Re-learning Maths in your 40s.
Discussion
[Mods, feel free to move if there's a better place for this.]
When I was at school I struggled with Maths and as a result ended up in set five (of six) where the teacher's role was basically one of riot control. Still, somehow I scraped through with a C at GCSE. I had an intuitive grasp of Physics, and loved it, but that went down the toilet when it got to the level where strong Maths was required.
I'm 44 now, finding myself increasingly motivated by the idea of being good at Maths and wondering how I'd go about picking it back up again, getting a stronger GCSE (is it still GCSEs?) and continuing beyond that level.
I found this test and took it. I scored 16 out of 20. Is that any good or a 44 year old revisiting Maths for the first time since the age of 16?
The ones I got wrong were...
5: I didn't know what the acronyms in the multiple choice answers stood for. Had I known them I'd have got that one right.
14. Didn't know what an "nth term of the sequence" meant.
15. Can't remember trigonometry.
17. Caused my head to explode!
Is there a recognised pathway to basic (and beyond) qualifications that a working middle aged man can pursue in his spare time?
When I was at school I struggled with Maths and as a result ended up in set five (of six) where the teacher's role was basically one of riot control. Still, somehow I scraped through with a C at GCSE. I had an intuitive grasp of Physics, and loved it, but that went down the toilet when it got to the level where strong Maths was required.
I'm 44 now, finding myself increasingly motivated by the idea of being good at Maths and wondering how I'd go about picking it back up again, getting a stronger GCSE (is it still GCSEs?) and continuing beyond that level.
I found this test and took it. I scored 16 out of 20. Is that any good or a 44 year old revisiting Maths for the first time since the age of 16?
The ones I got wrong were...
5: I didn't know what the acronyms in the multiple choice answers stood for. Had I known them I'd have got that one right.
14. Didn't know what an "nth term of the sequence" meant.
15. Can't remember trigonometry.
17. Caused my head to explode!
Is there a recognised pathway to basic (and beyond) qualifications that a working middle aged man can pursue in his spare time?
In a word yes. And no.
You can still undertake a part time (think evening class) GCSE in maths. Your local college will almost certainly offer them, probably on days and at a venue that's inconvenient, and they shouldn't charge you assuming you meet the funding criteria. However GCSEs are still based on academic years so will almost inevitably run September until the summer exam series, typically the week after May half term so the first week of June. You must pass both exams so holidays in this period are a no-no!
If you do enquire, they should ask you what quals you already have, and a GCSE from 1991 should not be a problem. There's also something called a Functional Skill in Maths which operates between Entry Levels (1 2 and 3), and Level 1 and Level 2; GCSE passes a re seena s a level 2, A levels at level 3 etc. Colleges and other venues will offer Functional Skills too, and you might have time to undertake one before the summer. Some places may insist on it prior to a GCSE.
Finally they are loads of places offering online tuition for a fee, but then you'll be distance taught with you responsible to sourcing and sitting your exams (in the summer again) as an external candidate in a local school. Avoid them, try a taught class first.
That's the basics..
You can still undertake a part time (think evening class) GCSE in maths. Your local college will almost certainly offer them, probably on days and at a venue that's inconvenient, and they shouldn't charge you assuming you meet the funding criteria. However GCSEs are still based on academic years so will almost inevitably run September until the summer exam series, typically the week after May half term so the first week of June. You must pass both exams so holidays in this period are a no-no!
If you do enquire, they should ask you what quals you already have, and a GCSE from 1991 should not be a problem. There's also something called a Functional Skill in Maths which operates between Entry Levels (1 2 and 3), and Level 1 and Level 2; GCSE passes a re seena s a level 2, A levels at level 3 etc. Colleges and other venues will offer Functional Skills too, and you might have time to undertake one before the summer. Some places may insist on it prior to a GCSE.
Finally they are loads of places offering online tuition for a fee, but then you'll be distance taught with you responsible to sourcing and sitting your exams (in the summer again) as an external candidate in a local school. Avoid them, try a taught class first.
That's the basics..
David87 said:
I got an A for maths GCSE, but feel like I would be fairly useless nowadays as I haven’t really used most of it since school. Not looking forward to when the kids’ homework starts to get harder. 
It's the English I struggle with, maths is far easier to explain and justify!Lots of people just want to improve what they got years ago (just like the OP) and it's a 'safe' subject in the sense they're not going in cold, unlike a lot of languages. Plus getting a part time qual in a language is a lot harder to find and access.
Not uncommon for a mature GCSE student to progress all the way up to a degree.
Not uncommon for a mature GCSE student to progress all the way up to a degree.
Thanks all - some interesting stuff there.
jamoor said:
Is there any pressing reason to be learning maths?
