Refresh your Math Skills, Math for Dummies, Learn math online, Math help

Like many other adults out there, I haven't really used my math skills in many years. Whenever I had to solve a problem, I would just reach for my handy calculator. Now, after raising my three sons who are all now in college, I have made the decision to enroll in college full time for Graphic Design.

After enrolling and meeting with a student advisor, I was handed my student package and given a date for my placement test (College Board Accuplacer) along with a practice test to prepare myself for the exam. I walked out after enrolling and felt like I could take on anything. I felt on top of the world and ready for this new phase in my life.

I sat down with my newly sharpened pencil with eraser, my eye glasses and my enthusiasm...until I got past the English section into the math section of the practice exam! I suddenly realized that I couldn't even figure problems that I probably learned as far back as third grade. Panic struck, I felt nauseous. I began to get a headache and wanted to scream. I have to pass a math course to get my degree! It all started to look like French (I never took French. I took Spanish.) Words were flashing in my head that I haven't thought about in over 25 years: nominators, denominators, variables, exponents, integers and rational numbers, monomials, polynomials, systems of equations..........ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Okay, so after freaking out about how ignorant I felt at that very moment, I started looking around online for help. I was amazed how many websites and videos on YouTube that were available to help me recover my memory loss regarding solving math problems.

I had the basics down pat but needed help with remembering operations with integers and rational numbers, operations with algebraic expressions, adding and subtracting monomials and polynomials, obtaining solutions of equations, inequalities, the solution of quadratic equations by factoring, solving verbal problems presented in an algebraic context including geometric reasoning and graphing and the translation of written phrases into algebraic expressions.

I started as far back as simple elementary math, and I am not embarrassed to admit it. It was like rewinding my brain to enable me to go forward. I found online websites for each step along the way. I was never so excited about math before. It became a challenge. I started to think of it as putting together a puzzle. You are never to old to learn, or to exercise your brain to remember what you have already learned but have not used in a very long time.

How we ever lived without the world wide web I will never know. I guess we would have to do it the old fashioned way and go to a library or book store and actually read and learn from books! To me though there is nothing like a book and as long as they make them, I will enjoy them. There are many great books available to help you with your math. I especially like "Math For Dummies". It was as though my name was on the cover, "Math for Nancy".

I believe we are never too old to learn. It keeps us young to challenge ourselves intellectually. Just have the "I can do it" attitude and find good sources for help.