How to get algebra up to scrach for Statistics course

[niccig]

I may need to take a Basic Statistics course as a pre-req. The two community colleges by me offer it, but their statistics course requires Math pre-reqs, specifically Algebra. If you pass an algebra placement test, you don't need the Algebra pre-req. It's been a LONG time since I did algebra - high school actually. I was pretty good at all my high school Math. I did not do any Math at college because it's not required in Australia. I did do calculus, trig and algebra at high school.

I've found a list of free algebra course. Two are by MIT - they have the lecture notes, problems, test online - but no answers http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Mathematic...Home/index.htm

Could I do something self-paced like this to brush up my algebra? Any suggestions from the Math teachers/statisticians here?

I would like to limit number of classes I have to enroll in at the community college, so I can get the pre-reqs done sooner rather than later.

[egoldber]

I would go to a bookstore or library and look for a book there. There are lots of books out there and all are pretty cheap.

This one gets good reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Alge...8531502&sr=8-1

I know there are on-line courses, but all the ones I know of are pretty expensive.

Also, I heard this guy once on NPR. His stuff is free:

http://www.khanacademy.org/

[MamaMolly]

Have you considered a tutoring course like Sylvan? About 5 years ago I taught at one though my area was the little kids for the most part and much more focused on reading and writing than math. But I think it might be a place to start. HTH

[niccig]

I would go to a bookstore or library and look for a book there. There are lots of books out there and all are pretty cheap.

This one gets good reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Alge...8531502&sr=8-1

I know there are on-line courses, but all the ones I know of are pretty expensive.

Also, I heard this guy once on NPR. His stuff is free:

http://www.khanacademy.org/

Thanks Beth. That book looks good. The Khan acadmey does have Algebra and even the CA standards test. As I did my education out of the country, I don't know what my standard for math was in comparison to here. We didn't have to do it at college, but at high school. I'll look and see if I can do it myself.

The problem I have is with the timing of the classes. Spring semester is already filled, I can't do it over the Summer as DS isn't in camp full-time, and if I have to wait until the Fall to do the Algebra class, I can't do statistics until Winter. I do want to make sure I know it though, I don't want to be struggling in statistics. I have no idea what the statistics course would be like - I just have to pass, but I would still like to understand what is going on.

[niccig]

Have you considered a tutoring course like Sylvan? About 5 years ago I taught at one though my area was the little kids for the most part and much more focused on reading and writing than math. But I think it might be a place to start. HTH

I will look at a tutoring course too. I would like to do it on my own, and not pay for a course, but it will depend on how much I can relearn.

[egoldber]

I have no idea what the statistics course would be like - I just have to pass, but I would still like to understand what is going on.

Honestly, if you took algebra and remember the basic concepts, you will probably be fine. I used to teach basic stats classes for non-stats majors and the amount of actual computation required was really pretty minimal. If you could solve an equation for a single unknown, that was typically all that was required. But it was pretty shocking to me how many students couldn't do that.

[larig]

I'd look at itunes for podcasts. I don't think MIT had it on their list, they had other kinds of algebra--gotta run.

ETA: what I mean is that there are more advanced kinds of algebra , like linear algebra (mid-level undergrad class taken after calc), which isn't what you want. You want a basic college algebra class.

[niccig]

Honestly, if you took algebra and remember the basic concepts, you will probably be fine. I used to teach basic stats classes for non-stats majors and the amount of actual computation required was really pretty minimal. If you could solve an equation for a single unknown, that was typically all that was required. But it was pretty shocking to me how many students couldn't do that.

Good to know. I think I'll do some self-paced work to brush up on my knowledge, then I'll sit the placement test before the Summer. If I pass, then I don't need to do the algebra pre-req. If I don't pass, I have time over the Summer to try and do an algebra course somewhere, that they will accept as a pre-req.

[OKKiddo]

I had to take a math class with UOP online and they used a website called ALEKS. Amazing website and if I had another math class in my future, I'd use it again on my own. It does an assessment on you to see exactly what you know by just asking you random questions that start off easy and get tougher as you go along. At the end of the assessment, you have a pie chart that is filled in with what you'll need to do to complete your goal. It teaches you so thoroughly, I still haven't forgotten the math that I hated having to learn.

Here's the main website:
http://www.aleks.com/

Here's the individual aleks course:
http://www.aleks.com/independent

[tylersmama]

I bet you'll surprise yourself with how much you remember. I took stats last fall, and I hadn't taken a *true* math class since high school. We had a pre-test that we had to take and if you got less than 75%, it was highly recommended you take a math refresher. I was terrified I was going to fail, but there were only two questions that I truly had NO idea on. The rest, while I wasn't necessarily immediately able to do, I at least had an idea what to do with and was able to look up something to refresh my memory on how to do them (it was an online class). Do some looking around online, and see if you can find some refresher stuff and/or practice tests that you can take just to see if there's anything in particular that you need to work on before taking your placement test.