[karousel]

Basically, I'm on an Access course since I dropped out of school at the end of year 10 and we are required to take Maths GCSE Equivalence if we don't have evidence of obtaining GCSE Grade C or above.
I am 22 in August this year and so this seems like a waste of time - I know enough to get through life and have already been accepted by my first choice university.

Anyway - I don't get Maths. At all.
There isn't one element of Maths beyond addition/subtraction etc that I understand. Algebra in particular just baffles me.
This has always been the case too - at school I was in Set 1 (this was the top set) for every subject except Maths where I was in Set 7 (8 being the lowest, generally for those with 'behavioural difficulties'). By year 9 I'd been moved down to Set 3 for Physics because I couldn't comprehend formulas... a shame since I've always wanted to be able to study Physics.
My teachers assumed I just wasn't trying because my grades were so good elsewhere but it's not that. It's as if I have a Maths filter.
The same goes for now, at college - I've achieved Distinctions in everything but Maths is something I just don't get. For all of the tutors, learning methods, revision and frustration, not one thing has helped me 'get' Maths.

My brother and my Mum are both amazing at Maths - my brother scored A* at GCSE and so it's not that I don't have 'the right genes' and I'm not an all round idiot as my grades are good elsewhere.

Does anyone else have this problem ?
Or does anyone else have some ideas on how to get around this ?
Seeing as this aspect of my course is compulsory it's frustrating that I can't do it, especially when everyone else seems to understand everything and I'm sitting there completely brain dead... thank you X

[Joshmeid]

How much private study are you doing at home?

[Soph(:]

I'm **** at maths too! It's just one of those thing you get or you don't. The key is practice just keep on practicing and you wont ever probably be great at it but you'll definately improve, get a tutor but a good one

[Hasufel]

i had the same problem - at school (which i HATED with a vegeance) i entered secondary in the 2nd top class - failed a test - and was shoved in the bottom class and forgotten about - this is why i detest the thought of being a teacher.

I never "clicked" in maths until i "didn`t really care" weather i understood it or not - and until the nightmares of school had worn off.

I thin the key is not to push yourself into caring too much. You could try getting hold of, for example (if you really want to) one of the "teach yourself..." books - arithmetic, or algebra are good ones to start with.

Don`t forget - at school, Einstien was useless at mental arithmetic - until a certain age - until it "clicked".

Above all, don`t worry or freak out that it hasn`t come to you yet...

[Jake22]

(Original post by karousel)
Does anyone else have this problem ?
Or does anyone else have some ideas on how to get around this ?

I don't have this problem but I have a fair experience of teaching maths from secondary to university level.

This is a very common problem. Often I find that it is predominantly psychological; people get stressed and freeze when trying to understand something and they just get into this tremendous block where they can't concentrate or do anything.

One way around this is to try and take the pressure off yourself somewhat. When you are trying to study maths or solve an exercise - don't get all flustered that you can't do it... try to calm down and say "Ok, I can't do this/understand this for now so I am not going to try to. What I will do instead is to try and take away one small thing or rewrite the problem in terms of other words I know or just try to isolate exactly what it is I don't understand."

The ideal thing, of course, would be if you could get some one-on-one tuition or even just some help from one of your coursemates who can guide you through some things.

[Jake22]

(Original post by Soph(:)
It's just one of those thing you get or you don't.

False.

Everyone has a stage where they don't get things anymore. Sure, for some people it is earlier or later but the way you make progress at that stage comes from a mixture of work, patience and ability to stay calm and handle frustration.

Believe me, I am doing a PhD in maths and some things I have spent whole weeks on and just failed to understand that much. It is about putting it away and coming back to it multiple times and maybe working out what happens in the most simple case and going from there.

[Soph(:]

(Original post by Jake22)
False.

Everyone has a stage where they don't get things anymore. Sure, for some people it is earlier or later but the way you make progress at that stage comes from a mixture of work, patience and ability to stay calm and handle frustration.

Believe me, I am doing a PhD in maths and some things I have spent whole weeks on and just failed to understand that much. It is about putting it away and coming back to it multiple times and maybe working out what happens in the most simple case and going from there.

