College Algebra ughh

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I have a pretty much all A average but I absolutely cannot understand college algebra. I've always been able to learn anything, but not this. How did everyone else get through it???

Try this website...its AMAZING! It has helped me math soooo much! And a lot of others subjects too!! Khan Academy

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The one thing I can say is that if you were the patient, would you feel safe with a nurse caring for you that didn't know how to calculate the appropriate dosages? If you don't understand something that's too complicated for you, then you need to do the responsible thing and go back a few steps and re-learn the basics. Then you can proceed once you master those. It takes at least 10,000 repetitions of something to master it.

I've been an LPN for 25 years so me knowing how to do drug calculations is not an issue. I'm just trying to get through this class. Every part of algebra I've needed for drug calc etc, I have already learned and mastered.

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Also, I did start at the bottom when I went back to college. I've already taken Fundamentals of Algebra and Intermediate Algebra and passed them with no problems.

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I have to take statistics next semester any advice????

Statistics doesn't use even 10% of the stuff you had to do in algebra. Just learn the statistics terms and the equations and the significance of the various things you'll have to calculate. It was literally 6 years between when I took Algebra I and II and when I took statistics. I think if you can remember how to solve for an unknown, and add/subtract/multiply/divide, the rest of what you need is probably covered in the statistics book. LOL

I really don't know why nursing schools require college algebra. Actually, many of them (except some BSRN degrees) have substituted a "nursing math" course. The only "algebra" I ever used for dosage calcs in R.N. school was covered quite well in a high school / G.E.D. math review book.

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For math, honestly you just have to make sacrifices (such as any extra free time) and immserse yourself in it. I am finishing Intermediate Algebra this semester (a little over 4 weeks to go! Whew!), and it's extremely hard for me because I struggled in math all my life. I spend 3 hours a day after class in math lab just sitting there working problems, working problems, and working problem. Watch examples in the lab on the computer, and then work more problems. 3 hours a day. Then, I meet with my teacher, who realized from the beginning I was someone who struggled with math. So he meets me twice a week for an hour to sit there and work practice problems from that week's lessons, making sure I understand the concepts from beginning to end (because he knows without a good foundation, I'll struggle as I move into higher math in the future semesters). Then I go home, and I spend another hour or so going over problems I learned that day, before moving on to homework from other classes. Weekends? Tons of math practice. If I get stuck, I hit up YouTube, watch a video outlining how to work that type of problem, and then try again until I get it correct.

For someone who struggled in math and couldn't even grasp the most basic concepts, I'm passing the class this semester with a A- at the moment. It just takes a TON of effort to be put into it if you are someone who struggles in math.

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Well x_factor I admire your dedication but working 40 hours a week plus having a physiology class and lab doesn't allow me 3 hours every day to work on math. The other issue is that if I can't understand the concepts, I can't do the problems. I haven't totally given up yet. My professor will be gone next week and there will be a tutor available some times next week, and fortunately, I'm off one of the days the tutor is there. Wish me luck ya'll!

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How did it go? Did the tutor help?

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Specializes in NICU RN.

I used the college tutoring services (and YouTube when at home) ALL the time!

Some concepts I got right away... some never did stick.

This coming semester I have to repeat my college algebra so we'll see how many concepts really DID stick in there :)

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I used the college tutoring services (and YouTube when at home) ALL the time!

Some concepts I got right away... some never did stick.

This coming semester I have to repeat my college algebra so we'll see how many concepts really DID stick in there :)

Lol. Good luck. I just started school this week and got overwhelmed after my 1st college algebra class. The professor seems pretty nice and knowledgeable but she barely covered factoring and radicals in 10 minutes and gave us homework.

The school has tutoring services that I know I will live at this semester :yeah:

This is my first semester as a parent. I've been out of school for 2 years so I have more stress on me now.

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I have to take college algebra this summer, I'm dreading it so bad. Its been years since I took my other math classes..

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I had to literally start from scratch in Math. I practice daily and will get better with time. Khan Academy is what's helping me right now. I also got Ultimate Algebra and it helps.

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What's ultimate algebra is that an app or book?

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