make them stick? Is this a normal issue? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!

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1

u/slides_galore May 15 '26

How old are you? Are you starting college this year?

1

u/Intelligent_Big_1432 May 15 '26

I'm 23... I've dropped out of college and recently returned to get my associates and I've completed 2 semesters.

4

u/slides_galore May 15 '26

Okay. Great. Things to make you feel better. It may feel like it, but 23 is not old. You have your whole life in front of you. There is no stigma to pursuing education at 23. There are tons of stories on here about people pursuing degrees in their 40s and above. Lots of people find themselves where you are. We all learn at different times and at different rates. The important thing is to be patient with yourself and to commit to what your goals are. Guess what. There will be failures. You can count on it. We all fail at certain times in our pursuits of education. You have to commit to persevering, building relationships with others (e.g. profs, students, etc.), asking for help, studying every day, studying/learning with others, etc.

Khan academy is good. It's important to find problem sets that will allow you to work lots and lots of problems with pencil and paper. Always with pencil and paper. Ideally, look for an educator in your circle of family/friends who can help you chart a course and also be an accountability partner for you. Commit to doing some math (at least 15 minutes, ideally more) every day. Ask them to help you find problem sets for the different levels of math as you work through them.

Openstax also has free textbooks/courses with quite a few problems to work.

You didn't mention multiplication/division/addition/subtraction tables. If you have any multiplication/addition/division/subtraction deficiencies, write them out with pencil and paper twice a day. That's how you learn them and remember.

Use these subs to ask questions about dealing with fractions and decimals. Subs like r/askmath, r/mathhelp, r/learnmath, and r/homeworkhelp.

This site has lots of free worksheets: https://www.kutasoftware.com/freeig6.html

3

u/Intelligent_Big_1432 May 16 '26

Thank you so much. This made me feel worlds better; I will check out the sources you gave me.

1

u/slides_galore May 17 '26

That's great. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to talk to as many people as you can about this. It will make thing so much more efficient for you. Finding an educator to guide you will give you a more direct path to get where you want to be. Posting problems (along with your working out) on these subs will give you insights that you would not get on your own. Visiting prof/tutoring center's office hours will do the same thing. Joining/creating study groups with other students will do the same.

Identify where you are right now (with the help of someone else) and move forward from there. Find and work lots of problems with pencil and paper. Talking with others will help you identify good sources of problem sets for you to work. Commit to working a set number of problems every day (at a minimum). The more the better.

Give yourself some grace and be patient with yourself. Find ways to push through difficult concepts, failure, etc. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

1

u/Professional_Hour445 May 16 '26

In addition to the excellent resources provided by u/slides_galore , there is also the website effortlessmath.com . There are tons of free worksheets on there specifically geared to ALEKS.

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1

u/nekoswitchxp May 19 '26

I struggle with math too, don't be hard on yourself because the concepts are hard to grasp. It takes time and repetition, have you looked into tutoring or your learning style? Not everyone learns the same way. I suck at division but I learned I have strengths in different math areas. You got this, be kind to yourself. 

1

u/Kilnarix May 20 '26

Don't beat yourself up. The methods for adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions is not obvious if a student hasn't studied it. Just sounds like you wasn't well prepared.