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Original poster

Getting my maths GCSE at 42

52 replies

HulaHoop2012 · 26/03/2021 06:36

I have had such a hard time with maths.
I failed my maths gcse about 4 or 5 times I ended up with an E 😞
My parents paid for a tutor I still failed.

I had one teacher that basically told me not to bother. It shook me to the core, I still remember feeling really ashamed.

I still have zero confidence in my ability to do any kind of maths but I remember that doing practice papers and getting them right. My tutor at the time said I had the ability but the pressure just took over.

But I really want to get a C.

Anyone know how I can even get started with this at the moment? Thanks

OP posts:
VestaTilley · 26/03/2021 10:08

Do it!

I’m the same, got a D then an E then gave up. Really want to do it again and get a C.

I’m 35. So many of us were failed in the basics at school. I’ve felt hindered by it ever since.

Allbymyself1 · 26/03/2021 10:08

I had a terrible teacher for Maths at GCSE, didn't actually teach anything, just left you with text books and yelled and called you stupid if u didn't understand something/got something wrong - I got an E!!
Last year, at 43 I enrolled at my local college, they did day or evening classes and it was a totally different experience!
I was terrified of not being able to cope, being the worst or oldest in the class, people thinking I was stupid or pathetic etc etc
But it was a nice small class, all age ranges and despite all the complications that Covid and lockdown created, so missed a term of lessons - I passed with a 5!!
Absolutely go for it!! I actually enjoyed it, realised I had massive gaps in my knowledge and things that hadn't made sense at school suddenly clicked. The group were great, we supported each other, no pressure or worry of looking stupid and the tutor was amazing - really positive experience!

OhYouBadBadKitten · 26/03/2021 10:12

Pearson (edexcel) have free lessons you can watch at the moment. No signing up required.

www.pearson.com/uk/educators/schools/subject-area/mathematics/unrivalled-support/support-from-pearson/free-online-gcse-maths-lessons.html

Cactus1982 · 26/03/2021 11:05

I’m another who is appalling at maths. I can still remember the anxiety I used to feel before maths lessons in school and had some fucking horrible maths teachers. They seemed to be particularly vile far worse than any other subject teacher I ever encountered.

onlyjustme · 26/03/2021 11:20

Bad news... you can't get a "C" now....
BUT maybe a 9,8,7,6,5 or 4!
Go for it!!!

CuthbertDibbleandGrubb · 26/03/2021 11:23

No specific advice but I wish you good luck and hope you succeed.

Winecurestiredness · 26/03/2021 11:28

Hi, i dont have a Maths GCSE either and im 28. I did Functional skills maths in College alongside my BTEC and i passed Functional skills maths even though i found it hard.

fashionablydusty · 26/03/2021 11:40

Go for it OP! Lots of good advice here.

You will probably find that with a more understanding teacher and a good few years of life experience under your belt it's not as terrifying as you remember.

My DH was not good at maths at school- he managed to get a C in his GCSE but apparently right up to results day expected to fail (and his head teacher told him he must have had a lucky day). It simply didn't make sense to him. He decided to re-train as a teacher in his late 30s and needed to take a maths test. He almost let it put him off trying but actually found that with some more sensitive tuition is was not as bad as he thought- and actually he rather enjoys the primary school maths that had him confused as a child.

Original poster
HulaHoop2012 · 26/03/2021 11:53

Oh my goodness thank you all so much.
I feel so much better and so glad there’s a gang of us.

I think it was just a huge lack of confidence and being a shy teenager, I just didn’t ask if I didn’t understand. That teacher I had for two years and I’m still haunted by her. Such a horrific things to say to a teenager.

I also remember my dad sitting one end of the table me the other and firing times tables at me and just panicking. I’ve told him since and he admits that it was the wrong approach 🤦‍♀️

I did A-levels and a degree. I’ve also held a fairly good jobs so I know that I have the ability.

I’ve just flipping home schooled my kids for the good part of a year. To be honest it’s this that has given me the confidence. When I heard homeschool would happen the first thing I said to my husband is you’ll have to do the maths!

I’m going to sit and look at the syllabus and contact some colleges. The functional skills maths looks like a good start.

Also sounds silly but started to use my kids subscription to Mathletics to get my brain in gear.

Honestly you’ve all made me feel so much better. Thank you x

OP posts:
twilightcafe · 26/03/2021 11:55

I worked at an FE college until recently, and invigilating GCSE Maths and English exams was part of my job.
You won't be the oldest - trust me!

ceilingsand · 26/03/2021 11:58

Do it. I got a C at 29.

