Course Guide: From Point Alpha to Point Omega

I'm in my early 40s and looking to go back to college. I have a BA but feel like I've found a calling I want to pursue which requires going back to college to take all the hard classes I chose not to take the first time through. I'm using Khan to get my bearings and see if I can cope with the course load. I took Algebra 1 and 2 in high school as required but nothing past that (and that was 25 years ago). I need to go from barely able to cope with fractions (which I can do now thanks to Khan) all the way to college level calculus. I'd like community suggestions on what math classes, and in what order, to go from zero to hero. I've done most of the Arithmetic class at this point so I can cope with fractions again and am currenly about 1/4 through algebra 1 and doing OK. However I'm poking at the other classes and think I might benefit from pausing and going to pre-algebra...but wonder if I need to go deeper than that! Also I need geometry and trigonometry along they way, which class and in what order should they be tossed in the mix?

There are SO MANY math class options it's just a bit daunting to know which is best to take and in which order. Thanks for your recommendations.

LL68

August 30, 2023 17:32
Edited

Wow, I am in almost this EXACT same situation!! I'm even older than you (mid-50s), but I do not have a bachelor's - I have 3 AA degrees in General Education, Humanities, and Social & Behavioral Science. I'm considering applying for an online BS in Business Administration program, and I cannot even be accepted until I have completed ALL lower division math requirements up through either Calculus or Finite Math. I did terribly in math through most of my school career, except early grade school. Honestly, the last time I had a solid grasp of math was probably 3rd grade. I started to get lost somewhere around fractions and decimals. I excelled in English and writing in general... that was my milieu. I am doing the same here on KA, trying to go from "zero to hero." :)

A friend of mine who majored in math advised me to take Finite Math rather than Calculus, with my background. But even that still requires Pre-Calculus as a prerequisite.

I have messaged the business program advisor to ask his recommendations for the most efficient and effective preparation series, and I specifically mentioned Khan Academy. Perhaps when he replies, I can return to this post and update you.

If you look at the course options here in KA, there is a "preparation for" in the math section. Perhaps that's the best place for us to start?

Best of luck to both of us...

Course Guide: From Point Alpha to Point Omega

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