Someone with Math knowledge - A question

[shiz stain]

Hey.

I have always thought I was bad at math. My mental arithmetic is awful and I never had any fun with schooling and left before I finished. I tried to do some over the years, but I always failed as I got so frustrated and couldn't work things out.

A few days ago I learned that I would have to take a series of psychometric tests, and so I figured I should get some practice and bought a book. The book is written by one of the mensa guys that does these tests for them, and they are timed just like the real ones. So I got the book and there are various sections on abstract, math, verbal etc. I complete the tests, and find that I scored the highest on the math one. Higher than I did in the verbal one (which I thought was my strongest area).

Now this particular section isn't arithmetic, but more number sequences (find which number fits etc). I'm really stimped right now. All my life (I'm 26) I thought I had no math ability, and now this book says otherwise. I really don't know what to think. Has anyone had anything similar happen to them? Please, only serious answers as this is really important to me.

Thanks.

 

[sdifox]

idiot savant... some people are good at some things, but it may just be that particular narrow field.

 

[Glavinsolo]

The problem with math is that those who teach it probably shouldn't be and America's math curriculum is needing to change. I hated math until I got to college and now out of college with an engineering degree I can tell you if you don't have the right person teaching it.. you won't learn squat. The way American's are taught math is different from other parts of the world.

Our curriculum needs to be changed. Math develops problem solving, logical thinking and greatly impacts our decision making process.

I think most people hate math because it works the brain muscle out the most. This can be fixed by relearning math the indian way. With shift operators and logic operators. Learning shortcuts and methods to solving types of problems greatly enhances math learning.

Typical American student - Buy TI-83, load up with all answers, cheat on test, profit

Parents, check out http://www.indianmathonline.com/ your kid will be a minimum 2 years ahead in math than their peers

 

[40sTheme]

This happened to me as well; in a different way. I always thought I was not good at math and never tried in it until I took precal in 11th grade and made a 98 in it. Everything was so easy; I just never had a teacher that opened up the logic of it for me. Algebra could have if it wasn't (as Glavinsolo said) just calculator graphing and other junk.

 

[BrokenVisage]

bump because you didn't use "Maths"

 

[Schfifty Five]

shiz stain...lol nice name.

WWYBYWB?

(if you reply asking what WWYBYWB means, chances are you have another account)

 

[RedArmy]

Maybe you're better at logic stuff, like discrete math for example. Everyone has their own niche when it comes to stuff like this

 

[Shadow Conception]

I'm good in math, I SUCK at logic.