Hi, just wanted to ask a question about algebra and math in general.
I skipped through high school thanks to my dad paying for a private school that falsified the records up until the last year, where in a mix of depression, anxiety and family problems (Dad absent for work, Mother with Depression and my Grandma pulling strings on my mother’s depression, alchoolism and multiple suicide attempts to have me do shit for her every day, thus avoiding school) I lost three years of school. This is not a justification and I am not proud of what happened. I never had the balls to stand up for anything and after 10 years I feel like I lost a gigantic amount of experiences, socially and mentally (I had my first GF at 24 after learning about PUA, now I’m 26). My Math professor in the last year of high school, knowing my “Math” situation, said to me that I would never be able to learn high school math and I would have to spend years TRYING to learn.
From that point on, I cried for weeks and I gave up.
Let’s get to the point. I wanna make up for that time and math comes into play because I wanna be a programmer. Not the best, not the brightest, just a decent programmer and I want that kind of future for me.
I have no basics, I can’t remember simple multiplications, can’t make simple divisions. When someone asks me a simple math question, I literally start sweating and my heart goes pounding.
How much time would it actually take to learn high school math, then discrete and then calculus? (the last two are not completely necessary, but I know that I would be a far better programmer if I’d learn calculus) Is there some source of learning you people trust that will allow me to study it?
Has any of you ever had any experience similar to mine? I should probably post this on Advice but I feel it belongs more here (and also that board constantly gives me problems)
TL:DR I don’t know shit about Math because I was a scared little shithead when I was a teen and gave up because I felt stupid. I need to know trusted sources where I can start my math learning thing.
Thank you for anything you can help me with.
Ian Barnes
I would start with Khan academy, do early math to precalculus. Once you finish precalc, you can learn calculus from Paul's online math notes. If you focus, you should be able to get to precalculus in 6 months to a year of work. Good luck user.
Carson Rivera
Your prof was probably right. We're not your help line. Math is only for certain, high IQ, people.
Watch some of these videos, find out what you are comfortable doing, and what you don't know.
Oliver Gray
Don't listen to him OP, anybody can learn math (at least up to calc 1). It doesn't take intelligence, it takes effort.
Connor Perez
Don't bullshit him with motivational shit. It takes years and good genetics to learn math. Imagine a jersey shore asshole trying to learn math, can you see him do anything productive? I don't.
Cameron Adams
If a jersey shore asshole took the time to sit down and study, he would do fine. Typically the assholes don't care about it and have no reason to learn it. And it takes years in shitty public schools, if you just want to learn, it won't take nearly as long.
Colton Green
Thank you. How may hours should I give it a day? I was thinking something about 2 or 3 hours a day, after work during the evening before going to bed. Could I make it in 6 months if I keep that pace?
Tyler Brooks
Anyone can learn math. Some people are more quick to understand it than others, but everyone can do it. If you really want to learn maths then do it user.
Julian Long
Get a job as an office worker for a older company, I never could do much because NZ school didn't teach math right
Benjamin Hill
2 or 3 hours is good, but probably not 6 months pace, unless you understand it quickly. What I would do is write out all the topics you want to cover, and try and complete one topic every 1-2 days at first, and maybe 2-4 days as the material gets more advanced. If you like, I could make a schedule for you, since I need to keep myself awake tonight
Cooper Moore
>since I need to keep myself awake tonight Why do you need that?
I mean, if it's not too much trouble for you I would appreciate it. Is there anything I can do for you in return?
Ethan Scott
Just fucked myself over, if I go to sleep I'll only get 3 hours before I have to wake up. Better to just stay awake
Brayden Edwards
>My Math professor in the last year of high school, knowing my “Math” situation, said to me that I would never be able to learn high school math and I would have to spend years TRYING to learn.
And high school teachers also say "it's impossible to do AP physics/chem/bio without first doing the regular version" and other bullshit like that. They're just trying to justify wasting so much time in public school with repetitive filler.
>Has any of you ever had any experience similar to mine
I was expelled from middle school (the teachers were out to get me) and only returned to school halfway into the 11th grade. I self-taught myself geometry and algebra II (read: learnt a^2+b^2=c^2 and [math]x=\frac{-b±\sqrt{b^2-4ac} } {2a}[/math]) and proceeded to being top of my class in pre-calculus and honors calculus with a 3 year gap in formal education. Graduated high school with an "augmented" transcript, got into a good college, and graduate with honors in math.
>I have no basics, I can’t remember simple multiplications, can’t make simple divisions. When someone asks me a simple math question, I literally start sweating and my heart goes pounding.
Go to Khan academy and review the basics there. Don't worry too much about being fast with arithmetic as that doesn't matter so much as understanding what's going on. After that check out "Precalculus Mathematics in a Nutshell: Geometry, Algebra, Trigonometry".
Gavin Wood
Stopped reading when, with rapidly accelerating tedium, you began detailing your life and it's inane problems. Perhaps try start another thread without the chaff kiddo.
Grayson Watson
here you go, I detailed a plan to get you through prealgebra in 6 months. if you're motivated, you could easily get it done in half the time though. plus, I'm sure a lot of it will be review, and will come back to you very quickly, so you may get it done in about a month.
after prealgebra, there are tons of textbooks for algebra 1, geometry, algebra 2, precalculus/trig, and calculus available. look at the Veeky Forums guide for book recommendations, and try to work through a section per day, and always do practice problems, and you should be on track to finishing calc 1 in about a year.
Liam Richardson
I'm retarded, forgot the pic
Joshua Nguyen
Listen to this guy OP, his schedule is definitely good. You can definitely do it but remember to stick to your schedule. Math is not difficult but is long to learn. Remember to pace yourself if you find that you're struggling with the material. Don't forget to give yourself a pat on the back when you've worked through a good amount a material. Everyone can learn math, but not everyone has the patience and dedication to do it.
Ryan Russell
...
Ayden Allen
>My Math professor in the last year of high school, knowing my “Math” situation, said to me that I would never be able to learn high school math and I would have to spend years TRYING to learn What an asshole, giving you absurd shit like that. Learning highschool math in its entirety can be a breeze with just a few of the right books, if you're even moderately intelligent. I suggest starting with Gelfand's books from libgen.
Jackson Price
You people are awesome. Thank you, seriously.
I guess I'll make posts about my progress in the following months.
Thanks again. You are awesome
Christopher Long
In the end, I guess he was just fed up with his work. My Class was probably the worse in the school, my classmates were assholes. Often when I got the chance to go I was the only one present and the teachers didn't know what to do.
Anthony Perez
it's copypasta b8
Joshua Bell
there's nothing too hard about learning enough maths to do basic programming e.g. web development.
but if you start sweating from being asked basic maths questions I don't know if you'll be able to stick with it
Josiah Gray
>How much time would it actually take to learn high school math, then discrete and then calculus? (the last two are not completely necessary, but I know that I would be a far better programmer if I’d learn calculus) Two years, one if you leave out the last two. This is assuming that you dedicate your life to mathematics and study it obsessively, but it absolutely can be done if you apply yourself. If you're some kind of genius or you have a GOOD private instructor, you might even be able to do it in half the time. Just start on Khan Academy and work your way up, one step at a time, and you will see that math is actually not an insurmountable challenge to anybody. It's just a matter of logic.
