# I have a month to learn college algebra **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 21, 2008, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656 "2008-06-21T02:17:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PharmBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@PharmBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PharmBoy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/21 "2008-06-22T01:02:24Z")
There is just no way you are going to learn college algebra in a week. Why not actually learn the subject instead of trying to skate? Knowing algebra is NOT a worthless skill, I can tell you. ---
**Author:** ![gravitycrash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@gravitycrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gravitycrash)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/22 "2008-06-22T02:42:59Z")
Jeez good thing I didn’t go into higher math. I have no idea what \*\* Linty Fresh\*\* just said. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/23 "2008-06-22T02:56:32Z")
Put a fork in yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/24 "2008-06-22T03:50:33Z")
[QUOTE=gravitycrash] Jeez good thing I didn’t go into higher math. I have no idea what \*\* Linty Fresh\*\* just said. [/QUOTE] Yeah, sometimes I get het up about a topic and Mr. Keyboard runs away from Mr. Brain. :smack: What I meant was that mastering algebra is three parts working through problems to one part reading the intro to the chapter. I shouldn’t have said that it wasn’t about learning theory, but that just concentrating on the theory isn’t as important as doing the problems. In a week, **Cisco** could read about logs and quadratic equations, but he’d never be able to get through a test on them without the grunt work. Mastering algebra is all about grunt work, hours spent over a lined notebook holding a pencil with a _good_ eraser. I get excited about this sort of thing, because this is how I learned algebra and trig. For 20 years, I’d just chalked my inability in math to genetics, and it’s true that I need more time than most people to get it. But a few years ago on a whim, I bought a math book just to see if I could learn it on my own, and a few months later it turned out I could. Believe me when I tell you that if I can do it, _anyone_ can do it. I am _not_ an undiscovered genius. So everything I said about working through the QF and log problems I learned through hard experience. There are simply no shortcuts. You learn by doing, and it takes time. If **Cisco** is reasonably intelligent–and I haven’t read any of his posts that suggest he is not–and he’s out to pass a class rather than gain a thorough understanding, and if he doesn’t have to worry about trig, then a few months should be enough. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/25 "2008-06-23T19:27:20Z")
I talked to my academic advisor - it seems she was mistaken about me only having until Friday to take the test. I have more like a month. So that gives me some (obviously much needed) breathing room. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/26 "2008-06-23T19:52:16Z")
It doesn’t really give you breathing room. You went from totally fucked to start now, do problems every day, and maybe you’ll have a basic understanding to pass the test in a month. I’d suggest you solve homework problems from whatever text you have for 1-2 hours a night. Set a plan for yourself and stick with it. You should be able to do it in a month, but it won’t be easy by any means. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/27 "2008-06-23T20:12:51Z")
[QUOTE=Linty Fresh] There are simply no shortcuts. You learn by doing, and it takes time. [/QUOTE] “Sire, there is no Royal Road to geometry.” 🙂 Euclid had to tell that to [King Ptolemy I Soter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemy_I) (reigned 305 to 283 BCE). People have been looking for shortcuts to math for a long time and not finding them. You need to practice, practice, practice. At each level, there are all kinds of ways to do things, and you have to have them down before you take the next step that depends on them. ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/28 "2008-06-23T21:30:34Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] At each level, there are all kinds of ways to do things, and you have to have them down before you take the next step that depends on them. [/QUOTE] Which brings up the question already asked by **Paladud** : What exactly are you trying to test _into_? ---
**Author:** ![sugar\_and\_spice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@sugar\_and\_spice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugar_and_spice)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/29 "2008-06-23T21:49:02Z")
Out of curiosity, may I ask how one class could put you back a year? I assume the 4 year school that you would transfer to is ASU – couldn’t you just transfer in at Spring semester? They’re a huge state school, I would have thought they allowed this. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/30 "2008-06-23T22:44:50Z")
[QUOTE=Linty Fresh] Which brings up the question already asked by **Paladud** : What exactly are you trying to test _into_? [/QUOTE] MAT142: > [@](#): > > MAT142 > > 3 Credit(s) > 3 Period(s) > > College Mathematics > > Working knowledge of college-level mathematics and its applications to real-life problems. Emphasis on understanding mathematical concepts and their applications. Topics include set theory, probability, statistics, finance, and geometry. Prerequisites: Grade of “C” or better in MAT120, or MAT121, or MAT122 or equivalent, or satisfactory score on District placement exam. > > Course Note: Appropriate for the student whose major does not require college algebra or precalculus. > > Official Course Competencies: > > MAT142 > College Mathematics > > 1. > > Distinguish between a subset and a proper subset. (I) > > 1. > > Use Venn diagrams to solve applied problems involving the union, intersection, and complement of sets. (I) > > 1. > > Distinguish between experimental and theoretical probability, and use each to solve applied problems. (II) > > 1. > > Use