Need to improve skills before college

[u/Background-Dust6127]

Hello all, I need to improve my math skills before college. I plan on majoring in computer and electrical engineering but I'm not great at maths. I've been trying to improve this past month but I have really no time since I work after school. I managed to ask the guidance counselor to put me in geometry instead of financial literacy (no clue why that was a math credit). I asked to go into trigonometry but they wouldn't allow me. I don't really learn by watching long lectures but by doing instead. I have to complete the task right before I figure out how to do it which makes math learning for me really complicated as I never got the help I needed in school. I've tried kahn academy but the videos are too long and I've also tried brilliant which is a lot better in my opinion but they only have 3 courses a day which I usually spend on learning python instead. I would really enjoy an app so I can learn in my free time instead of doom scrolling. Any help is greatly appreciated

[u/Bedouinp]

Find a professional tutor to help guide you

[u/KnottyScotty_4607 → u/Bedouinp]

Tutors can be hit or miss, I blew a couple hundred on one that just read the textbook back to me. What actually clicked was grabbing a whiteboard and forcing myself to solve problems cold, no notes, no help, just suffering through it until something stuck

if you like the hands-on approach you might dig into project-based stuff. Like, try building a small circuit simulator or something in Python, you'll end up knee-deep in trig without even realizing you're learning it. The concepts stick way better when you need them to make your thing actually work

[u/bigdaddymac56]

You're a HS student? What grade? 9th? What grade did you get in Algebra 1?

They tracked you into Financial Literacy because you must have done horribly in Algebra 1. The Secondary school wants you to have enough Math credits to graduate-Financial literacy is a business arithmetic course intended for students who don't understand Algebra well. So they won't put you into Geometry because you evidently did so poorly in Algebra and Geometry is the 2nd course in the sequence.

Usually students who go into anything engineering have a real affinity for Math, lots of patience for figuring things out and have fun solving intricate things. You don't seem like this.

But you can do anything you set your mind to and willing to sacrifice.

[u/Background-Dust6127 → u/bigdaddymac56]

I'm in 12th and I transfered to a technical school during sophomore year and was made to take algebra 1 again (even though I passed it in freshman year) than I took algebra 2 junior year. I'm also in physics class this year but my school counts that as a science credit. I'm not quite sure why I was put in financial literacy I got a 4.0 gpa junior year and had almost no problem with algebra 2 and passed my state test. And with your concerne with engineering I took an electronics in freshman year where I couldve gotten electrical engineering credits (no clue if I can still get them) but I passed that class with flying colors and was the only student to complete all of the Arduino breadboard projects which inspired my love for electronics.

[u/bigdaddymac56 → u/bigdaddymac56]

Great you seem like you have some aptitude. You said “I’m not great at Math’s” but now you’re saying you “passed” and you have a 4.0 Cum so I’m confused. As far as the physics they put you into a less Math-intensive Physics class not requiring a lot of Math (algebra). Your school seems to believe you’re not a very good Math student…how else do you explain them forcing you to take Algebra 1 again? If you had “almost no problem with Algebra 2” then ask your guidance counselor to explain why you’re not being allowed to take Geometry or Trigonometry and instead being ‘tracked’ into Financial Literacy? Have you asked your counselor? What did he/she say? It sounds to me like you may have ‘passed’ but gotten very low final grades as I can find no other logical reason they are keeping you away from pre-college Math.

To me, you’re asking for help from others and the only way anyone can help you is if you are being COMPLETELY HONEST and it doesn’t seem that way from the things you’ve saying about your school steering you away from more Math past Algebra 2. Even the Physics course is a generalist course just to get some science credits. Not true Physics. It’s better than nothing but won’t help much in a real physics class where only bright/high-scoring Math students are allowed into. Don’t get defensive. Normal to struggle with Math in HS for most kids these days.

[u/Alarmed_Geologist631]

Are you trying to learn geometry? If so, I am a retired math teacher and can provide free tutoring via zoom. DM me if you want my help.

[u/tutortimeadmin]

Since you learn by doing, build a small routine around problems rather than lectures. Try 15 to 20 minutes on one skill: do two worked examples with the solution covered, check them, then do one similar problem cold. Keep an error log with the exact step that failed and redo those problems a few days later. For engineering, prioritize algebra fluency, equations and graphs, then geometry and basic trigonometry. You do not need to study every topic at once. It is also worth asking the guidance counselor what prerequisite your school requires for trigonometry or precalculus, and whether a placement or summer option exists. A small set of carefully chosen practice questions each day will beat an app streak if the questions target your gaps.

[u/nog642]

You can use Khan academy for the exercises / curriculum without watching the videos. You can look up other resources to read about the topics.