Need college Algebra?

I am half Native/First Nations and Mexican American. I have been diagnosed with chronic depression and ADD. I receive disability for my ailments that I mentioned above. I have had problems with this all my life. I left my state and went to a Bureau of Indian Affairs college here in New Mexico. The tuition is free for Natives/First Nations people- that is why I came here. I managed to finish 76 college credits in fields of Natural Resources, Liberal Arts, Environment. I am closest to finishing in Liberal Arts. I also finished some Clep courses in History, American History. I was dismissed by college officals until I finish a college Algebra class. I need a college algebra to graduate and get my degree. I tried tutors, studying on my own, etc. I can only get to the first chapter or so then I have to give up in frustration. What would be the best way for me to finish a college algebra ?

Need college Algebra?
I am a firm believer that you can learn anything if you find a good teacher. A good teacher can make a topic like the "bumps on ceiling tiles" interesting. So step 1, find someone that will be patient with you and help you review the difficult concepts even if you don't get them the first few times around.





Second, have you tried using one of those "study guides"? I have seen them around but forget what they are called. Basically, they have everything you need to know on one sheet of laminated paper front and back, so it takes a whole textbook and condenses it down and gives you a quick reference to just the important points. It is not meant to take the place of the text but rather to have something to look at to supplement it.





You may also want to try another book to use in conjunction with your text. I remember as a psychology major, I had big problems with statistics in the beginning even though I was always good at math...it was just that it was so different from the concreteness and rigidity of other math classes I took. I ended up getting a small book that was done in cartoon form. For example when I got to the chapter on probability theory, there were these dice and cards with legs chasing each other. It sort of made learning fun in a way and I ended up not only passing but getting an A in my stats course. Anyway, there probably is a similar book out there for algebra. There is also Algebra for Dummies which you can find more info about by going to the link below.





There are probably also computer programs that will teach you the basics and may be a better learning tool for you than just trying to learn it out of a book.
Reply:Sounds like you need a tutor who will stick with you until you get through it. Math can be tough. I forgot most all the algebra I learned a few days after scraping throught the test. Have patience, keep at it and try to find someone to help when you get stuck. That's probably the best advice you'll find. Good luck.