Maths Functional skills level 2 at the age of 46

[doneandone]

So I've managed to fudge my way through life with a GCSE D in maths. Im thinking of changing jobs so decided to bite the bullet and study for my functional skills level 2 in maths. Wow, it is hard! I'm really struggling to understand calculating percentages and fractions (well, all of it to be fair, but this seems like a sticking point). I just cannot get my head around it. I'll read how to do it but it just doesn't sink in! Anyone else studying this and finding it difficult? I wish i hadn't started it but I know it's for the best, I just really hate maths!

YouTube may be able to help you
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This is the percentage playlist.
Math Antics also has videos on fractions and stuff

Thanks @NerdWhoEatsMedlar I have watched a few of his YouTube videos (as well as lots of others) I just don't know why I find it so hard to retain the information! I can read and watch the same info again and again in lots of different ways but I still find it hard to actually understand.

You can buy the revision and practice books for functional skills maths level 2 on Amazon. I did it age 50 so older than you! I just practiced and practiced every single day (so bloody boring!) You can find practice questions online too. I remember being terrified going into the exam, but I passed. And yes memorising the theories and rules was hard.

Thanks @MissyB1 yes I'm trying to make sure I stay on schedule for the module completion dates but keep going over the areas that I'm struggling to understand. It's so much harder than I thought it would be in that it just doesn't seem to sink in!

Oh god I hate maths so much; it’s like a different language to me 🤯

@HansHolbein absolutely agree! I have no issues with understanding/using punctuation, grammar/spelling etc, that all seems to make sense to me but maths is just so difficult to understand. One of the reasons I decided to study it was a fear of numbers. If someone asks me a maths question, I instinctively shut down and just don't even try to answer it, whereas I would like to be able to at least try to answer or at least understand what I need to do answer it, but now I feel worse about it than I did before doing the course!

Khan academy is brilliant at breaking down and explaining the concepts. The arithmetic section covers fractions and percentages (and a lot more!). There are short videos and practice quizzes to test your understanding. I have the app, but there is a Web version.

I started on there to improve my maths a few years ago and now I'm doing a maths degree with the OU, so I really can't recommend it highly enough!

Are you actually having lessons? I teach FS and wouldn’t expect someone to be able to study up to L2 on their own.

Oh God, are you actually me OP?! 😳 I'm ever so slightly younger, but everything you've typed so far I could have written.

Apart from the bit about actually biting the bullet and signing up to do a course. I've not done thar...for the reasons you've already explained...I just know it will be too difficult, like learning a really difficult language, and that it'll make me feel worse about my maths mental block/stupidity.

I'm in awe of you tho!

No, it's an online course with tutor support (which is pretty useless tbf).
I had to do a test to see if I would be able to do level 2 or if I needed to do level 1 first. I do wonder if I should have started at level 1 instead.
The online course isn't great. It'll give simple information and then ask questions, but these questions will include areas that haven't been covered. I watch a lot of YouTube videos for help and use chat gpt to help me understand how they reached the answer to the questions that I don't understand.
I'll do an exam at the end, but it'll be online at home. I couldn't attend a course as I just don't have any spare time in the evenings/day time.

Wow, that's amazing!! Definitely think level 2 will be my limit though . Thank you for the recommendation, I'll definitely take a look at it, anything to help it sink in!

I have mature students I work with who need to do the L2 functional skills. It is hard! I also have the same issues with maths and am glad I resat mine at 17 so didn't have to do it again! Have you tried looking into Multiply? It is a 1-1 programme which is not examined but you get to improve your maths skills. Its not too long ( about 6-12 weeks, depending on your Local authority or who you do it with) This may get you some confidence so you aren't going in 'blind'.

I passed mine a couple of months ago at 52! I did a lot of the online practices, and watched YouTube videos on anything I didn't remember. It's madness, I've got a degree, a post grad and an MA, but they wanted me to pass functional skills maths. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be.. good luck!🤞🏽

I really, really want to drop it as it's just so hard and I really do hate everything about it, I said to dh this morning that I was struggling to understand one of the questions I got wrong in an assessment and saying how much I hate it, he said you don't have to do it if you don't want to, you can quit it. I won't though, I'll definitely see if though, I just feel like it something I really need to do. I'm hoping that I'll look back in a few months time and be proud that I managed to do it (either that or I'll be looking at doing a retake!)

I think that's the key, just lots and lots of videos and just keep going over and over areas until it sinks in!

Try the mars maths website. - it is specifically aimed at functional skills and has past papers and videos of her working through the answers

Ok, that’s not ideal but hopefully if you did well enough on the assessment to be able to go straight to L2 you must be capable. My suggestion would be to get the CGP FS L2 book and use that in conjunction with YouTube (MarsMaths is my go to). Do you know which exam board you’ll be sitting with? If not you need to find out as the exams differ quite markedly.

Definitely see it through. It will mean you don't have to worry about maths ever again! I hate maths, I did multiply just because I thought I should get over my maths phobia and because I should really be doing a particular qualification for my job, and I was really struggling, but no one cares, because I have a piece of paper that says once I managed to pass a maths exam. It really is worth it. One of my students is a 56 year old. She did L1 first then L2. I invigilated her L1 and she said she was sure she failed, but she passed! We're just waiting for her L2 result now!

I got an E when I took it at GCSE then I did a resit at college and got a D, then I just didn't bother again, I really, really wish that I had continued, it would have been easier to continue then, than to stop for 30 years and then start all over again!
Thanks for the tip, I'll look in to Multiply.

P.s. we use Pearson Edexcel and the pass mark is usuall 36/64 at L2 which is 56% so you don’t have to be brilliant at absolutely everything.

Following with interest. Trying to decide whether to get DD2 to sit FS maths independently in parallel to GCSE retake at college.

I'm wishing that I had started level 1 first, I think I would have found the whole thing easier. I feel like I've thrown myself in at the deep end and I'm struggling to keep my head above water with it.

@doneandone if you want to pm me, I'm a maths tutor, I'm happy to gives you some hints and tips and a bit of help with fractions and percentages via email if you like? I'm not touting for business by the way, I'm happy to help for free 🙂

*give

Thanks @MouseTheDog I'll look at getting the CGP book and find out the exam board, I'll also check out Mars maths