Thread: What should i know before starting college/calculus

I'm a 25 year old that hasn't been to school since 2003. My years in high school were a bit dull, in 9th grade i flunked algebra 1 because i didn't pay attention. I retook it in 10th grade and barely passed. In 11th grade i took Geometry and 12th AlG 2. I honestly didn't pay attention in class and am amazed i even passed those classes the first time around. I remember always being confused and questioning WHY things were done a certain way. I never understood exactly what was going on with the equations and variables. I've matured over the years, and i'm quite proficient in different internet coding languages such as macromedia's coldfusion and the ever so popular php. These languages make sense to me and it seems to come natural to me, however i'm not sure that has any relevence.

I'm ready to go back to school now, and i love a good challenge. I'd love to be able to go to school for an engineering degree, not just for the money - but to better myself in discipline and knowledge. At this point i remember nothing, and math is rather non existant to me. For engineering i will have to take cal 1, 2, and 3...yet i never even took trig or precal in high school. I'm assuming they will make me take some sort of prerequisites or something, but i'm going to make sure i'm ready. As someone that doesn't know a thing and is completely ignorant to the math world..where does one even start? i want to enroll for classes starting at the beginning of next year and i need to prep myself. How should i go about learning, and what should i learn to get ready for calculus? I don't have money for a tutor

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Greysoul

I'm a 25 year old that hasn't been to school since 2003. My years in high school were a bit dull, in 9th grade i flunked algebra 1 because i didn't pay attention. I retook it in 10th grade and barely passed. In 11th grade i took Geometry and 12th AlG 2. I honestly didn't pay attention in class and am amazed i even passed those classes the first time around. I remember always being confused and questioning WHY things were done a certain way. I never understood exactly what was going on with the equations and variables. I've matured over the years, and i'm quite proficient in different internet coding languages such as macromedia's coldfusion and the ever so popular php. These languages make sense to me and it seems to come natural to me, however i'm not sure that has any relevence.

I'm ready to go back to school now, and i love a good challenge. I'd love to be able to go to school for an engineering degree, not just for the money - but to better myself in discipline and knowledge. At this point i remember nothing, and math is rather non existant to me. For engineering i will have to take cal 1, 2, and 3...yet i never even took trig or precal in high school. I'm assuming they will make me take some sort of prerequisites or something, but i'm going to make sure i'm ready. As someone that doesn't know a thing and is completely ignorant to the math world..where does one even start? i want to enroll for classes starting at the beginning of next year and i need to prep myself. How should i go about learning, and what should i learn to get ready for calculus? I don't have money for a tutor

Thanks!

Search the web for info about prerequisites for the studies you want to begin (and if you can narrow that to the requisites the school you're interested in requires then it'd be better), or write them to ask them, and then search again the web to reach sites where you can begin to study by yourself, perhaps assisting to some sciences library and reading stuff there.
Your options are a little limited by not being able to pay for personalized tutoring, by nowadasy you've way more possibilities with internet: there are literally tens of thousands of different sites with info, articles, papers, online courses and even video classes (say, from the MIT, no less!) that you can reach and take for free.

Tonio

u'll need a lot of work to do
hmmmm... i think it's best for u to get some let's say exams from where u wish to go and go in that direction but u'll need a lot, if not all
reason that i'm telling u that is, in math everything is connected (more or less obviously) start small, figure it out , then a lot of practice and practice and u'll not have any problems with getting ur engineering degree
best wishes


Edit : sorry Tonio, I didn't see ur post (didn't refresh page)

Originally Posted by Greysoul

I'm a 25 year old that hasn't been to school since 2003. My years in high school were a bit dull, in 9th grade i flunked algebra 1 because i didn't pay attention. I retook it in 10th grade and barely passed. In 11th grade i took Geometry and 12th AlG 2. I honestly didn't pay attention in class and am amazed i even passed those classes the first time around. I remember always being confused and questioning WHY things were done a certain way. I never understood exactly what was going on with the equations and variables. I've matured over the years, and i'm quite proficient in different internet coding languages such as macromedia's coldfusion and the ever so popular php. These languages make sense to me and it seems to come natural to me, however i'm not sure that has any relevence.

I'm ready to go back to school now, and i love a good challenge. I'd love to be able to go to school for an engineering degree, not just for the money - but to better myself in discipline and knowledge. At this point i remember nothing, and math is rather non existant to me. For engineering i will have to take cal 1, 2, and 3...yet i never even took trig or precal in high school. I'm assuming they will make me take some sort of prerequisites or something, but i'm going to make sure i'm ready. As someone that doesn't know a thing and is completely ignorant to the math world..where does one even start? i want to enroll for classes starting at the beginning of next year and i need to prep myself. How should i go about learning, and what should i learn to get ready for calculus? I don't have money for a tutor

Thanks!

You might want to take a look at Paul's Online Math Notes, particularly, his Algebra notes.

yeah i need to go ahead and get myself applied so i can find out what i'll really be taking. but paul's website is jam packed, thanks for the link.