How the hell did I get into college?

[GT40FIED]

I seriously wonder sometimes how I skated my way into college. The problem? I can't do math! I have an IQ of 152, my ACT scores were pretty high, but I can't do simple algebra (if such a thing exists). WTF?! I've been staring at this problem for 20 minutes: 7 - 2x = 15. Now I can tell you that X = -4, but I don't have a fucking clue how to solve it showing my work. Common sense should be part of showing your work. If I can solve it without a bunch of bullshit steps no one ever uses in real life, that should count as "showing work". Keep in mind my high school only offered the most remedial math and I've never even attempted algebra...but I figured it'd be a snap. I am so fucking screwed.

[pdiggitydogg]

Hey man Ive got the same issue w/ math. I have similar iq rating (even though I think that those tests arent very true/fair) and I can NOT do basic algebra to save my life. I can figure it out as long as I dont have to move crap around. I always forget how to do it. Formulas? Forget it.

To solve that problem though:
Move the 7 to the other side of the = sign, making it -
so
-2x=15-7 -> -2x=8 (keep the - sign making it negative)
Move the 2 over, by division
-x=8/2
-x=4 aka x=-4

(holy shit I did it! I am surprised......that is right, isnt it?)

[ebpda9]

i dunno man, my iq didn't score that high, but usually i don't have problems with algebra

[JDMFantasy2k]

a lot of it is in the teacher too.

for example my freshmen year in highschool, my teacher was a complete dousche bag and made no effort to help us or show simple formulas. Basically he was a waste of my oxygen.

My sophomore year i had geometry. My teacher kicked ass, she was dedicated and i knew the stuff so well it could make your head spin.

Last year i had another dousche bag teacher for algebra 2, needless to say he was very similar to my fresmen teacher, and since i didn't know shit from that class, he said it was my own fault that i didn't know what i was doing because i didn't know basic freshmen algebra. :rolleyes:

seriously some teachers are so dedicated, and that's how they all should be. They should enjoy what they do and helping people learn. If they're just there to recieve a pay check then they shouldn't be teachers. that's my 2 cents.

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Math... you either love it or hate it. I used to like it, which is one reason I became an engineer. After taking 6 calculus classes in college and a bunch of other math, I really don't like it any more though.

I think the teacher only has a little to do with it. Some people think in a mathematical way, and some don't. I agree that if you can use common sense to solve a problem, that should be enough, but I also see why they want the concepts. Yeah, the example you gave is cake, but if you were to make it with different numbers in a more complex form, solving it wouldn't be intuitive. Hence the reason they want you to learn the steps.

If you aren't in a major that requires math knowledge, I really think that you should only be required to take basic algebra/geometry/whatever and call it good. I have some friends in college that had to take some harder math classes and their major had nothing to do with math. Basically they learned it for their classes and forgot it right away.

Bah, enough rambling. All this math talk makes me glad I'm done with school :D

[GT40FIED]

See...my major is automotive technology with an emphasis on service management. Basic algebra would do for me. Hell...even basic math would probably work out just fine. As long as I know how things work I don't see the point in making me learn how to solve for x. College sucks.

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Originally posted by GT40FIED
See...my major is automotive technology with an emphasis on service management. Basic algebra would do for me. Hell...even basic math would probably work out just fine. As long as I know how things work I don't see the point in making me learn how to solve for x. College sucks.

Yeah, exactly. As long as you can do basic calculations, measurements, and all that crap, you'd be fine. The college doesn't understand that though.

Bastards :D

[GT40FIED]

What's even more bullshit is that I have to take an art appreciation class. WTF? I hate art. Art sucks. Burn it all, I honestly don't care. And all of the music appreciation classes are more based around time and timbre and notation...not the actual music. Liberal arts packages can fellate me.

[pdiggitydogg]

yeah man Ive got an art class this fall...art history from ren->present
like I give a rats ass :rolleyes:


someone tell me if i did the algebra right on that

[GT40FIED]

It looks right...but what the hell do I know?

[AkimboStylee]

yes the math is right, hey gt you dont like art, but wouldn't say a car a piece of art, caus i know i have, like the first time i saw a skyline, i thought i was dreaming,.

[ChrisCantSkate]

math has always been my strong subject, i dont study for it and i get an A. but the problem is i cant explain how or why i get my answers. i usta have my teachers knocking points off everything i did cause i didnt show my work. generally with high IQs you have your strong points, but your weak ones always stand out. i cant spell for shit, i cant write for shit, yet problem solving and "critical thinking" is second nature for me.

and art is shit... cmon, i understand the hate towrds the classes, but art is our humanity being creative and thinking outside the box (at least most of it, some of it is just crap) to express something that cant be explained in words.

[GT40FIED]

Originally posted by ChrisCantSkate
and art is shit... cmon, i understand the hate towrds the classes, but art is our humanity being creative and thinking outside the box (at least most of it, some of it is just crap) to express something that cant be explained in words.

It's actually not the art itself that I hate...it's the way artsy people look at it. I look at a painting of two people and see it for what it is...two people, a background and misc. objects. Artsy people start to look at it and see the use of certain colors as meaningful and certain objects as symbolic. Ok...I get it...you think you're esoteric. It's all shit. So it's like The Cure...it's a hatred by proxy. People who listen to The Cure and think they're the best band ever generally piss me off to end so, by way of association, I hate The Cure. People who talk about art in abstract ways and think they're cool piss me off so again, by association, I hate art.

[VR4_Craver]

Originally posted by GT40FIED
I seriously wonder sometimes how I skated my way into college.

its not their problem if you pass or fail...they still get your $$

[mylittlecivic]

I suck at math, I love writing and art but i hate artsy fartsy people. Art is fun and It may have some meaning but you cant base your life around something some dude drew.