No honestly maths is one of those subjects like science (yes of course you can improve with time and patience) but some people's brains aren't able to naturally pick it up easily and generally speaking when people aren't good at things they don't enjoy them as much. Also if you're doing a PHD you can't really understand how some people won't and don't understand maths seeing as you obviously enjoy it enough to take it further.

[jph12]

Whether you "get" maths or you don't is open to much controversy. I personally believe that you are either born with a natural talent for it, or you aren't. If you are, you can develop it, and eventually become a brilliant mathematician and scientist. If you can't, then there is little you can do to improve. However, I would not say abandon hope. People are better than they realize, and it may often take just a simple explanation to understand an entire topic. That is what happens to me with every topic I do at A-level. I will be completely stumped and clueless for weeks, then something will just click, and I will understand it completely. Maybe you just need to "dig deeper", to find the thing that needs clicking.

[somethingbeautiful]

(Original post by karousel)

Does anyone else have this problem ?
Or does anyone else have some ideas on how to get around this ?
Seeing as this aspect of my course is compulsory it's frustrating that I can't do it, especially when everyone else seems to understand everything and I'm sitting there completely brain dead... thank you X

Yes, I'm the same - I managed to get my GCSE in Maths and then I chose humanities subjects for A-level. After A-levels I went to college and did a course involving maths and physics and I just could not get to grips with it at all. It hinders me in jobs too because although on paper I have the maths qualifications, in reality - in real situations - I cannot do basic maths. I got a job working on a till serving customers and couldn't work out basic mental arithmetic of giving people the correct change. It's awful because customers look at you as if you're thick, when in fact you're not.

There is a condition called 'discalculia' that you can be tested for - you could ask a learning support team/disability team at your college to see if you could take the test.

Anyway, you're not alone.

(Original post by Jake22)
Often I find that it is predominantly psychological; people get stressed and freeze when trying to understand something and they just get into this tremendous block where they can't concentrate or do anything.

One way around this is to try and take the pressure off yourself somewhat. When you are trying to study maths or solve an exercise - don't get all flustered that you can't do it... try to calm down and say "Ok, I can't do this/understand this for now so I am not going to try to. What I will do instead is to try and take away one small thing or rewrite the problem in terms of other words I know or just try to isolate exactly what it is I don't understand."

I disagree. Some people, for example, cannot paint - it doesn't matter how much you try to teach them or how much they practice. Not everyone has the same abilities - even at the most basic level.

[Emissionspectra]

(Original post by somethingbeautiful)
Yes, I'm the same - I managed to get my GCSE in Maths and then I chose humanities subjects for A-level. After A-levels I went to college and did a course involving maths and physics and I just could not get to grips with it at all. It hinders me in jobs too because although on paper I have the maths qualifications, in reality - in real situations - I cannot do basic maths. I got a job working on a till serving customers and couldn't work out basic mental arithmetic of giving people the correct change. It's awful because customers look at you as if you're thick, when in fact you're not.

There is a condition called 'discalculia' that you can be tested for - you could ask a learning support team/disability team at your college to see if you could take the test.

Anyway, you're not alone.




I disagree. Some people, for example, cannot paint - it doesn't matter how much you try to teach them or how much they practice. Not everyone has the same abilities - even at the most basic level.

I disagree with this.

[around]

(Original post by Soph(:)
No honestly maths is one of those subjects like science (yes of course you can improve with time and patience) but some people's brains aren't able to naturally pick it up easily and generally speaking when people aren't good at things they don't enjoy them as much. Also if you're doing a PHD you can't really understand how some people won't and don't understand maths seeing as you obviously enjoy it enough to take it further.

are you saying that someone doing a phd understands exactly what they're doing all the time?

[Soph(:]

(Original post by around)
are you saying that someone doing a phd understands exactly what they're doing all the time?

No I am not, but they are obviously a lot more clued up on than someone someone who hasn't even got a GCSE in maths.

[SillyEddy]

Some people do just have maths dyslexia. I think it runs in my family. So there might be something underlying.

I enjoy maths, but I'm not always the best at it. I understand the subject, but I struggle to comprehend it. It's one thing to learn the rules, and one thing to apply it. I sometimes struggle at applying it.

