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Math books are fucking useless for algebra

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Wazzim

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That or I suck in mathematics. I bet it's the latter.

Anyone else who had a hard time with algebra/math on school?
 
I found that it's the teacher that matters, but either way that math books are actually pretty good.
 
Algebra no, but this is me learning discrete math.

"question 1 on induction...hmm not bad at all"

question 2 to 50 "WHAT THE FUUUUUCKKKKK JUST HAPPPENEDDDD".
 
Algebra just came naturally for me. Calculus was a different story but going on youtube helped out a lot. Definitely recommend youtubing "Patrickjmt" and look as his videos. He has videos from algebra all the way to calc 3 and linear algebra. I'm sure his videos can help you out.
Edit: Here is his site: http://patrickjmt.com/. And khanacademy(the site Not A Fur posted) is also good according to my friend.
 
At the pre-collegiate(hell even up to sophomore year) level, there is no such thing as a hard math subject. Just terrible teachers and textbooks.
 
I'll help. Math is the one of the few things I'm not entirely useless at.
 
Get the solutions manual if possible.

Most people learn by seeing as many examples as possible doing a ton of problems. Only after we've mastered the algorithms do the underlying concepts start to make mroe sense. Textbooks of the past that would do proofs, solve 1 - 2 problems (usually the easiest ones), and then throw you into the deep end. Oh, and no solutions manuals and the only answers are the odd questions. Thankfully, textbooks are starting to move away from this... but if you're stuck with a shitty one, you better hope your teacher is good and you better be resourceful (khan, messageboards, tutor, etc.).
 
I eventually was able to deal with algebra, more or less. Then geometry hit, and it was all over. Fuck that shit.
 
I always had lots of problems with this shit when I had it in school. Then I later discovered the internet and found some online lessons with other people explaining it than my teacher and I suddenly got decent at it.
 
-Pyromaniac- said:
nono it's this "do the homework to practice for the exam"

*exam a thousand times harder than homework featuring questions you never even fathomed*.
Click to expand...

This was my experience with Trig. I'd understand everything in the book, do great on my homework, then get an exam that's ten times harder then my homework with questions not even covered in the book. Luckily I passed with a C.
 
Maybe OP just needs to find the right book...

51vG1JnSLEL._SS500_.jpg
 
Wazzim said:
That or I suck in mathematics. I bet it's the latter.

Anyone else who had a hard time with algebra/math on school?
Click to expand...

I was horrible in math during my school years. My teachers would tell me,
“You’ll need these skills in the real world.”
Yeah right! Now I subnet and work in binary and hexadecimal doing networking for a living and my hobby is cars and I can calculate cubic inches to boost pressures all day long. I guess my point is it all depends on what you’re using math for.
 
What are you having trouble with? Learning how to articulate the problem that you are having in understanding something is as important or more important than knowing the process of how to do that something. Many times, fully articulating your problem will lead you to the solution.

Post an example of something you don't understand from your algebra book and articulate exactly why it doesn't make sense to you.
 
I got something like 1/20 average on one of my last year semester in school.

Got 8 for my graduation test so I was kind of happy.

Math just isn't for me.
 
Nevasleep said:
Teacher/Lecturer shows examples.
Homework totally different.
Click to expand...

Fucking spot on.

The other shitty thing is one of my math teachers in HS basically admitted that he had only 3 months to teach us a ton of shit and explained he had to teach a new thing every day in order to prepare you for the regents/state tests. It's no wonder people don't understand or remember the shit they're taught. And it makes you feel bad asking a question if you're confused because you know you're wasting the teachers time when he's trying to rush through things to fit schedule.
 
Algebra was fine for me, but I could never get past Pre-Calculus (Trigonometry makes zero sense to me). Biggest reason I've never got a degree. Every major I was interested in required Calculus 1 or 2 at the minimum. Some people just aren't smart enough for the material and I'm one of those.
 
Digishine said:
I think we need a Thread for fucking algebra to learn the basic stuff. Gaf style
Click to expand...

Actually, that's a fantastic idea. A community thread, starting from basic Algebra to pre-Calculus , with a common textbook among the posters(preferably something like Basic Mathematics, a rigorous treatment of all pre-calc subjects), and assigned problem sets with custom made fill-in summeries/notes. Something like that Spivak subreddit but a more organized, centralized community effort.
 
Algebra is just the basics. If you're struggling with it, you're gonna struggle even more later on. Math always came pretty easy to me so I aced pretty much all my early-level math classes up until college. Then word problems took on a new meaning and things became challenging, but in a good way. Math is useless unless its applied somehow.

Count Dookkake said:
How old are you OP?

Isn't algebra a junior high thing? Did that change?
Click to expand...
Yea, I took Algebra in 7th grade. :/ I know thats a little earlier than most, but 9th grade/beginning of high school is usually the latest somebody takes it.
 
Algebra was OK, Cal I was easy, Cal II was hard, Cal III was easier because it seemed like less of a jump for me than 1 to 2.
 
Yeah, what level of Algebra you struggling with, OP?

Had to take college algebra as a freshman, which was the equivalent of Algebra II in high school.
 
Thanks for the links guys, will check them out.

Timedog said:
What are you having trouble with? Learning how to articulate the problem that you are having in understanding something is as important or more important than knowing the process of how to do that something. Many times, fully articulating your problem will lead you to the solution.

Post an example of something you don't understand from your algebra book and articulate exactly why it doesn't make sense to you.
Click to expand...

5√(x^2-3)=(2x-1)√(x^2-3)

I already solved it correctly with the AB=AC -> A=0 v B=C rule.
The book however, doesn't explain if both A's can be at different spots (ex. BA=AC). (all examples have them in the AB=AC positions)
So I got confused :-/

I can't type all the stuff I'm struggling with but as you can see, I get confused quickly once they try to mix things up.
 
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