Learning Math as An Adult (It’s Possible- I Think)
I’ve been terrible at math for as long as I can remember. I never liked it when it was forced upon me.
It was a tough subject for me. And because it was tough, I didn’t give it the attention it needed. I figured it’d be even harder as an adult. At least in my case. But I’m pushing through this mental obstacle.
I'm learning math for a few reasons. I have grown to like it. I like the fact that there's usually only one right answer. You either have it or you don't. There is no in between or half-correct answers. There's something satisfying in that.
My reason for learning math is that I would love to be able to help my kids in their math homework. I can't do that right now. Seventh grade was the last time I was able to help them. Has seventh grade always been this hard? Or has my math skills dwindled?
It's not an easy thing for me to tell my son that I can't help him with his math homework. Not because I'm too proud to admit my shortcomings in math. It's hard because I don't like not being able to help him when he asks for help. I'm afraid of the internet teachers replacing me. It's math today. Tomorrow, it's something else. Soon enough, he won't come to me for anything he needs help with. And that'd be a sad thing and wouldn't sit well with me.
I'm currently learning algebra right now. The first few weeks were pretty rough. Huge learning curve. But it's coming along pretty good so far.
Tips for the adult math noob
- Take it slowly. Chances are, you’ve got other priorities in life- like a full-time job. That’s fine. That’s an even better reason to take things slowly. I’m on page 75 of a 500-plus page textbook. And I have no issues going super slow. Most times, I have to go back several sections just because I’ve forgotten what the steps were for a problem. I’m okay with that too.
- Repetition is important. Most textbooks, if not all, have practice problems that reinforce the material covered in the book. Do more than you think you’ll need to gain mastery. Do even more to get more comfortable.
- Supplement textbooks with online resources. I’m convinced more than ever. You can learn anything from YouTube. I’m just happy that there’s enough of an incentive for smart people to explain things on the internet. I’m benefitting from that system. Thank you to the YouTube teachers.
- Make it a daily habit. If anything is important enough, you’ll make the time. Minimize the things that don’t matter or don’t have a bearing on your goals. Easy to say. Tough to do. I try to practice math in the mornings before heading to work. Starting the day having solved a few algebra problems really improves my confidence. I also try to do a few more problems at night as I’m winding down for bed. Probably not a good thing for an insomniac like myself, but it hasn’t affected my already-poor sleep habits much more.
- Solve arithmetic by hand. Avoid the calculator as much as you can. I did this to force myself to relearn things like long division and multi-digit multiplication. This really forces me to adhere to tip number 1 (take it slowly). This is still challenging and I can easily use the calculator. But solving long division by hand is a small win. And I’ll take ANY win I can get.
Resources
- Math Sorcerer. I’m grateful for people like the Math Sorcerer. He built my confidence in math. It may be too early to tell, but I’m confident that I could tackle this difficult journey. It’s because of him. We’ll see how long I can keep this up though. https://youtube.com/@TheMathSorcerer?si=PiNhIYw1GrzV2JKF
- Photomath. This is an awesome resource that I’ve used before. Works well for non-word problems. I use it to check my work for the even-numbered chapter exercises (the answers for the odd-numbered problems are in the back of most textbooks). https://photomath.com/
- Khan Academy. Go-to resource for dumbing things down for me. https://youtube.com/@khanacademy?si=_srWkhbuQjGxiRWW
- The Organic Chemistry Tutor. Another YouTube resource. Explains concepts so well. Dumbs things down to a very rudimentary level. Right about my level. https://youtube.com/@TheOrganicChemistryTutor?si=aJ-aNdmCjzditto2
Math, so far, has been fun. Hoping to keep this up at least until my kids no longer need help. And hopefully, I'll like enough that I'll keep at it long after they've finished school.
