I'm Really Bad At Maths!

February 14, 2008 11:30am CST
I've started a course with Learn Direct as I want to learn to use spread sheet and excel and all that so I can work with computers doing office type work. Before I start the computer course I have to get a basic qualification in Maths and I've just started studying for it. It's reminded me how terrible I am at the subject, I'm stuck on Ratio's and working out percentages and fractions and all that. It makes me feel so stupid and frustrated as I should have got this qualification when I was 16 but I couldn't do it then and it seems I still can't now, but I am determined to do it even if it sends me mad. Has anyone else had problems like this with numbers you eventually over came? Are there any websites you can recommend to help with the problem?
2 people like this
8 responses
@CAMILLERI (373)
• Australia
18 Feb 08
It must be your lucky day. I am exactly the opposite. I love Maths and am prepared to help people that need help. I am a Tutor in Maths (lower grades). I am also an expert in spreadsheets, I have been using them since 1984. I have to explain:- I am 77 year old male. I have Qualifications in Economics and Accounting. I have written an Integrated Accounting Software package solely on Spreadsheets. I used to be a lecturer for 9 years in 5 colleges in a subject called Financial Management. Try me for some help!! rolcam@aol.com
18 Feb 08
Thanks that sounds great, the level 1 exam is today so it's too late for help with that one sadly. But the level 2 one will contain algebra which I was always useless at so you could probably help me with that.
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• Australia
18 Feb 08
Let me know when you are ready. You can use this forum in asking for help on any question. Best wishes on level 1.
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@testim (89)
• China
15 Feb 08
Take it easy!I'm a college student,in my personal opinion,You should try your best,everybody knows that Maths is very very difficult,but as long as you keep doing, and do many exercise regularly,I believe you can do it!
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15 Feb 08
Yeah there's no rush the course I'm doing is one where you go at your own pace.
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15 Feb 08
Just did the mock exam and only got 26 out of 40 which is not enough to pass I needed 30, not too far off though which is quite encouraging.
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• Saudi Arabia
18 Feb 08
The only way to overcome such problem is to solve more problems, buy a good math book and start looking into the solved examples, then solve the problems at the end of each chapter. In math, the only way to learn is practice. Wish you good luck.
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19 Feb 08
Yes you're right I just have to keep doing the sums, there's a really good website designed for adult learners too which is helpful. It has explanations and activities to do to improve your skills.
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@maximax8 (31055)
• United Kingdom
14 Feb 08
I was terrible at Maths when I was at school. When I was 14 a teacher told me if I was too thick to understand the topic we were doing he would not explain it again. So I only bothered with the subjects that I enjoyed. I got a very poor grade in my exam when I was 16 years old. But I wanted to do teacher training so I had to retake my Maths exam. Amazingly with the help of an excellent tutor that gave up his spare time to help struggling students I got the grade C that I needed to get on my course. With a course that I like I can study independently but with Maths having a caring tutor made a difference. Good luck.
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14 Feb 08
What a terrible teacher to say something like that to you, if you couldn't grasp it it was because of his teaching skills not you. I'm just going to have to put in a lot of effort to learn things I should have known years ago. It's the education system that let down my generation really. When we were at primary school you were shown times tables but didn't have to know them, by middle school you were meant to know them but through no fault of our own we didn't. We were also allowed to use calculators in exams right up until the year before I took my maths GCSE so of course I never learned to do mental arithmetic and it was too late to teach us then. Now the standard kids have to achieve is standardized so hopefully it's easier for kids now as they don't keep changing the goal posts on them.
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14 Feb 08
Out of my experience there seem to be two types of people; those who get into the maths logic and can do calculations with a blindfold and those who struggle with the basics. Having a more theoretical brain myself, I find maths painful... I can cope with the basics quite alright. I manage to balance my accounts, but a calculator is still my best friend :) Since you don't give up on it, you're in a very good way already. If you keep trying, it's more likely that you'll get it eventually - but I wouldn't worry too much, as most administrative jobs I've done only require basic excel - there's always an expert to do the statistics! :)
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14 Feb 08
From what I can gather from how I'm doing in the test bits of the learn direct site I'm going to struggle to get level one, and I have to have level 2 to get the equivalent of A GCSE. (They are the exams we take in England when were around 16) but I'm getting better already, I seem to have grasped ratio's and and rounding numbers to the nearest decimal place anyway. I find maths very painful too. I'm better at language skills I got good English grades at school, but science and maths baffled me.
1 person likes this
• Malaysia
15 Feb 08
I'm not bad at maths, but I'm very lazy to do math. I don't study math for years but I can get a B just by remembering the formula before exam ;-)
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15 Feb 08
I'm starting to learn a few of the formula's finally, I had such trouble with that when I was younger.
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• Malaysia
15 Feb 08
It's not all about formula, you need a sharp mind to solve the tricks. And don't forget to do much exercises as possible ;-) Wah, I got an exam tomorrow, there will be 5 papers. 1 of em is math and IQ test. I don't even study anything yet. Oh no!!!!!!
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@agfarm (930)
• United States
14 Feb 08
Don't take it to heart. I can't do Math at all , except for My taxes ( and even then...I still take it to the professionals to make sure the numbers add up ) Math is not something to get upset over. There are things Far greater than Math , or Ourselves ( for that Matter ) to worry about. I hope this makes you feel a little better.
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14 Feb 08
I know it's frustrating most of the stuff they are making me learn I will never use lol. I've found a section on the BBC website with helpful activities to do teach you about ratio and such I'll just have to soldier on with it. It upsets me because it seems to come so easily to some people but it's gibberish to me.
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@Foxfire1875 (2010)
15 Feb 08
I'm not good with mathes, I can do basic stuff but it's nothing to do with intelligence, it's just that we all have different abilities/talents and I know mathes isn't mine. Excel is really simple tho Nancy, don't worry and if it's only general office work you won't need an expert knowledge of it, I never have, I can do formulas and set up spread sheets and most offices have already got stuff like that set up, so you'll probably only be maintaining spreadsheets most of the time. Volunteering is a good way to learn office skills and most are quite happy to teach you anything you don't know.
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15 Feb 08
I've just done 2 mock exams for the test and I'm still failing by about 2 marks, but I know where I'm going wrong I just have to practice doing long division and multiplication with a pen and paper instead of a calculator. It's annoying to have to learn it because I know I'll never use it since in real life I'd always have a calculator, mobile phones even have them now. Glad to hear the computer programs are easy to use, because of my maths problems I get spooked out by anything to do with numbers, hopefully finally getting this qualification will put an end to that. I'm actually aiming to be a "virtual assistant" in the future, where people send me typing and things to do and I do it and send it back to them so I won't have to work in an office. I do want to do at least some work experience in an office to help me to apply the stuff I've learned, and even hopefully get the BTEC in office administration through doing a work placement.
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