failing ordinary maths 2k11

louisek12

so..im awful at maths ...like so bad its shocking:eek: i think the highest i ever got was about 10 percent in a test and that was with cheat notes anyone else in the same boat ? mocks are on Monday . i need to pass maths to go to college . get a job or doing a PLC is out of the question . don't really know what to be studying at this stage really ? any help would be appreciated:D

seriouslysweet

You would seem to not understand the fundementals of maths if getting that grade with cheat notes. Is there anyway you can get help off anyone, even an older student on a few specific questions?

louisek12

ive got after school help from grinds and my maths teacher and my friend whos a straight A honours maths student . when they explain it on the board or even on paper it makes perfect sence but when it comes to me doing it its impossable . i know ''practise makes perfect '' but i cant ever remember the sequence of doing sums im so scared im gonna fail

QuinnC88

i was in the very same boat as you, could never pass any maths text,i failed it and repeated the leaving, but even the second time i was still brutal at them but ended up scrapin a pass, 44% to be exact..the best advice i can give is to stay getting grinds, they were a huge help, and when it comes to the test, attempt every question, thats where u will get the most marks, its not all about the answer!..ul be fine if u put in that bit of effort, stay practisin questions out of the past exam books.

louisek12

thanks for the advice maths its such a load of balls to be honest such a stupid subject .i hope i don't end up repeating i wouldn't be able to hack it !

MathsManiac

louisek12 wrote: »

i need to pass maths to go to college.

This is not true. I'm not suggesting that you give up on your maths, but there are many university courses for which you don't need to pass ordinary level maths.

In particular, as has been pointed out on many threads on this topic in the past, you don't need maths to matriculate to any of the following faculties in the NUI colleges:
• Arts
• Human Sciences
• Philosophy
• Celtic Studies
• Law
• Social Science
...unless there is a specific course requirement for maths, which there isn't in most cases.

You can search the Qualifax website for courses that don't require maths, or for which foundation level maths is satisfactory:
http://www.qualifax.ie/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=77

It'd be a good idea to have a few courses on your CAO form that don't require maths, just in case you don't make it.

By the way, if you search the Qualifax site and tell it to show you courses that definitely don't require ordinary level maths, it will also include ones that actually require higher level. You should be able to spot them a mile off, so the remaining ones are the ones you want.

Grindylow

2k11= 200011.. Doesn't compute..

MathsManiac

I also should have mentioned that, even though you cannot matriculate to TCD if you fail ordinary level maths, you CAN get in if you pass foundation level. Qualifax lists 49 course in TCD for which foundation level maths is sufficient.

unknown13

I did FL maths and I'm in a well known university. Doing FL maths isn't the end of the world.

LilMissCiara

Noel2k9 wrote: »

2k11= 200011.. Doesn't compute..

By that logic...
2k9 = 20009.. Doesn't compute

Sally W

I am a maths teacher and from my experience your grades probably reflect a lack of confidence more than anything else. Focus on only one or two areas until you know them really well. Are you skimming through your maths book trying to cover EVERYTHING? Not a good idea as you will be left confused and stressed. My advice to you is to look at past papers - find 3 questions on each paper which appeal to you and work on those areas ONLY to guarantee a pass in June (and I mean know them inside out). Aside from that then answer as many part (a) s as you can to pick up points.Have just helped someone in same position to jump from 10% (and less) to regular 60% and grades constantly rising. Also try to block out people who say "maths is too hard" - thats not good for you as you will believe it. Start thinking "I CAN do this.." instead, you'll be amazed a t the results.

louisek12 wrote: »

so..im awful at maths ...like so bad its shocking:eek: i think the highest i ever got was about 10 percent in a test and that was with cheat notes anyone else in the same boat ? mocks are on Monday . i need to pass maths to go to college . get a job or doing a PLC is out of the question . don't really know what to be studying at this stage really ? any help would be appreciated:D

Meller

Sally W wrote: »

I am a maths teacher and from my experience your grades probably reflect a lack of confidence more than anything else. Focus on only one or two areas until you know them really well. Are you skimming through your maths book trying to cover EVERYTHING? Not a good idea as you will be left confused and stressed. My advice to you is to look at past papers - find 3 questions on each paper which appeal to you and work on those areas ONLY to guarantee a pass in June (and I mean know them inside out). Aside from that then answer as many part (a) s as you can to pick up points.Have just helped someone in same position to jump from 10% (and less) to regular 60% and grades constantly rising. Also try to block out people who say "maths is too hard" - thats not good for you as you will believe it. Start thinking "I CAN do this.." instead, you'll be amazed a t the results.

I agree with this - I don't think it's possible for maths to really be 'too' hard after a certain amount of practice. With the LC, the questions do repeat themselves - often I find, and I'm not particularly dreadful at maths, that I'm regurgitating learnt off methods that I've done a thousand times before rather than answering the question from what I genuinely understand of it. The phrasing of the questions doesn't differ greatly once you become familiar with the more common ones.

How were you with Junior Cert? Do you understand basic algebra, for instance? Not that there's a whole lot to understand - x multiplied by x is x², there's no understanding involved.

ConorChaney

louisek12 wrote: »

ive got after school help from grinds and my maths teacher and my friend whos a straight A honours maths student . when they explain it on the board or even on paper it makes perfect sence but when it comes to me doing it its impossable . i know ''practise makes perfect '' but i cant ever remember the sequence of doing sums im so scared im gonna fail

Hows it going, I used to be horrible at maths. Dreaded each class, never got over 40% in tests. Until I started using systems to do equations.

The real key, is to a have a good set of notes. Just remeber that it is never t olate to start and you will be amazed about how much that you can get done in say an hour.

Just to give you an example of this say that you have the factorise
this equation.

x*2+4x+3 - {write this out on paper}

I would be shown the steps on a piece of paper.All in bullet points, like this.

1-Open brackets
2-Get the factors of the end number.
(different colours)
3-Select the correct factors, that add up to the middle number.
(3, 1 in this case, as 3 and 1 are both factors of 3)
4-Put an x at the start of each bracket.
5-Place the numbers that you have selected inside the brackets.

There are varatiosn tos this question. So i would include pretty much every varaiant in your notes.

I think that if you just keep revising over these notes that you (and or) your (grinds) teacher. That like me eventually a.k.a a couple of weeks the steps will just be burned into your skull.

I know that this post maybe hard to understand as it is hard for me to get my idea to you across the internet via text, but hopefully in helped. Also pull out exam papers.