conditional probability to solve applied problems involving dependent events. (II) > > 1. > > Use probabilities to calculate odds, either in favor of or against a particular event, and visa versa. (II) > > 1. > > Solve probability problems involving combinations and permutations. (II) > > 1. > > Organize, analyze, and display data using multiple representations. (III) > > 1. > > Calculate and interpret measures of central tendency and dispersion. (III) > > 1. > > Calculate and interpret measures of location (percentiles and quartiles). (III) > > 1. > > Solve applications using the normal distribution. (III) > > 1. > > Solve applications involving loans and amortizations. (IV) > > 1. > > Solve applications involving annuities. (IV) > > 1. > > Calculate the annual interest rate given the annual yield and visa versa. (IV) > > 1. > > Solve real-life problems using exponential growth. (IV) 15 Use appropriate formulas and units of measure for composite geometric shapes and figures from real life problems. (V) > > 1. > > Apply unit analysis skills to solve applied problems. (V) > > 1. > > Use dimensional analysis to convert units of measurement between different systems. (V) > > 1. > > Use written and verbal communication to describe process and results. (I-VI) > > 1. > > Model and solve real-world problems. (I-VI) > > Official Course Outline: > > I. Set Theory > > A. Venn diagrams > > B. Set operations > > II. Probability A Experimental vs. theoretical probability > > B. Conditional > > C. Odds > > D. Permutations and combinations > > III. Statistics > > A. Descriptive > > B. Normal distribution > > C. Percentiles and quartiles > > IV. Finance > > A. Annuities > > B. Simple vs. compound interest > > C. Exponential growth > > D. Loans > > E. Rates vs. Yield > > V. Geometry > > A. Perimeter/area/volume > > B. Unit conversions > > VI. Additional Topics-Departments may include one or more of the following topics in the course. > > A. Logic > > B. Numeration systems > > C. Inferential statistics > > D. Voting theory > > E. Math of music > > F. Index numbers > > G. Graph theory > > H. Geometry topics > > 1. Symmetry > > 2. Tessellations > > 3. Fractals ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/31 "2008-06-23T23:05:56Z")
If you don’t have a solid background in algebra, you’re going to struggle in there. Math is one of those areas that really builds on itself, so without a solid foundation in the basics, you’re going to be hurting. With a month to go, you can do it, although you’re really going to have to dedicate yourself. Plan on working 10-15 or more problems a day, and find people you can ask when you don’t understand something. Use the SDMB in addition to whatever other sources you have. ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/32 "2008-06-24T00:23:17Z")
[QUOTE=ultrafilter] If you don’t have a solid background in algebra, you’re going to struggle in there. Math is one of those areas that really builds on itself, so without a solid foundation in the basics, you’re going to be hurting. With a month to go, you can do it, although you’re really going to have to dedicate yourself. Plan on working 10-15 or more problems a day, and find people you can ask when you don’t understand something. Use the SDMB in addition to whatever other sources you have. [/QUOTE] In addition to the SDMB, try [these guys](http://www.freemathhelp.com/forum/index.php). They really helped me work through some sticking points, and I wouldn’t have gotten as far as I did in algebra and basic calc without them. I don’t envy you having to learn so much so quickly, **Cisco** , and I must repeat that you’d be doing yourself a favor by taking your time, but if you live, breathe, eat, and sleep math for the next month, I think you have a shot. One more piece of advice: For a class like what you described MAT142 as being _don’t_ stop studying on your own after you test out of MAT122. Crank out those problems until the day your start MAT142, and keep at it on your own time if the new class seems overwhelming. If you run into something that throws you, you probably need to review the underlying algebra fundamentals. Check the underlying concept and go back to basic algebra and do some problems until you understand it, and chances are you’ll be OK. Good luck. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![eveanyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@eveanyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eveanyn)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/33 "2008-06-24T04:21:17Z")
There are actually teachers who post class videos on YouTube. Some of them are pretty good and helped me with logarithms and quadratics. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/34 "2008-06-24T04:29:22Z")
[QUOTE=ultrafilter] If you don’t have a solid background in algebra, you’re going to struggle in there. Math is one of those areas that really builds on itself, so without a solid foundation in the basics, you’re going to be hurting. [/QUOTE] Yeah, that. But if you have a solid grasp of the IDEAS, and a quick mind, a month isn’t impossible. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/35 "2008-06-24T04:43:09Z")
[QUOTE=Cisco] MAT142: [/QUOTE] I doubt that you really do have to “test past” MAT 122 (the college algebra) in order to take the class you’ve described. After all, it says right there: “Appropriate for the student whose major does not require college algebra”! MAT 122 is only one of the courses you could use as a prerequisite. The others are MAT 120 or MAT 121—what are they? You’ll still need to know some background math to get into MAT 142, but you won’t have to know all the topics listed in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/36 "2008-06-24T04:59:56Z")
