Help! I suck at math!

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Critical Care and ED.

I am a 20-yr veteran ICU RN that has decided to go back to school to do my BSN. I have been accepted at a great University and am planning on doing some general Ed classes at a local community college because they charge about $170 a credit compared to the University's $420 a credit. I only need a few classes, like Social Science, Diversity and Humanities, and then will do my core nursing classes at the University.

The Community College want me to do an entrance test and it includes two components...English and Math. While I excel at English I suck at math and have managed to avoid it for the best part of 20 years. Included in this test is Algebra, and I have never actually done any Algebra. I tried reading up on some to see if I could muddle my way through what is apparently a very short and basic aptitude test. It's like Greek to me! I simply could not make sense of any of it and now I'm panicking. It seems so silly because the University, which is a very prestigious school, accepted me without hesitation when they read my resume, but the didly little Community College is the one giving me a hard time. I can't see why I should have to do a general Ed test when I've been emplyed for 20 years at a professional level and the course I intend to do does not contain any math! They say it's to "place me" whatever that means, but if I fail Algebra miserably, which I will, will they deny me entrance to the college? I can just go and do all these classes at the University but it's a difference of $17,000 at the college and $24,000 at the University. That's a lot of money just because of a silly math test! What should I do? :confused:

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When I did an entrance exam for a community college, it was just to see what level of classes I placed at. If you do not need any math for your pre-reqs, then I wouldnt worry too much. If you need a certain math class before the pre-reqs, than you might need to worry. But if its just Social Science, Diversity and Humanities you need, you should be ok. They should not deny you entrance bc you fail the math portion. That would just mean you would have to start with the basic math class. Best of luck to you!

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Specializes in Critical Care and ED.

Thanks, that makes me feel better. I will have to do Statistics, but not at the Community College, as they don't have the class I need, so it will be at the University.

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Rocknurse,

I feel your pain

Here is a great website to help with your Algebraic apprehensionosis.:smokin: and other subjects you may wish to review.

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Oh, Rocknurse I feel your pain too. I'm still in school for my ADN, and if you don't mind me saying...it makes me feel better that you have been an RN for 20 years! I'm always worrying my lack of math skills will affect my nursing skills. :) But when I had to take my entrance exam, I found some great sites online and I read up and practiced for a few weeks before the test. Not sure if it was the site the other poster gave you, but if you Google it you are bound to find a bunch. Good Luck fellow math hater!

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Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

I relied heavily on quick tutoring sessions prior to any math assessment test. Statistics, fortunately, I had my husband to teach me. (It was in an online class and I am way to visual and kinesthetic to do long distance math.) Best of luck!

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Specializes in Med/ Surg/ Telemetry, Public Health.

Alot of nurses that I know said back then they didn't have to take college algebra but just basic math,and now if they want to go back for BSN they have to take college algebra. All the cc in the state that I am from (SC) they all require math 110 college algebra. The way I see it there is no way of getting around it, I hate math also. Currently in college algebra (the beast). What confuses me is when numbers and letters are together to solve. Maybe you can get some tutoring then try to go back and retake the entrance test at the cc? Or just stay at the university and take the classes their. Good luck.

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Have you tried brainetics, I have teacher friends who swear by this program and it's not just for kids it's for adults as well. I'm not promoing the sight. I'm just saying and i also have a few nurse friends who took the course to get better on their math score for there TEAS Test and they flew past the math because of that program. Here's the sight if your interested.. https://www.brainetics.com Good Luck... Anthony..

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I don't think they will deny you entrance. Even if you fail the math portion, my guess is that if you don't need math for your BSN, it's no big deal and you should be able to take any of the classes that you need unrelated to math. Like you and someone else said, it's just for placement to determine where to start you math and English wise.

But if, for instance, you did need math for your BSN, and you failed the math portion, you would just have to start with a basic math class instead of jumping to a higher math class or "testing out" of math altogether. In any case, I don't think it will stop you from attending CC.

HOWEVER, I would ask the CC this question so you will know where you stand.

IMPORTANT: One more thought--check the pre-reqs for your stats class. I have no idea what they might be, but best to know now.

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Don't worry. If you don't pass the math test they will have you take basic math classes first. This will give you a foundation to be able to move onto more complex math classes. Otherwise going straight into Algebra you might have a hard time understanding the class. It's good to cover the basics and go from there. Good luck.

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You might need to go back pretty far just to get some basic skills needed today.

Think about your last math class long ago. Did you do much with algebraic graphing? That is, on a calculator? That is how it's done now, not manually. I had to get refreshed on this myself before my ADN. I had studied on my own, but neglected to learn the graphing calculator aspect. I thought not to waste my time and $ buying a graphing calculator - how many questions would have to do with that anyway?! I scored high, but deficient on that aspect. The test was computer based, so it tested you and served you questions based on how you progress. I'd get a graphing question, and of course would screw that up because you were supposed to use the graphing calculator provided for speed... but then I'd get the higher level questions with pencil and paper correct... I think I confused the whole eval system. It kept throwing me graphing questions. Thing is that will skew your score.

So, just for the sake of it I took a basic class. There is no way I'd know how the hell they expect you to approach a math class these days without it. BTW, These kids today are well versed in this beginning at the 6th grade to junior high level. It's how math is taught today.

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IMPORTANT: One more thought--check the pre-reqs for your stats class. I have no idea what they might be, but best to know now.

Most school's statistic classes have intermediate algerbra with a 2.0 as a prereq.

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