Partly because my brain has matured and concepts I struggled with when young seem to come to me intuitively now, and partly because I always enjoyed Physics and would love to get my Maths to a level where I could start to explore it further. Had I got 17 on the aforementioned test (which I would had I known the acronyms in Q5) that would have been 85%, which would be an A* - somewhat better than the C that I got back in the day!jamoor said:
I'd say use it to learn a language, particularly at your age.
I'd like to do a couple of languages too!A level maths here, 30 years ago. If it helps at all, I scratched my head at more or less the same points, and that is with having the benefit of a 14 yo daughter going through modern maths homework for the past 7 years.
5. I'm with you, no idea what the acronyms mean. The javascript answer ...isn't an answer
14. Agree with you. Unless "expression" has a specific definition I'm not aware of, I'd want to write the answer in the form n = (n-1) - 8. The answer is badly written again, no idea why order of operations is relevant here. The only circumstance that the Java answer is correct, is if the sequence has a start number of 98 when n=0. Which is not explicit.
15. I remembered trig, but don't have tables or a calc handy. The Java answer is asinine.
17. Getting really annoyed at the supercilious answers
18. Grrr
20. Doesn't state whether the depreciation is calculated vs original price, or vs depreciated price per annum. And to head off the idiots out there, this is MATHS, not real world. Needs to specify the problem exactly.
Also...
6 is badly written. 3% of what? £80, or £88?
5. I'm with you, no idea what the acronyms mean. The javascript answer ...isn't an answer
14. Agree with you. Unless "expression" has a specific definition I'm not aware of, I'd want to write the answer in the form n = (n-1) - 8. The answer is badly written again, no idea why order of operations is relevant here. The only circumstance that the Java answer is correct, is if the sequence has a start number of 98 when n=0. Which is not explicit.
15. I remembered trig, but don't have tables or a calc handy. The Java answer is asinine.
17. Getting really annoyed at the supercilious answers
18. Grrr
20. Doesn't state whether the depreciation is calculated vs original price, or vs depreciated price per annum. And to head off the idiots out there, this is MATHS, not real world. Needs to specify the problem exactly.
Also...
6 is badly written. 3% of what? £80, or £88?
Open University have a module called MST123 for getting your maths up to uni level. It's maybe a little bit more than you're after (and not free!), but I was very impressed with how thorough the books were and the extra examples, if you have the time it literally feels idiot proof. It gives you the basics on statistics, algebra, trigonometry and calculus if I remember correctly.
Sadly work has overtaken me somewhat and I'm unable to continue studying, but for the periods where I could sit down stress-free for an hour and grind through it, I was really happy with how the concepts all came together.
I was good at maths at school, but never great. Once it got to integration and calculus in general it all fell down for me at uni.
Having said that, I'm sure a maths for dummies or youtube channel would fill your mind for free. It frequently amazes me how little I know about the subjects I could have chosen at school but didn't.
Since I'm in a mathsy mood now, here's a video on the enigma machine, how it worked and why the Germans thought it uncrackable:
https://youtu.be/G2_Q9FoD-oQ
Sadly work has overtaken me somewhat and I'm unable to continue studying, but for the periods where I could sit down stress-free for an hour and grind through it, I was really happy with how the concepts all came together.
I was good at maths at school, but never great. Once it got to integration and calculus in general it all fell down for me at uni.
Having said that, I'm sure a maths for dummies or youtube channel would fill your mind for free. It frequently amazes me how little I know about the subjects I could have chosen at school but didn't.
Since I'm in a mathsy mood now, here's a video on the enigma machine, how it worked and why the Germans thought it uncrackable:
https://youtu.be/G2_Q9FoD-oQ
craigjm said:
If you got a C you would probably benefit more from doing A level maths.
The OH said the same, but I'd like to refresh my GCSE Maths before doing A level. There were things in the GCSE test I posted that I didn't understand (and probably a whole lot more in a full exam) so I'd like to make sure I'd nailed it all before going to the next level.glazbagun said:
Open University have a module called MST123 for getting your maths up to uni level. It's maybe a little bit more than you're after (and not free!), but I was very impressed with how thorough the books were and the extra examples, if you have the time it literally feels idiot proof. It gives you the basics on statistics, algebra, trigonometry and calculus if I remember correctly.
Sadly work has overtaken me somewhat and I'm unable to continue studying, but for the periods where I could sit down stress-free for an hour and grind through it, I was really happy with how the concepts all came together.
I was good at maths at school, but never great. Once it got to integration and calculus in general it all fell down for me at uni.
Having said that, I'm sure a maths for dummies or youtube channel would fill your mind for free. It frequently amazes me how little I know about the subjects I could have chosen at school but didn't.
