I've done something stupid...

[Frequency]

I've applied for and paid a deposit for and signed a credit agreement for an A Level Maths course. I was sleep deprived, ill and possibly delirious. I should not have been left unsupervised with internet access.

I took my maths GCSE three times. The first time I got an E, the second time I got a D, the third time I was sick of maths and finally realised study was my only way out. I managed a B. My tutor was just as surprised as I was. I was predicted another D.

I decided this was a fluke and convinced myself I was bad at maths and have avoided the subject ever since going on my merry way doing non-math related jobs and education.

In my sleep deprived, delirious state I decided I wanted to do a computer science degree because I like money and computer people make lots of it. I'm not mad about that decision. I quite like computers and tecchy things and understand the basics of networking and coding and programming. To get a Computer Science degree you need to math which I can't.

My sleep deprived brain thought the solution to this bump on my path to become a computer science millionaire would be to apply to and pay for A Level maths.

I'm less than 30 minutes into the first web class and I'm on BBC Bitesize going over key stage three work trying to make sense of it. I think I now understand how to expand single brackets and multiply positive and negative numbers but I'm not sure that I understand why -5 X -2 = 10. I just know it does because the YouTube video with pretty drawings told me it does.

My dilemma is do I continue with the course because I really would quite like a computer science degree or I do I hope and pray there is a cooling off period and phone ICS Learn and beg for a refund?

I don't need a certain grade to continue my plan of becoming a cyber security analyst but I do need to feel confident about math which atm I don't.

I think you should go for it. It will be hard at first making sense of it, but you will get into it.

I signed up for a beginners Irish Gaelic course last week. The first day I listened to lesson one and I couldn't even make out the sounds, never mind the words. Now a week later, I can actually hear what they are saying and I even understand most of it. I think all courses seem a bit overwhelming at first, but you will get into the rhythm soon enough.

@OneAutumnMorning

I got a U at O level. Ironically I failed too badly to do it free with the local college. They'll only let me do foundation but I want to do the GCSE.

So I am self-studying, in theory!

I want it as I want to be a college tutor in about four years time and you have to have it.

I did a law degree with the OU and at the start of each module I had no idea what they were taking about, it could have been double Dutch. But I went on to get a first!

There are only niche areas of IT that actually need anything other than basic maths. Those niches are usually filled by mathematicians/maths researchers. There will be specific deliveries where algorithm design might need trig or matrix algebra but there will always be existing algorithms/functions that can be repurposed. Set theory is generally useful but what you need is easily learnt.

What is fundamental is the ability to think logically and in abstraction.

Yes - Comp Sci courses often demand maths - because there isn't really much of an alternative that suggests the ability to think logically!

I would agree that you might look at degree apprenticeships from the major service providers (IBM, Accenture, capgemini etc)

The fact that not knowing WHY multiplying two negatives makes a positive bothers you is interesting.
Because I suspect many people who consider themselves good at maths don't know why either- they know that it does, but have never even considered why.

So I think you are intelligent with a curious mind, and much more disposed to maths than you believe.

There will be times though when you just have to learn a rule without always understanding why the rule works that way. You will probably need to accept that to progress at maths.
Often the understanding will come later, after the learning iyswim.

I live in the arse-end of no-where. None of the major companies are near me and i can't currently afford to relocate. I have just looked on Indeed and Total Jobs though and there are a few apprenticeships in the nearest big town. I'm gonna re-purpose my CV which currently professes me to be an excellent hairdresser, particularly when it comes to creative colouring and lightening, while I'm at work later and I'm going to apply for them.

I've decided to go for it with the A-Level. The worst that can happen is I fail but get better at maths. I've downloaded the BBC Bitesize app on my phone and when I get breaks at work I'm gonna revise the basics. I pretty much understand simplifying brackets now. I'm still not entirely sure why minus five times minus two equals ten but I know there is a rule that says it does. I'm going to practise some GCSE exam questions on simplifying brackets tonight and once I'm confident I've cracked it I'll pick up on the A-Level course where I left off and just rinse and repeat until I at least think I know what they're talking about.

You'll get there lass. With that sort of attitude there'll be no stopping you!

You can use a lot of your current skill set to sell your c.v., plus with doing the A Level they'll see you're committed and determined.

Why always bothers me.

The first thing I did when I learned the +/- multiplication rules was Google 'but why?'. I ended up on YouTube learning about ancient philosophers and mathematicians.

I sort of understood it while I was watching the video. I know that it has to do with consistency and you have to get the same answer going backwards as you do going forwards for maths to work but then they started adding numbers to their examples and my brain exploded.

The mortgage example someone posted really made sense to me. I suspect the why is going to bother me a lot but I will try not to spend more than an hour each time researching the why and just hope it eventually clicks.

This has a good explanation of why two negatives make a positive, with a few real-life examples to put it into context

mathforum.org/dr.math/faq/faq.negxneg.html

@Frequency I’m super impressed both by your existing skills and your vision & determination...but I don’t think you need that maths A level. I got a B at GCSE, did an entirely useless but hugely enjoyable humanities undergrad degree and then got a place on a Computer Science masters course (& eventually graduated with distinction). The maths was quite tough but there wasn’t much of it compared to the need to be able to parse code or create algorithms. In fact, after the first few weeks of binary/hex/machine code, and outside of logic programming (which I loved) there wasn’t much of it at all. I’ve spent most of my career in the commercial/tech/digital space and whilst there’s no way on earth I could do A level maths, it’s always been perfectly good enough to hold my own comfortably. So, do you really really need to do this A level?? Or could you just crack on with stage 2?