I feel your pain. I am 36 and a senior in college now (went back to school after a long absence). I’m not a “math person” at all–kind of math-phobic, actually. The last math I had taken was geometry in high school, and that was the 1987/1988 academic year. In other words, 20 years ago. Last fall I took my first math class since. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to do it, but I pulled off an A in Business Statistics. I have to take one more math class before I graduate and I’m not looking forward to it. ☹ I have no advice, really, nor do I know if you can do this in a month or not… I just wanted to come in and give you my support as another nontraditional student who had a massive time gap since her last math course. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/37 "2008-06-24T16:35:00Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] I feel your pain. I am 36 and a senior in college now (went back to school after a long absence). I’m not a “math person” at all–kind of math-phobic, actually. The last math I had taken was geometry in high school, and that was the 1987/1988 academic year. In other words, 20 years ago. Last fall I took my first math class since. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to do it, but I pulled off an A in Business Statistics. I have to take one more math class before I graduate and I’m not looking forward to it. ☹ [/QUOTE] As a college math teacher, students who come to class with attitudes like this frustrate me. I’m not sure how best to deal with them. I suspect that often, negative attitudes toward math become self-fulfilling prophecies, as the students who come into class with negative attitudes toward math, spend their time in class hostile and disengaged, and their time out of class doing as little math as possible. What can I do with a student whole attitude is ☹ or :mad: or “I want to get this over with as quickly as possible”? I’ve read that, in America, people commonly believe that math ability is inborn: either you’re a “math person” or you’re not. In other countries, it’s seen as something eneryone can learn if they work hard at it, and being good at math depends on how much time and effort you put into it. From personal experience, I believe there innate mathematical aptitude that some people have more of than others, but that time, effort, and attitude can make a huge difference. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/38 "2008-06-24T16:53:48Z")
Self-fulfilling prophecy? Hostile in class? Doing as little math as possible? I spent hours and hours and hours every week doing math. I passed the class with something like a 97%. Our teacher was so awful at teaching that _I_ ended up teaching a lot of the students the concepts once I got them down myself (a lot of the other students said I was the only reason _they_ passed the class and said I was a much better teacher) I was hardly _hostile!_ I am _afraid_ of math. I’m sorry if that frustrates you. I have an anxiety about it. It makes me nervous and sweaty and I nearly panic when I am faced with math. My self confidence takes an elevator drop through the floor the minute I see numbers. I will double check simple arithmetic on a calculator (I am nearly always right, I just don’t have any confidence in it and have a paranoia that I’m wrong, so I check it) and use a calculator to figure out tips in restaurants and stuff. In the end I think that I’m actually fairly good at math, but it creates a really high level of anxiety in me, which I do not like at all. I feel kind of bad for your students that you are automatically frustrated by a student who has a math anxiety. That probably sets up those students for an even worse experience and an even harder time. I have a 4.0 going into my senior year right now (i.e. I work hard and take my classes very seriously) and have had very few teachers ever in college that I did not consider myself to be on friendly terms with. And by friendly I mean going out to lunch, continuing to have an email correspondence after the end of the term, come back and say hi from time to time kind of thing. I’ve _never_ had a teacher that I outright didn’t get along with. If I’d encountered teachers like you who are automatically frustrated with me right off the bat because I have a fear I can’t control? Jesus I’d probably just drop the class rather than put up with that. I’m glad I didn’t go to your school, that’s all I can say. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/39 "2008-06-24T17:02:44Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] I doubt that you really do have to “test past” MAT 122 (the college algebra) in order to take the class you’ve described. After all, it says right there: “Appropriate for the student whose major does not require college algebra”! MAT 122 is only one of the courses you could use as a prerequisite. The others are MAT 120 or MAT 121—what are they? [/QUOTE] They are the same class with more hours. For people with math related majors looking to rack up their hours. **Opal** : Thank you. I’ve had Thudlow Boink after Thudlow Boink after Thudlow Boink starting in the 7th grade and it’s really killed my desire to ever learn and/or enjoy math. Regardless, I **will** go into my next math class with a positive attitude, and I **will** study my ass off. I too have a 4.0 and I earned it, and I intend on keeping it. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656/40 "2008-06-24T17:07:20Z")
If you’ve been working so hard on your statistics class, **Opal** , I don’t think you’re the kind of student **Thudlow Boink** is talking about. But I agree with his general point: mathematics seems to elicit a response that other subjects don’t in many people. I suspect it may be because mathematics builds upon itself in a way that other subjects don’t necessarily. If I read a research article in psychology, or sociology, I may be able to understand the gist of it despite being a non-specialist. But even with my Master’s degree I may at first not understand much of a research article in math; I’ll need to reread it many times and consult other sources to understand the concepts they use. So advanced math is “scary” to people (hell, even to me!) in a way that other disciplines aren’t, and they try to stay away from it and get it over with as quickly as possible when they have to deal with it. This doesn’t necessarily apply to you, Opal, since you seem to be afraid of math but still willing to put in the work you need to succeed at it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-month-to-learn-college-algebra/453656.md?page=3)