u/cosmicbearspa

Ok I’m going to reluctantly date myself here, but my math upbringing was before the days of khan academy (Khan started in 2005). I graduated high school in 2005 and didn’t touch math past 2007. Fast forward to the present and since May of this year I’ve been re-learning math with the help of khan academy and professor Leonard on YouTube.

At the risk of sounding ancient, did the world of teaching k-12th in the U.S. change how math was taught between 2006 and present day? I ask because the instruction feels different. I don’t remember questions from my childhood being asked how they are asked on khan academy. Khan academy is kind of giving me a humbling run for my money and I’m only on grade 3 math! I don’t remember questions being asked in the same manner as before. And I don’t remember so much flexibility in thinking about math problems like on Khan, but then again I probably don’t remember much from my earlier math days. All I *do* remember is crying over math lol.

I’m not really sure what I’m asking with this post.

Everyone recommends khan academy and while I’m not thrilled with it, I’m still using it. I wish there were textbooks for grades 3-5th grade instead of khan academy. Maybe there is and I just haven’t found any yet.

Is there anyone on this sub who learned math before 2006 and who are now using khan academy? How are you finding it? Does it feel different than your earlier years? Or are you using other resources?

Was it math-related? Non-math related? I’m planning on going back to school and I’m trying to figure out what career to pick.

I can’t tell if I’m dumb or if I truly have dyscalculia-level problems with Microsoft Excel because I struggle SO MUCH with it! There are numbers everywhere, formulas everywhere, and I have to mentally hold onto mathematical concepts. It’s a nightmare to learn.

I’ve been re-learning math since May and I still struggle with simple things like rounding and fractions. It’s so frustrating because I want to succeed at math to give myself a better life (college algebra is required for most General Ed requirements) but I still struggle with the basics. Even doing something as simple as counting currency is difficult because I can’t “hold on” to the numbers in my head as I add them.

At what point do I just give up? I don’t understand why I’m having so much difficulty when I learned this stuff as a kid. I struggled hard as a young kid and then never got above a C in math in middle school and high school, and got a D- in college algebra. You would think someone who once went through k-12 grade math would be able to do it again, but in my case I’m struggling so much.

Edit to add how I study: I follow along with Professor Leonard’s pre-algebra playlist and do the problems from the videos. I even give myself mini tests and quizzes based on his problems. I also do grade 2-4 worksheets on mathisfun.com and k5learning.com.

I just feel so defeated today. I wonder if I have a math learning disability but I can’t afford to test it, and even if I had it I don’t know how knowing I had it would make a difference.

For context I’m re-learning math from the ground up. I’m struggling to gauge my math level, but I think it’s around grade 5 (I’ve been re-learning fractions for weeks).

I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do because I have the instruction part down but not the sets of problems part. I follow Professor Leonard’s Pre-Algebra playlist on YouTube, but I’m flying blind with the lack of practice problems. I wish there was a free website with a bunch of practice problems organized by grade level. I can’t afford to buy textbooks to practice with. I don’t like khan academy even though I’ve tried it multiple times.

I feel like there’s holes because I’m not in a structured learning plan like a class.

Does anyone have any advice?

What can I do? I want to volunteer from home but not sure what opportunities to go after since I don’t really have any skills.

I made a previous post and you were all so helpful. I have one more question. I don’t have the best memory and think I would fail miserably if I had to go to court and testify. Are there roles (maybe case management, intake?) where you don’t have to go to court?

Or should I not consider this field at all if I want to avoid testifying.

In school I transferred around to three different schools and tried to major in small animal science, intercultural studies, biology, surface design, interior design, digital media, then 3d character animation. Nothing stuck because it was too hard to learn except for interior design. I didn’t graduate from college years ago but I want to go back.

I tried to learn coding during the pandemic but the abstract nature of it was so difficult to grasp. I’d love to do engineering but I don’t have the intellectual horsepower to do it. Too squeamish for healthcare. Manual labour jobs are out of the question due to a bad shoulder.

I even have a hard time learning Microsoft Excel and you need that for most office jobs.

I think I’ve failed in life. In school I transferred around to three different schools and tried to major in small animal science, intercultural studies, biology, surface design, interior design, digital media, then 3d character animation. Nothing stuck because it was too hard to learn except for interior design. I didn’t graduate from college years ago but I want to go back. I’ve never held a full-time job and I feel so behind in life.

I tried to learn coding during the pandemic but the abstract nature of it was so difficult to grasp. I’d love to do engineering but I don’t have the intellectual horsepower to do it. Too squeamish for healthcare. Manual labour jobs are out of the question due to a bad shoulder.

I even have a hard time learning Microsoft Excel and you need that for most office jobs.

I just don’t know what to pick or do.

I think I’ve failed in life. In school I transferred around and tried to learn small animal science, intercultural studies, biology, surface design, interior design, digital media, then 3d character animation. I didn’t graduate from college years ago but I want to go back. I’ve never held a full-time job and I feel so behind in life.

I want to be one of those smart people, a smart woman like you all. I want to be a role model for my nieces and show them their aunt is one of those smart women.

I just don’t know how to learn, I guess. I struggle with a poor working memory and slow processing speed which makes learning more tricky I think. How can I learn to become a college-educated person?

I want to read fiction or non-fiction books where the main character is a smart, intelligent woman who works in tech, science, or math. I want to become inspired by smart women. Thanks!

My latest episode was almost a year ago and I still feel like I have a new and slower brain. It is so frustrating.

It is often hard for me to mentally “hold on to” information said in conversations. Sometimes I will not remember what the other person said unless I write it down (like if I’m at the doctor’s office). It even makes phone calls distressing because I can’t remember what is said unless I write it down.

This makes me think I would be bad at therapy (if that was a route I had to take) and that makes me nervous.

What non-therapy roles are suited in the realm of social work for someone like me?

I thought we could put together a list for fun. I’ll start.

You know you have schizophrenia when…

…you don’t blink when you see black floating figures in your house.

…you get all green lights on the way home and naturally come to the conclusion that you’re God.

…you’re a pro at spotting patterns and strange coincidences in everything.

…you’ve dealt with at least one psychiatrist who has a god complex.

I’m sure you all can think of more!

I liked Alex Lake’s Here One Minute. Going to read Rick Mofina’s One Second Away soon. Any other book recommendations that are like those?

What I’m asking is can you take Sophia Learning’s College Algebra with little prior math knowledge? I’ve been working through Professor Leonard’s pre-algebra playlist on YouTube and we’re right up to polynomials.

Loved that book. I’m trying to broaden my horizons by learning about other people’s struggles and triumphs from around the world. I think that book has sparked an interest in social justice, so books about social justice and human rights in general would be good too.

I have trouble processing and holding onto what people say. Meaning, it’s hard for my brain to “hold on” and keep the info in my head long enough for me to think about it after they speak, if that makes sense. It’s as if my brain gets distracted and stops listening even while I’m trying my hardest to remember what is being said. I think it’s related to my ADHD. Does anyone have coping mechanisms for this problem when you *can’t* write something down? I want to hold down a job but I’m worried about how words seemingly evaporate into thin air when spoken.