But not everyone is great at maths. You can only do so much, but be sure it give it your all. If it doesn't make sense, step back, pause and try again. I'm doing maths for my 3rd year at college now... And I'm only just on my way to passing!

[Jake22]

(Original post by Soph(:)
No honestly maths is one of those subjects like science (yes of course you can improve with time and patience) but some people's brains aren't able to naturally pick it up easily and generally speaking when people aren't good at things they don't enjoy them as much.

Completely disagree. There is nothing special about maths, science or anything else; some people have a natural talent in some areas and others don't. The point is whether you can progress at all.

The fact is that most people of normal intelligence find that with the right approach and the right work ethic; they are eventually able to get to a decent level of proficiency in most things. Of course, some people will never get great because it just takes them too long to improve but the point is about developing basic ability.

(Original post by Soph(:)
Also if you're doing a PHD you can't really understand how some people won't and don't understand maths seeing as you obviously enjoy it enough to take it further.

Wrong on two counts.

1) I have a fairly wide teaching experience so I am used to seeing and helping people with these problems which involves trying to understand and empathise with the difficulties.

2) Yes, I have (very slightly) above average talent for maths but this doesn't mean that I can't make analogies with my experience in other endeavours. I have struggled with music for over ten years: I have no natural talent and I often get the feeling of hopelessness and the mental and physical block that comes when you feel like you just can't get a grip on anything. Looking back objectively though, I can see that in time - I have improved significantly and am now fairly proficient - it has just taken me a lot longer than it would have done if I had more latent talent.

[Jake22]

(Original post by jph12)
Whether you "get" maths or you don't is open to much controversy. I personally believe that you are either born with a natural talent for it, or you aren't. If you are, you can develop it, and eventually become a brilliant mathematician and scientist. If you can't, then there is little you can do to improve.

This is such a bad attitude and one that gets proved wrong time and time again with the aid of the right mindset, hard work and individual assistance.

[Jake22]

(Original post by somethingbeautiful)
I disagree. Some people, for example, cannot paint - it doesn't matter how much you try to teach them or how much they practice. Not everyone has the same abilities - even at the most basic level.

Some people can't paint naturally but with the right lessons and help they can definately improve. This happens all of the time.

[Jake22]

(Original post by Soph(:)
No I am not, but they are obviously a lot more clued up on than someone someone who hasn't even got a GCSE in maths.

Do you not understand what he is saying?

Yes most maths PhD students are completely comfortable with GCSE, A level and undergrad maths but most get to a point where they are at the same level of discomfort in terms of trying to understand something. The fact that it happens at a higher level is irrelevant; the only point is that they have pushed themselves up to their level of discomfort - even if it took longer than the guy that struggles at GCSE or whatever.

[Emissionspectra]

(Original post by Jake22)
Some people can't paint naturally but with the right lessons and help they can definately improve. This happens all of the time.

Agreed. I never even use to be able to draw in 3d, now I can evidence I improved.

[Chumbaniya]

(Original post by Soph(:)
It's just one of those thing you get or you don't.

It really isn't. A mythology has been built up surrounding mathematics about it being incredibly difficult, and impossible to learn if you struggle even slightly, and because of this people are incredibly intimidated by it. Part of this is down to society's attitude towards maths, but some is down to generally poor teaching of maths that doesn't promote any sort of understanding.

It isn't any different to any other skill like cooking or riding a bike. If you get the right teaching and you practice diligently, you will learn. The only evidence to the contrary is the anecdotal evidence of a vast number of people trying to excuse themselves for letting themselves get intimidated by not being able to do something.

I've taught people who 'just don't get maths'. They do get maths. They just don't get the way that they were being taught maths, and because of the mythology surrounding it they assumed they would never be able to.

[Genocidal]

I disagree with the view that it's something that you get or you don't. In school I hated maths and generally didn't get it after all. In the end I ended up taking foundation level maths and ended up with a C in year 11. But I considered that a personal insult so in year 12 I decided to retake my maths GCSE purely through self-study and I ended up with an A; I also did well in my chemistry A level, and that requires quite a bit of maths.

It can be done. I don't particularly enjoy it, but it can be done if you put your mind to it. Is it partly because of the way maths is taught with a class of 30? Probably since the lower people are always going to be left behind. But if you are committed then you will succeed.