What is the best way to memorize pre algebra equations?

Question

I am 46 years old and I decided to go back to college. I am in a pre algebra course. I never took any kind of algebra in school. I dropped out in the 9th grade and went back a year later and got my GED. So this is very new to me and I need some help. Some of it is just basic math but now it is getting to some problems like 7(2x+1) or 5(x+6). When i get to trying to solve problems, I get lost on the way to the answer. I know that there is an easy way to do these kind of problems but I get lost in the showing the work on the way to the answer. Does that make any kind of sense?

It has been 30 years sinci I was in school

Answer 1

I was the same age as you when I started to go back to school, I began with math 081 and am a Junior in college now.

Here are some tips for your success:

1. Take notes and ask questions. Nothing is "dumb" every question no matter what it is will help somebody else that is too shy to ask it.

2. Get a study partner. Try to study with somebody that is more advanced than you or are on the same level. If there is a student in your class that is not getting it at all...put them on your team, you will get better because you will help them understand what you know and in the end that will help you do better.

3. Do all the questions. Do the ones not assigned.

4. Review your tests and go over the questions that you got wrong.

5. Get tutoring...there should be a tutor area for math students.

6. If you are in the cafeteria don't be afraid to ask somebody with a higher math book how to do your problems. Many times I would be drinking coffee and people would ask me how to do something. I remember how hard it was and take the time out to give them a hand. (This will not work in a 4 year university, students don't have that extra time)

7. Visit the professor during office hours. I did all my homework outside of my professors office. If I had a question she was right there with her door open. Often she would come by the table and ask if anyone needed help.

8. Remember the order of operations. This was suggested earlier by somebody... not knowing this will throw your answers off.

9. Purchase a TI-83 caculator now. You will not need all the functions till later but if you buy one now and start using it, you will become comfortable with it earlier than later. You will eventually need it to graph lines.

10. Rr-write your notes at home. Take notes in class, then re-write them later on at home.

11. Get a study partner that will trade notes with you when you cannot make it to class.

The process that I took from math 081 to math 240 and statistics was a long and difficult one. It took me many hours seeing tutors, studying in groups, and outside of my professors door to pass all of those classes. But I did it and you can too!

I am now 52 years old, I work full time and got admitted to a business school where I am in the Entrepreneurship program.

We all rely on people to help us on the road, be it other students, professors, tutors and counslors. Use them to get where you want to go....the journey is worth the effort.

College is an experience that is rich and rewarding at any age.

Here is a list of math courses that I took:

Math 081, 083,084,085,098,112, 114, 210, 240.

Answer 2

The best way, for me at least, to remember equations is to make up ridiculous sayings or wordings about them. The more stupid they sound, the easier it is to remember. For example: FOIL (first-outer-inner-last), I just remember "tin foil math".For the problems that you have shown: distribute, or multiply, the number outside the parenthesis with the numbers or variables inside. When a number is next to parenthesis with numbers inside, it means to multiply them. Each number or variable that you need to multiply by the number outside is separated by a + or -. In the case of 7(2x+1), you will multiply 7 with 2x to get 14x and then multiply 7 with 1 to get 7. You will then use the sign (+ or -) that is used in the problem, in this case it is +. So you end up with 14x+7. Hope I could help.

Answer 3

There's PEMDAS, aka Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, which is the order of operations:
Parenthesis
Exponents
Multiply
Divide
Add
Subtract

With multiplying through the polynomial

seperate then multiply
ex1. 7(2x+1) = 7(2x) + 7(1)


you should be fine until abstract fractals (fractions with variable on the bottom)

Answer 4

There is really no way to memorize them. The only thing I could tell you is to practice. Another thing that worked for me (went back to college in my mid 30's BSME) is to remember the answer has to make sense.

Answer 5

Do it one step at a time in the proper order of operation

you can remember the order PEMDAS (or Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally)

Parentheses Exponents Multiplication Division Addition Subtraction

Just do it one step at a time and WRITE DOWN each step as you go.

Answer 6

The easiest way for me to remember ANYTHING is to make up a rhyming song about it......

Answer 7

you have to anderstand the math, you dont need to memorize. good luck