College math classes are designed to fail. My theory

Author Topic: College math classes are designed to fail. My theory  (Read 1446 times)

In my experience (applied physics degree) the math classes are that fast since there is just so much goddamn math that if they don't treat 1 topic per week getting the degree would take 10 years.
So while it sucks there's no good way to spread it across more time while not, well, taking up more time.

Also triangle stuff and radians is basically the same topic.
« Last Edit: September 17, 2020, 05:36:41 AM by TheArmyGuy »

yeah uh college classes expect you to put in a ton of effort on your own time and aren't going to hold your hand through it.

college in the last two years is a breeze i literally had a 20% gpa increase
*cries in engineering senior design project*

i thought precalculus was part of high school math?? functions and imaginary number stuff right????

i thought precalculus was part of high school math?? functions and imaginary number stuff right????
^
my HS had college algebra and honors pre-calc

i thought precalculus was part of high school math?? functions and imaginary number stuff right????
doesn't public high school only go up to trig? also bruh you learn functions and imaginary numbers way earlier

my precalculus class was basically identical to my "algebra 2 + trig" class personally. my school did also have calculus, not sure if it was AP only tho

doesn't public high school only go up to trig? also bruh you learn functions and imaginary numbers way earlier
i have no idea lol i was homeschooled

doesn't public high school only go up to trig? also bruh you learn functions and imaginary numbers way earlier
it depends what your high school offers, mine had calculus classes. also functions and imaginary numbers are usually taught in algebra, which falls under precalc. precalc is just a blanket term

doesn't public high school only go up to trig? also bruh you learn functions and imaginary numbers way earlier
mine had calc bc and discrete math, so no. they probably offer along the same level as the majority of students in the area - if very few make it past precalc then there’s no point offering calc for example

Math major here.

Now, I can't speak for all colleges, but mine in particular has to set some sort of example. For one, I am not good at math. I barely understand trig. In fact, I will go on a limb and say I know less than 10% of what the forget I am reading in my math classes. Is it my fault? Sure. But I can't take all the blame.
Trig itself is a difficult class because it is a different type of math.  Algebra relies heavily on things like adding/subtracting/multiplying/dividing/etc.. While Trig is geometric and relies heavily on specific geometric operations and in the end you find that you can use algebra in geometry and that's essentially how trig works.  I had trouble with it but I made it through, and looking back it is a really weird subject.

Every week, I am going through completely different chapters of content. One week I am doing triangle stuff, the next week I am doing radians or something, I have no idea whats going on. Every homework assignment and test is due on 11:59PM on Sunday. This gives me 7 days to learn and master an entire chapters worth of content because the tests are nothing like the homework. So, not only do you have to memorize the terminology, equations, and solutions, but you will also have to understand why it works in order to solve the oddball questions on the tests that the homework doesn't guide you with.

College moves quickly because they have to teach a ton of material in half a year whereas in highschool they get a full year.  This is normal for college and it is not designed to make you fail, it is designed to make you think outside of the box for specific concepts because in the real job world you will come across problems that require you to use math that aren't what you have seen before but rely on specific concepts.  For example, in my degree I have to take one math elective and I chose modeling.  We have to take logistic/exponential equations, linearized them, use a two point formula, and then put all that back into the original form of the function.  In real life, someone would collect the data and then turn to a math guy to find a model that might predict how the data changes over time/etc.  OFC the homework won't be the same as the test and vise versa.  The homework is designed so you can practice the concepts and get them down concretely so you are able to apply them to other types of similar questions.  Be happy that you get until Sunday night to do all your assignments, I am taking three abstract math classes and most of them are due on Thursday and Friday at 12:59 PM.  Going off this, college is VERY VERY self-orientated in the sense that the professor is there to explain the material and you are need to apply it. 

However, the general census is that a large majority of people struggle at math in this college. So much so, that they have a large tutoring program, instructors stay after hours, and there is a math study club thing just so motherforgeters can learn stuff that the class should be teaching in the first place. Now, think of it like this. You're a student, with 4 or 5+ classes to worry about, with a full time job, basically forfeiting any sort of right to relax. Not only are you studying for all of your classes, but now you have to attend some sort of program to further teach you? Why doesn't the class just to a better loving job? I have aced every single one of my classes since I've been enrolled but because of how absolutely stuffty these math classes are, I barely pass. Last semester, I was 0.4 points away from failing.

Yes, no one likes math but there are few people like me that like the torture because we find it fascinating to see how numbers work.
I don't work full time but I work roughly 13 hours a week and on top of that have to go seek help with assignments, complete huge assignments, and make sure they are typed in latex.  In case you don't know what latex is here is an example of how all my math assignments have to be typed up: http://mally.stanford.edu/~sr/computing/latex-example.html .  There is a rythym to this all and once you find your rythym you'll find free time.  As for the math tutoring, my university has a HUGE math tutoring program in fact they have two of them and this is normal as the majority of the people here study Engineering and just want to bypass their math classes ASAP and as a result end up taking 4-5 of them in one semester.

forget. Math. I would 100% retire my dream of becoming a CAD Engineer if it meant that I didn't have to take such advanced courses. Thats how bad to a point it has gotten. I cannot get my degree without this bullstuff.
Im telling you now that (here at Ieast) most computer science majors/ computer engineering majors have to take math for a loooong time and some even have to go into the abstract math world which is a totally different beast than the calc 1- diff eq classes. 

So, not only do you have to memorize the terminology, equations, and solutions, but you will also have to understand why it works in order to solve the oddball questions on the tests that the homework doesn't guide you with.
im sorry but just what in the hell do you think learning is if not that. why do you dream of being a "CAD engineer" if you hate math