Ketts · 20/11/2021 20:00

Hi,
Can anyone help please. Having to take Maths functional skills to do with my job. Like many on here have always had a fear of maths and avoid like the plague anything to do with it. Im struggling revising for test beginning of December. Given 7 weeks to study with 1 weekly training day F2F. Can anyone suggest anything to help retain it, im going through the menopause and memory not great. Thank you

Musmerian · 20/11/2021 20:02

@PursuingProxemicExactitude - I’m a member of that club! 2 Us at O level despite being in the top set and having a tutor. However I decided to go into teaching about ten years later and did maths gcse at an evening class at a local college- scraped a C and found it more stressful than my finals.

MsAgnesDiPesto · 20/11/2021 20:08

@Ketts

Hi, Can anyone help please. Having to take Maths functional skills to do with my job. Like many on here have always had a fear of maths and avoid like the plague anything to do with it. Im struggling revising for test beginning of December. Given 7 weeks to study with 1 weekly training day F2F. Can anyone suggest anything to help retain it, im going through the menopause and memory not great. Thank you
@Ketts

You’ll be better off starting your own thread, I’m afraid - people will just read the original post here and reply to that, and are likely to miss yours all together.

Good luck

TheOriginalEmu · 20/11/2021 20:11

I went back to college at 32 to do gcse maths, I had a C but needed a B for a course I wanted to do. It took work, but I got a A* in the end!

Workyticket · 20/11/2021 20:12

I teach maths GCSE to adults - you absolutely won't be the oldest! The oldest i have this year is 69

Our intake is massive this year, so many people are wanting to retrain. My class sizes vary from 17 to 28. We have evening classes too to fit in with workers etc.

3 hours per week in class - I recommend the same again in homework time.

If you can add, divide, multiply and subtract I can teach most people the rest if they have time to put the graft in. Go for it op, I love my adult classes Star

BobbieT1999 · 20/11/2021 20:14

I always struggled with maths and although I did well in the end at gcse I can't remember it now!

I had to brush up on skills for professional reasons though and bought a couple of revision guides...What really helped though was turning to YouTube.

Lots of videos there and finally found some that explained things in a way I got!

MadeinBelfast · 20/11/2021 20:15

@Ketts you just need to keep practising as many past papers as you can. They should be on the exam board website. If there are topics you are unsure of try the Corbett Maths website. If there's a topic you don't understand, watch the video on the website several times and then try some of the questions on the textbook exercise pages. There are answers too so that you can see if you're getting them right. Are you able to message your tutor with questions too?

Merryoldgoat · 20/11/2021 20:16

My aunt is a dentist (retired) who couldn’t pass her Maths O-Level.

In my opinion, as someone who finds maths quite straightforward, but who didn’t until about 12, teaching is all. You need a teacher or tutor who really knows how to teach it. A good teacher who uses practical illustrations and demonstrations is what you need.

I don’t doubt you can do it. So do it!!

MadeinBelfast · 20/11/2021 20:16

Sorry, I thought it was GCSE! The Corbett Maths site is still useful and you should be able to get sample papers from your tutor. Good luck.

Ketts · 20/11/2021 20:36

Thank you, ill take a look at that website. Feeling abit over whelmed with it all to be honest with you, tearful actually.

Ketts · 20/11/2021 20:41

No Functional maths - lol not GCSE although they says similar ect. Still have to get grade 4 or above. Thanks alots ; - )

LittleMissPeggySue · 20/11/2021 20:43

I never got a C in Maths, even though I took it 3 times when I was younger. I'm now 44 and I started a project management course earlier this year, one of the requirements was a pass in maths. They put me on a level 2 functional skills course, after a few months of revision and ripping my hair out in frustration I took the exam at the end of September......and passed!

Good luck with yours xx

XenoBitch · 20/11/2021 20:46

Go for it.
I retook mine in my mid 30s and got an A (got a C in school). I was not the oldest there, not by a long shot.
There were a few teens there that were doing resits, and were disruptive though.

Goshitstricky · 20/11/2021 20:46

I went back to evening classes at college and did my maths/English/biology gcses and finished this year.

I can tell you, I cried nearly every single lesson after they finished. 😳 my maths teacher was an angel, really gentle with me and kind. I ended up with a level 5 which was the highest I could get in the foundation class. I have forgotten a lot of it now but my issue was confidence. I could do it I just needed a gentle, patient teacher to believe in me and for me to believe in myself. I'm 34 so it's possible 100%.