Since I'm in a mathsy mood now, here's a video on the enigma machine, how it worked and why the Germans thought it uncrackable:
https://youtu.be/G2_Q9FoD-oQ
Any idea of costs? I had a look at the ou link and it says costs not yet available. If it’s a couple of hundred quid I’d be interested, a couple of thousand, no. I got an A at O level (remember them?) but have always struggled at work (scientist) since, it’s more a language than a science and my brain doesn’t work like that.Sadly work has overtaken me somewhat and I'm unable to continue studying, but for the periods where I could sit down stress-free for an hour and grind through it, I was really happy with how the concepts all came together.
I was good at maths at school, but never great. Once it got to integration and calculus in general it all fell down for me at uni.
Having said that, I'm sure a maths for dummies or youtube channel would fill your mind for free. It frequently amazes me how little I know about the subjects I could have chosen at school but didn't.
Since I'm in a mathsy mood now, here's a video on the enigma machine, how it worked and why the Germans thought it uncrackable:
https://youtu.be/G2_Q9FoD-oQ
I usually have to break it down into easy real life examples then build it back up into the actual question. And then get someone to sanity check my answer!
You'll struggle to find anywhere offering part time A Level anything, and again it wouldn't be free as it's not funded, and you'd be taking exams as an external candidate. You will find private training providers offering it under those circumstances above.
I'd also add that a lot of returning learners actually struggle with the syllabus of GCSE maths and find it a genuine challenge. There are a lot of reasons for this, but commonly it's the pace (a two year course at school is a little over 30 weeks as part time course), a belief it is significantly easier than it was 'when we took it' (it isn't quite as black and white as that) and associated challenges with just getting back into learning.
Saying that, those that stick it out do alright. Personally I'd advise you to get in touch with a college and see what they offer as it's likely you'll be able to something now rather than waiting until September and it's going to set you up and establish what you're fine with and what needs work.
I'd also add that a lot of returning learners actually struggle with the syllabus of GCSE maths and find it a genuine challenge. There are a lot of reasons for this, but commonly it's the pace (a two year course at school is a little over 30 weeks as part time course), a belief it is significantly easier than it was 'when we took it' (it isn't quite as black and white as that) and associated challenges with just getting back into learning.
Saying that, those that stick it out do alright. Personally I'd advise you to get in touch with a college and see what they offer as it's likely you'll be able to something now rather than waiting until September and it's going to set you up and establish what you're fine with and what needs work.
MitchT said:
[Mods, feel free to move if there's a better place for this.]
Is there a recognised pathway to basic (and beyond) qualifications that a working middle aged man can pursue in his spare time?
Just teach yourself - it's easy enough. I suggest you get Engineering Maths and Advanced Engineering Maths by Stroud. They will take an absolute beginner with more or less no knowledge of maths to about 2nd year university level (for engineering type studies). The books spoon feed you (and for that reason they looked down on by some) but that is not necessarily a bad thing. There is also a huge amount on Youtube. Also you will need to practice lots of examples - so the Schaum series of books are pretty good for this (use these in conjunction with Stroud).Is there a recognised pathway to basic (and beyond) qualifications that a working middle aged man can pursue in his spare time?
And one key thing: you have to think about what you are doing. Make sure you understand fully all steps in the derivations etc.
I did this when I was in my late 40's. Found a course at the local FE college for kids that had failed their GCSE exam and wanted to re-sit in the future. I was the only "mature" student among a group of 16 year olds but ended up with an "A" grade after the exam.
I'd failed my GCE maths miserably in 1963 as I was in that pilot year when they changed from GCE to CSE and although we hadn't studied the curriculum for GCE we still had to take both exams so not surprising that almost everyone failed the GCE but passed the CSE!!
I'd failed my GCE maths miserably in 1963 as I was in that pilot year when they changed from GCE to CSE and although we hadn't studied the curriculum for GCE we still had to take both exams so not surprising that almost everyone failed the GCE but passed the CSE!!
Not a direct response to your question OP, more of a stage 2 perhaps. But I would recommend ‘Maths with mechanics’ AS-Level. The module ‘M1’ was definitely the most enjoyable of the my two years (M being mechanics, with P for Pure and S for Statistics).
I think M1 may suit your physics tastes, the maths itself isn’t that difficult, some basic trig’ and rearranging equations. The rest is understanding/visualising what is happening and it’s all very real world.
From memory typical questions were something like:
1) Calculate the maximum range of a cannonball if its fired at such an angle and such speed.
2) Calculate the rpm at which a matchbox will slide off a turntable.
https://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/physics/equations...
The above link summarises well.
I think M1 may suit your physics tastes, the maths itself isn’t that difficult, some basic trig’ and rearranging equations. The rest is understanding/visualising what is happening and it’s all very real world.
From memory typical questions were something like:
1) Calculate the maximum range of a cannonball if its fired at such an angle and such speed.
2) Calculate the rpm at which a matchbox will slide off a turntable.
https://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/physics/equations...
The above link summarises well.
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