I can't do maths.... Don't have an A Level in it and got a B at GCSE (by some fluke). I managed to do a biology degree, masters degree and a PhD without being able to do basic mental maths. Where there is a will there is a way!!

this is funny. sorry OP I'm not help as I'm shit at maths, hate computers and have no idea but i did once convince myself (bored and knackered on mat leave) that i was going to learn french and arabic (?!) and get a top secret billy big balls analyst job at gchq

@Fillybuster, I panic when I see numbers and my brain says "Oh, you're doing maths? Great stuff, I'm just gonna go off over here and start thinking about that film we watched last week where a young Bruce Willis took off his shirt and got all oily. I'll meet you back at your desk when you're done with the numbers, cool?"

I feel like I need to conquer the fear of maths before I can pass a computer science degree because as soon as algorithms or binary or patterns are mentioned my brain is gonna pack up and fuck off to her Bruce Willis fantasy and none of it will sink in.

OP. Whilst I admire your enthusiasm, I think you are setting yourself up to fail.

A level maths is hard which is why many places insist you have a GCSE Grade 7/A to start the course.

My advice would be to retake your maths GCSE to give you a refresher year (or 2) with a target to get that Grade 7. Only if you can do that (and ace the algebra sections), then do the A level. In fact, you don't even need to actually retake, just do the 2018 or 2019 papers under exam conditions and get them marked.

wrt Computer Science, I suspect it isn't so much as needing the maths A level, but that the type of person who does well in computing is the type who also does well (and would choose) A level maths.

(Speaking as someone with a maths degree, career in software, and a DD currently doing GCSE maths).

I did a Computer Science degree after a break of a few years from school, meaning my last maths training was several-years-old Scottish Higher level (somewhere inbetween GSCE and A-Level).

I struggled with the maths component of the degree at first, though CS degrees vary hugely as to their maths content. Mine had a fairly rigorous "Maths for Engineers" as a requirement, common to most of the other applied sciences / engineering tracks.

I actually ended up using maths a fair bit in my career, as I ended up in one of the more maths-heavy technical domains.

If I could do it all again, I'd have done more maths, not less. The quantitatively-capable have an edge in employment markets in many industries. I admire you - don't be scared of it. It's like anything else, it yields to time and effort, and it's probably worth doing exactly BECAUSE it's hard.

I want to be you 😊

Please keep posting!!

In fact, if you could post every morning I feel my life would be hugely improved, you make anything seem possible!!

You deserve to get one of the Apprenticeships!

I think you’re taking the right approach, taking it step by step, getting online help and learning each bit as you go until you feel ready for the next step.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t pass, you’ll still come out if it with a much better level of understanding!

You do what you want with nouns, your writing is engaging & uplifting!

@Frequency

While I would commend your enthusiasm if it is the money you are worried about you do have a "cooling off period" for things bought on line so you could cancel if you wish.

Not everything bought online has a cooling off period. I don't know if education courses and exempt or not but someone should check.

-5x-2=10

An enemy (-) of my enemy (-) is my friend (+)

That's how I remembered them. Good luck op you'll do brilliantly

It's easy enough to remember but it doesn't make much sense. If I could convince the bank to multiply the debt on my credit card against my mortgage, I should be in for a windfall, right? But why?????

The maths A level is the least of your worries. A computer science degree is going to be 3 more years of maths and then a career in something related to computer science will be a load more maths.

Why not just do something you enjoy? You’re far more likely to be good at it.

I’m afraid that if you’re on BBC Bitesize looking up KS3 expanding single brackets and multiplying negatives, you’re just nowhere near ready to tackle A-level maths. You need to be fluent in much harder areas of algebra before starting - the students who aren’t drop out or fail.

If you’re really keen, I’d suggest resitting GCSE first, and mastering those areas of algebra that really are a pre-requisite for A-level study.

For comparison my Y12s have just spend the last 3 weeks revising simplifying surds, solving quadratic simultaneous equations and tricky completing the square as a quick refresher, and we will struggle to fit all the content into two years.

UPDATE!!!

I have an interview and assessment day for a network technician apprenticeship tomorrow afternoon. That's the good news.

The bad news is I'm on nights tonight, although that might be a good thing as we all know how active my sleep deprived brain can be.

I'm so used to going for interviews for beauty industry jobs I'm not sure I know how to interview for a normal 9-5 job. I've bought a smart, black dress from the workwear section on ASOS and I've dug out my smart but comfy black ankle boots.I've found a natural make-up look. I'm unsure what to do with my hair. Normally, for interviews I put a dark purple direct dye on to brighten it up and cover my grey roots and do a bouncy blow-dry but I'm guessing that's a no-no? It's still quite purple and I haven't got time to un-purple it so do I just go more purple anyway to make myself appear groomed?

Then there's the questions. I'm meant to ask questions. I'm rubbish at thinking what to ask. I thought I'd ask about future training opportunities once the apprenticeship is finished ie can I go on to do level four or would this be something I'd have to organise and fund myself but I need more questions. I also need to socialise with people from the second I walk in and I'm guessing I can't walk up to them and say, "Wow, I love your eye make-up is that the new Jeffree Star palette?" so what do I talk to them about?

Help me, oh wise ones.

As an aside the maths is, um, going.... I've bounced back between A level and BBC bitesize a few times and get a bit further with the A level stuff each time before I get stuck. I'm not on key stage three anymore, though, I've nailed that and moved to GCSE revision so I'm heading in the right direction. I'm more confident now too.

Good luck with your interview tomorrow xx

Best of luck OP. I've thoroughly enjoyed your optimism and drive on this thread and you deserve to do well.