I'm having some issues in math...

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The Unleasher
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16 Jan 2017, 1:22 pm

Well, a few days before the quarter ends, my grade is a 69% or a D+. I have to give myself some credit though, it was 65% a week ago. My final semester grade, a 74% or a C. I'm in geometry currently, it has been terrible. It's the only class I haven't gotten over a B in so far. Last year during algebra, I ended the year off with an 86% (B). I am sick and tired of it, I keep trying, I ask many questions, I just don't get it.

What am I supposed to do? I'm too afraid to stay after school, that and there's a 50 minute bus ride home. By the time I get home, it'll be too dark. My teacher doesn't know about my autism, but I don't want her to treat me special or anything. I used to be in the special ed programme, I hated it. They put me in with kids who couldn't even dress themselves. It felt insulting and demeaning. How do I do something about this?


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wrongcitizen
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17 Jan 2017, 1:46 am

Though I can't help you directly I hope that by telling you I can completely relate I will. I've gone through many similar things. But don't let this put off math for you, because it is ingenious when you figure it out. It is the school system and popular culture. When someone has a difficulty in a particular area they are told that they are lesser than their classmates when in reality they may be just as capable in another area.

My main advice would be to learn on your own, because that's the only way I have been able to keep up SOME grades and stay out of any sort of special education unless you feel that it would truly help.



The Unleasher
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17 Jan 2017, 8:46 am

wrongcitizen wrote:
Though I can't help you directly I hope that by telling you I can completely relate I will. I've gone through many similar things. But don't let this put off math for you, because it is ingenious when you figure it out. It is the school system and popular culture. When someone has a difficulty in a particular area they are told that they are lesser than their classmates when in reality they may be just as capable in another area.

My main advice would be to learn on your own, because that's the only way I have been able to keep up SOME grades and stay out of any sort of special education unless you feel that it would truly help.


Thank you for the advice, I appreciate any information. I've noticed I usually learn better on my own. One reason I tend to be ahead of my other classmates in writing is because it's a hobby of mine. My teacher is slow and boring, all she does is give us notes we need to fill out. She has been trying alternative methods, but none of them work. I'll find a way to learn on my own.


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BTDT
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17 Jan 2017, 9:01 am

A good percentage of Aspies are visual thinkers. They are much better at learning if they can draw pictures related to the subject at hand.



Lockheart
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17 Jan 2017, 10:49 pm

Have you tried looking up tutorials on YouTube such as those produced by the Khan Academy? I have found them very helpful.



LjSpike
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19 Jan 2017, 3:35 pm

Geometry when you get a hang of it (which I'm sure you will) is overall an easy area of maths.
I myself am fairly good at maths, I got an A* in my GCSEs, although I do need to focus on it again, as I'm down to D and C at the moment in A-level (although it is mostly the non-calculator chunk we've been covering, and I can be pretty poor at mental arithmetic).

Geometry questions try to scare you, and trick you, but even the 6 or 7 mark ones are easy when you know what your looking for. A brilliant question I saw (not sure if it was on a mock or the actual GCSE) was on relating to two watch faces of x thickness and y diameter. One was made completely of metal, and one had a chunk (of specified angle) made of plastic, and the question gave the prices of the two materials. One of the maths teachers tried to explain it to some kids afterwards, and took up a whole whiteboard, and I just said to him the easy way of doing it, and I'm sure he felt a bit undermined. See he went through including all the depth and doing some elaborate trigonometry. Sure you have to factor in the depth to get the cost, but that just a little multiplication at the end, a little step-by-step method for it:

Where R = Radius of both watch faces | θ = angle of segment in the 2nd face | p1 = price of metal | p2 = price of plastic | d = depth:

area = pi*R^2 (equation of area of a circle)
a (plastic segment of 2nd face) = θ/360
b (metal segment of 2nd face) = 360-a
price of first face = d*p1*area^2
price of second face = [d*p1*(area*b)^2]+[d*p2*(area*a)^2]

(The final equation looks scary as I'm doing it without superscript or such, but its not a too tricky equation in itself)


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The Unleasher
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26 Jan 2017, 3:44 pm

I have some good news, I got a 78% (C+) on the midterm. My quarter grade is now a 71% (C-). My semester grade rose by one point to a 75% (C).


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LjSpike
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27 Jan 2017, 3:11 am

The Unleasher wrote:
I have some good news, I got a 78% (C+) on the midterm. My quarter grade is now a 71% (C-). My semester grade rose by one point to a 75% (C).


Great news. Perhaps you'll get a B- next time? :D


_________________
Why not visit my blog over here!
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RDOS Aspie Quiz
Neurodiverse (Aspie) score: 162 of 200
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LINK: http://www.rdos.net/eng/poly10a.php?p1= ... =66&p10=74
-------------------
Score breakdown for RAADS-R
Total: 185.0 | Language: 17.0 | Social Relatedness: 90.0 | Sensory/Motor 45.0 | Circumscribed Interests: 33.0
LINK: http://www.aspietests.org/raads/questions.php


The Unleasher
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27 Jan 2017, 8:38 am

LjSpike wrote:
The Unleasher wrote:
I have some good news, I got a 78% (C+) on the midterm. My quarter grade is now a 71% (C-). My semester grade rose by one point to a 75% (C).


Great news. Perhaps you'll get a B- next time? :D


I really hope so. We're doing things that don't involve as many angles now, it's a start. Right now, the work seems to be pretty easy. I'll be prepared either way.


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MentalIllnessObsessed
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02 Feb 2017, 7:38 pm

Hi. I'm really confused on this school system, as in my country, and 86 is considered an A. 69 is a C+ here and 75 is a B. Unless it's works later on here (post secondary but I don't think so).

But for me, algebra would be to just do a lot of practice problems. Geometry I am not really familiar with what it is. We don't have a course called geometry here so... I have calculus and vectors next semester, but I have done some basic stuff like functions. Are you able to email your teacher? All the teachers where I am have emails. If you can't stay after school can you go early to school to get help? Or during your lunch? Make sure you do all the homework assigned, and anything you get stuck on just ask. Like when you are given time during class or before your next class.

I'm sorry if none of this helps because I believe we aren't in the same school system style at all.


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Beansie
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05 Feb 2017, 4:04 pm

You should tell your Geometry teacher that you have autism.


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The Unleasher
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05 Feb 2017, 4:15 pm

I don't want to seem needy. Besides, I don't think my math issues stem from my autism. They certainly don't help it, but there are autistic math professors, right? They'll obviously need to know the big three, algebra, geometry, and calculus. I thank you for the suggestion, but I'm still debating the pros and cons.


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