Bad at Math

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how is one "not good at literature"?

Me too, my maths are functional at best and I need a calculator. My other academic abilities appear fine, I have just done a post grad and going on to complete a masters so I am not stupid, its just that I have never remember the sequence by which you do the calculation, I can never remember which one is mean, range or mode. Once I do and then find the way of doing the calculation I can do it, its just the process that refuses to stick.

I am good at simple math, but bad at abstract math involving symbols. When there are no numbers involved, it is a book of seven seals to me. One aspect of simple math I am good at involves dates and ages. I am surprised how quickly I can calculate them in my head. People tell me, "You're good at that." It's surprising to me, too, because my strengths have always been in the verbal domain. I never thought of myself as a numbers person at all.

I'm pretty good with adding,subtracting, and multiplying. Need a calculator for division. And totally suck at Algebra. I sucked so bad with Algebra that last year when I had Algebra 2. I was struggling in that class. And mentally couldn't take it. I was having a way harder time in that class than the rest of my classmates. I mentally couldn't handle it. And was getting Ds in there. But my IEP changed and then I got study hall instead. And that helped alot. Even though I just played on the computer the whole time.

I struggle with all types of maths,numbers etc. I've not been diagnosed with dyscalculia as it's difficult to get a diagnosis but I'm certain iam dyscalculic. I have the maths/arithmetic of an 8 year old and not an 8 year old who is good at maths. :0/

The entire basis for algebra is the concept of keeping things equal. A lot of people who struggle with algebra do so because they read

2+2 = 4

as "Take two, add two more, and it become four" rather than "Two groups of two is the same quantity as four"
If you read = as "is the same as" it can simplify concepts significantly.

4 quarters = $1 is "four quarters is the same as one dollar"

Or 4 quarters = 100 pennies "four quarters is the same as one hundred pennies"

x + 2 = 3 "some amount plus two is the same as three"

To solve for x, we want to get the x alone on one side of the equality sign because we want a statement that can be read like "some amount is the same this quantity"

If I subtract 2 from the left, then I get that format, with x by itself on the left side. Because I have to keep the quantity on both sides even if I call the quantity by different names on each side.

I can get x by itself on the left by subtracting the 2. But I am required to also subtract a 2 on the right side to keep the quantities on both sides equal.

x + 2 = 3 "some amount plus two is the same as three"

becomes

x + 2 - 2 = 3 - 2 "some amount plus two minus two is the same as three minus two"

Now I will actually do the math on both sides to simplify.

On the left side, 2-2 = 0, and on the right side 3-2 = 1

So x + 0 = 1 which I can write as x = 1

I have solved for x.


What about x + 3 = 7

Same thing. I get the x by itself on one side by subtracting 3. And since I subtracted 3 on that side, I have to subtract three from the other side or the two sides won't remain equal.

x + 3 - 3 = 7 - 3

x = 4

What about

(1/2)*x = 8 ?

I need to get x by itself, but unlike above, I can't do that by subtracting anything because nothing is being added to x on the side it's on.

Observe that 2*(1/2) = 2/2 = 1 and anything multiplied by 1 is itself. So I can get x by itself by multiplying (1/2)*x by 2

2*(1/2)*x = (2/2)*x = 1*x = x

But I also need to multiply the other side by 2. The entire equation looks like

2*(1/2)*x = 2*8

We already know the left side becomes x by itself. Looking at the right side 2*8 is 16, so our answer is

x = 16

CockneyRebel wrote:
I'm horrible at math. I'm also not that good at literature either. I'm a very visual and artistic person, though.
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how is one "not good at literature"?
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cockney rebel might have meant that cockney rebel is slow at reading. bad at reading comprehension. bad at analyzing poetry. bad at interpreting figurative speech.

I've struggled with math my entire life but I feel like I can go back to college and take basic level courses from humility. This really sucks I know.

that makes sense. thanks.

in which case he could've meant being bad at literature class, as i was. those seem like things one would to in a literature class, hell knows i couldn't be arsed to analyze a poem to save my life.

i thought "bad at understanding books"...

When I was in school, I took special ed classes for 11 years, I went to different schools with the same people that were disabled, some of them were very badly handicapped, they were in wheelchairs. When I was taking special ed classes, I used to get 'A's' I was younger, more energy, I was more smarter, I used to do homework on the bus. When I became a senior in high school, I was tried of being in special ed, so I took regular classes, it was a mistake. I got 'C or D's' in math, science was too confusing, but I managed, history was my worst subject, I took drama, art, I was really good in english. When I was in special ed, I took some regular classes too, I took cartooning, tying, spanish & computer classes.

