Math rage

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

Published

Is it just me or does anyone else find the math classes you have to take like algebra completely and totally a waste of time and money? I asked a RN the other day if she had ever needed to factor a polynomial at work, and she chuckled and said no. I just find myself completely and utterly disenfranchised with the whole college system right now. *end rant*

Yea about the only applicable course I can see is statistics but I guess the other Math classes build a certain way of thinking.

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I'm on the team where math builds a familiarity with numbers. That familiarity will help you catch mistakes that others can't.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.
Thank you all for the responses! I agree with the majority of people here. I am much more into writing papers and reading. Math has never really been my forte. I am planning on taking statistics in the spring. I just keep telling myself that I only need to remember this stuff until 8/9 (my final) thanks again to all those who encouraged me!
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Statistics was a NIGHTMARE for me. With every chapter and course, I struggled! When all was said and done, the final exam was comprehensive!:nailbiting: I called my brother, the egghead, and gave him my grades. Then I asked him what was the lowest grade I could make and still pass the class. The whiz that he is, he did his calculations and told me that I need to make at least at 29 on the final. Failing was a given; after all, it WAS comprehensive! I just wanted to know how high I needed to fail. To my surprise, I landed a whopping 34!!!!!! A score of 71 for the class. C = PASS! I broke the news to him. I was soooo excited to see that 34! His smart ass said, "Congratulations on failing higher than you needed to!":roflmao:

I'm with you on the essays!!! Good luck with the numbers!!!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

It's one of the hoops you have to go thru to get a degree. You have no choice so you might as well make the best of it! If you have problems with math, buy supplements such as a "solutions" manual. Most text books have additional supplements you can buy. While the college may not make them available, you can purchase them on the internet. It might make all the difference between struggling and wasting hours on a problem you can't solve vs seeing how to solve it and passing the class! Saves time and frustration if math doesn't come easy to you. Math is something you can't just wing it and actually have to do the homework to pass. Its the repetition that helps you learn and remember. Also there are free math lessons on the internet such as youtube.

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I used to believe Algebra was a waste of time, until I learned it, now I understand its uses. When I was in HS, it was an elective and not mandatory. I elected to take Math I & Math II instead. When I started college in 1984, it was still an elective so I took College Math instead. Before I received my first degree, it became mandatory. I ended up having to take Elem. Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, then finally Algebra. Now I have to help my teens with their homework because they started learning Algebra in Middle School.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

It's so we get a "well rounded education."

:dead:

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I think there are several courses that are utterly useless as prerequisites to a nursing program.

Algebra is not one of those courses.

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I feel the OP's pain. I ended up taking a remedial (now called developmental) algebra class, then college algebra, then finite math (was originally an accounting major), and then calculus for biz and social sciences (which is calculus I & II combined and condensed). The college almost made me take geometry, too (also remedial) but fortunately I was able to get a copy of my high school transcript proving I had a year of it there with a "C" or better.

I actually just surrendered to it, and spend many hours in my college's free tutoring center (which we are lucky to have, free of charge & staffed by full-time, paid math tutors and not strictly volunteers or students).

OP, does your school have anything like this? Honestly, my math skills went from super shaky to getting As in my math classes once I started using the center. I liked doing my homework there, because as soon as I encountered something I did not understand, I could get immediate help and feedback on what I was doing wrong.

As far as why you have to take the math... it's true as others have pointed out that dosing is very important, and math-based, but also, consider it a weed-out process. That's definitely what business calc was to so many aspiring business students. It's frustrating to have to take these math classes, but having them behind you will put you one step closer to your goal.

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LYNDAA, your stats final post cracked me up. I do that all the time -- figure out what I need to score on the final to keep my grade in a class.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.
LYNDAA, your stats final post cracked me up. I do that all the time -- figure out what I need to score on the final to keep my grade in a class.
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:roflmao:And I gave that class my ALL!

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Specializes in Hospice.
Thank you all for the responses! I agree with the majority of people here. I am much more into writing papers and reading. Math has never really been my forte. I am planning on taking statistics in the spring. I just keep telling myself that I only need to remember this stuff until 8/9 (my final) thanks again to all those who encouraged me!

Same here! How I managed an A in Math for Allied Health is beyond me. But give me a deadline for an extensive paper and I can turn it out in two hours and get an A. Math.....meh....... :facepalm:

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Specializes in Hospice.
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Statistics was a NIGHTMARE for me. With every chapter and course, I struggled! When all was said and done, the final exam was comprehensive!:nailbiting: I called my brother, the egghead, and gave him my grades. Then I asked him what was the lowest grade I could make and still pass the class. The whiz that he is, he did his calculations and told me that I need to make at least at 29 on the final. Failing was a given; after all, it WAS comprehensive! I just wanted to know how high I needed to fail. To my surprise, I landed a whopping 34!!!!!! A score of 71 for the class. C = PASS! I broke the news to him. I was soooo excited to see that 34! His smart ass said, "Congratulations on failing higher than you needed to!":roflmao:

I'm with you on the essays!!! Good luck with the numbers!!!

This made me :roflmao: !!!!!!!!!

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