I was slaving away at my math homework last night, and I feel like I’m not getting anywhere. I think I’ll need some tutoring this next week to catch up, since I missed class last Friday, and I know we’ll have a test this next week, if not today.
And I feel like I’m so behind. I’m not following quietly along, and I do worry that some how I’m going to bomb this last third of the semester, and fail the class. Which will really suck, because I don’t want to have to take this class again.
So, here’s an example of a math problem that I had to do last night:
The sum of two numbers is 20, and the sum of their squares is 218. Find the number.
The written math portion you see is done by my sister (my hand writing isn’t that bubbly - she helped me over AIM), and she lost me from the beginning. I’m supposed to solve this problem with a quadratic equation, and not with using Y. The biggest problem I have is that I already know the answer, and I can’t get the problem to fit into my solution.
I worked it out on my own, but I got to the end, and didn’t know how to factor it out to get the answer that I knew was waiting there for me. Then K double checked my work, saw that I was a moron and corrected it, and finally, I could figure out the problem all the way to the end. It took me two hours to get this problem right. And, it’s not even a hard problem.
I really dislike math. I wish I could just skip it, or fake it or something. Or, at least have notes when I take tests. Because then I could do an example of each type of problem that could possibly appear on the test. Like I’m ever going to do a problem without referencing a book.
- “Like a California King, ” So Much For the Afterglow: Everclear
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I’ve been working on that math problem for EVER and I just couldn’t get it… it’s late. Math class is early Sat morning… I work full-time and go to school full-time. My mom is disabled and I’m the only income for our family of four. By Friday night I’m so tired! I’m not good at math and my teacher gives extra points for perfect homework, so I had to just keep trying. I didn’t think I’d really find any help on the internet, but I googled anyway and got your site! You’re great!
(I just hope there’s not one of those problems on the test!) Thanks! Danielle 
Danielle, I’m so glad it was a help!
I posted this ages ago, just to complain about how hard it was, and now that I’m half way through Intermediate Algebra, I look back at this and think “why did I have so much trouble?”
I promise, it will get easier. I didn’t think it would but it did. And I ended up getting an A in the class, even though I felt like I was failing the whole time.