So did I. A lot of math is actually based around communication ability. It's a very dense subject, and in order to truly understand what we're doing, we need to be able to communicate properly with a teacher. However, the reason why a lot of OTHER people with AS are good at math is because we're self sufficient. If you're interested in math, no matter how bad you are (unless you have a true cognitive disability) you'll probably learn it. That said, don't force it, as AS is pretty spontaneous in the direction it takes people in regards to interests.

I've been taking an online winter course and it's worked out perfectly for me. I am totally unable to learn in a classroom because the...*gulp* the noises...but aside from that, I'm perfectly able to teach myself anything I need and with some more patience can get down pretty much anything other people can. I do need help more than average, but that's probably because I'm behind after so many years of failing the same damn class.

But if you are in a dire situation, I would suggest independent courses. They are the ONLY way I've been able to get anywhere and I might have salvaged my college opportunities with this course. I just need to complete it now.

I have an aptitude for math sometimes, and have been told that, but I have a total disinterest in it unless I'm using it to figure out something I'm interested in or feel I have to figure out. So I'm pretty bad at it, because I don't practice. I had to do grade 11 math 3 times.

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cartooning class in high school?

my high school did not have that. just art.

doubt the local community college had it.

some classes in the community college catalogue sound fascinating.

ha. in fifth grade, got called to the office. the secretary gave me a letter that said i got into Gifted and Talented Education. she told me it was "a very good thing."

ugh. whooptie do.

in 6th grade middle school. took computer science and PE. the other classes were all required. school called my house. asked if i wanted to take GATE class instead. asked my precious lil "parents". (that was a mistake). they said yes. so took GATE in 6th and 7th grade. as a result, could not take computer science.

in eighth grade took poetry/drama as an elective.

did not take computer science in high school either. just Web Design, Business Computers, Computer Literacy.

and then when i got to undergrad, found myself barely computer literate. did not know how to play music on the computer. did not kow how to manage files.

and as i got academically stupider and stupider. and now i am 34. with a BA in cognitive science and AA in accounting.

took up to vector analysis in math.

took way too much math.

and it served no functional purpose.

should've taken computers instead.

stupid me.

actually it would've been better for me to not be in GATE than to be in GATE.

ha.

retroactively maybe it would've been better for me not to go to UCSD than to go. ucsd was so homophobic. ten years later, still obsessed with it. daily. ucsd was a homophobic nightmare. superficial and materialistic.

seriously, it would've been better if i just did not go to any college whatsoever.

maybe i think though. that society acts like college is the be all end all.

society acts like college is necessary and sufficient for financial stability in adulthood.

but neither one is correct.

actually when i went for testing to figure out my root causes of my school problems and basically my IQ they found that my math skills were fine, BUT my information processing was too slow ( i needed more time to absorb what was being taught) and my verbal skills were lacking as well. basically the only area of learning i thrived in was visual (which i didn't need a 2 hour assessment to tell me what i already knew lol) my working memory was just a touch below average as well.

according to my Psychologist my results were typically ASD.

I feel like I'm kind of similar. I am extremely literal in the way I learn for some reason, as in diagrams or actual examples. In fact, though you didn't say this, I don't see the worth in studying something just for the sake of discipline like a lot of traditional teachers want to force. Also, I take a damn long time to process but for some reason I end up memorizing so much more than I need, really quickly as well. It's like a camera that's higher definition but takes longer than others which are just pixels. Math is just backwards for me. I feel like I'm trying to say the alphabet backwards, that's how much sense it makes and how difficult it is. But give me actual physical mathematics which can be applied to a real situation (like astronomy based stuff or physics) and I love it. Oh, and if I'm alone with a teacher and have a lot of time to understand something INTERESTING, then I will certainly get it.

We don't get this stuff in life though sadly, so I end up teaching myself most of what I know at home. I've learned more on my phone than I have in some of these classes. Teachers tell me to put it away, but it's both my property and my only source of education. They never stated anywhere that we're coming to school to get educated by THEM, they just said come get an education. I don't see the problem in getting an education in a way that works!
Sorry, I got off topic.

I'm very, very poor at math, to the point where I believe I might have dyscalculia. I hate all the weird numbers fitting together oddly and not making sense. And don't even get me started on variables....

I'm much more into history, literature, ideas, art, etc. Also some times of science, mostly "soft" sciences like archaeology, anthropology, and sociology, with a smattering of biology and astronomy from the hard sciences.