Math Classes Suck

[siyan]

ok this is a cross between Math and CC...

how many of you in high school find that math classes are a waste of time and that you'd learn more by just using the textbook on your own and occasionally dropping in to ask questions?

eg: I stayed home today and stormed through the entire unit on Derivatives. granted I didn't do all the questions; i did like 10 total, but still, had i gone to school, i'd have spent 45 minutes waiting for the rest of the class to finish taking up thier homework (cause they can't do bloody algebra) and then "learning" about basic limits.

its retarded...i should stay home more often.

-C

[bugzpodder]

assume that they teach the stuff that i don't know (if you know the stuff before they teach it then it is most certainly a waste of time) i find it easier to learn it from the teacher than from the text book, partially b/c the teachers at our school is very good. i also have a habit of picking out a few things to argue with the teacher just for the hell of it.

[bugzpodder]

yea, another reason is that the teachers actually show the derivation to the formulas, unlike the text book which constantly tosses out stuff at you without showing you how it was developed (I'd guarentee the derivitive chapter you stormed does not show you how they got the first principles, as well as the power rule, product rule, quotient rule, trig derivitives). if i were given the derivation, i would most definately remember the formula better, and in case i forget it or get it mixed up/confused, i always know how i would get the correct formula by going over the (hopefully short) derivation again. and if you don't understand something, it is always better to ask the teacher instead of asking the text book. and don't think text books are perfect. they aren't.

[DavidHooper]

Yeh, good points all round. Just to contribute my £0.02: teachers are sometimes more useful because the student can pick up extra information in how they write up the work or where they pause for thought etc.

[DiGiTaIErRoR]

Staying home is fun.

[marnitzg]

Originally posted by bugzpodder
yea, another reason is that the teachers actually show the derivation to the formulas, unlike the text book which constantly tosses out stuff at you without showing you how it was developed.

Yeah, I just love it when you have to know a proof, and the book tells you 2 lines and then says "We leave it to the reader to complete the rest of the proof." Then you sit for the next 4 days trying to work out how the **** you complete the proof!

[sql_lall]

I seem to be very fortunate. One of my maths classes next year will be just me, meaning i only have around 1.5hr of contact time each week, with the rest private study.

However, most people are saying that teachers help explain things u need to know. Actually, i find there is only one teacher at school who is able to answer my Questions well enough (luckily my teacher next year) When i find i have a problem, usually i ask here or other internet forums/ yahoo groups.

[JPicasso]

Another reason to attend class is that occasionally
instuctors will spend a day on "stuff that's not in the book,
but will be on the test."

[MXAlPhA]

well obviously you have not seen herricks, new york math honors classes. Damn teachers are crazy... what i like to do is just to do my other homework during the lecture. And i'll learn a lil, but not how to do it in class. 10 min in the book... and i learn how

Just raise my head once in awhile in class

[siyan]

Originally posted by bugzpodder
yea, another reason is that the teachers actually show the derivation to the formulas, unlike the text book which constantly tosses out stuff at you without showing you how it was developed (I'd guarentee the derivitive chapter you stormed does not show you how they got the first principles, as well as the power rule, product rule, quotient rule, trig derivitives). if i were given the derivation, i would most definately remember the formula better, and in case i forget it or get it mixed up/confused, i always know how i would get the correct formula by going over the (hopefully short) derivation again. and if you don't understand something, it is always better to ask the teacher instead of asking the text book. and don't think text books are perfect. they aren't.

no they're not perfect, but my class in particular is antiperfect. its horrible. its horribly aperfect. they're sooo slow....not to sound stuck up but man there are some stupid people in that class. class average is 56, median 53. A few kids are up there though, I have 105%, and a couple of my friends have 102%, 96%, 86%, etc... which are prety good...but i mean one kid has 9%. NINE.

and the teacher slows down for them.

our textbooks are acutallyd ecent...they did infact go through the proof for the power rule. althouhg i couldn't be bothered to learn it.

-C

[nahya^^]

I'm sure there are some stuff that you don't get that quickly and need your intructor's help.

Did you not need an instructor's help for the basics of algebra/arithimetics?

Surely, even Einstein didn't teach himself all the math stuff he knew.

[bugzpodder]

so why don't you and your friends take some time to help those who needed it? I am sure you are not too selfish too refuse that. and that's what I would do.

[applescript]

Statistics, worst waste of time ever. Period.

[bugzpodder]

i found it to be quiet interesting minus the formulas/definitions you have to memorize

[siyan]

Originally posted by bugzpodder
so why don't you and your friends take some time to help those who needed it? I am sure you are not too selfish too refuse that. and that's what I would do.

I'm one of the about 10 people in a school of 1000 who tutor.

No bonus marks this year either.

And I get asked a boatload of quetsions in class....kind of annoying after a while when you can't get your own work done.

-C