Were you doing algebra in 3rd grade?

[Kevin B.]

I don't remember starting algebra until middle school, but Boogerface is doing basic algebra homework right now.

What about the rest of you? What grade did they start teaching you algebra?

 

[mesha]

I don't remember when I learned algebra. Davy is doing basic algebra now. I am glad he is. Maybe it won't be such a shock when the hard stuff comes.

 

[jeeper]

I think i learned it in summer school, for 11th grade.

 

[Alcancia]

It was sixth grade for me, and I was in the special, early-morning math class exclusively for nerds.

No intention to start a political debate here, but as an engineer who has taken A LOT of math courses, from a technical standpoint, I love common core math. I think it teaches math as an exercise in reasoning and abstract thinking rather than just memorizing numbers. That would make algebra come a lot quicker and a lot easier. I'm making a big assumption that "Boogerface" is in public school and is seeing math this way. Either way, I feel it's good to teach both methods, as some students may excel with the memorization technique while others, such as I, need to figure it out each time.

 

[blznnp]

I don't think i started it till 5th or 6th, maybe 4th.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

I was one of those smart kids who started algebra in middle school and read the encyclopedia for fun, I guess it comes with being the son of a teacher. If I hadn't discovered skiing, girls, and partying I likely would have went to a top school in the northeast like MIT instead of joining the Army.

 

[Herzog]

Googled it and learned it just now.

 

[Cody]

I was too busy writing text books for nonlinear equations.

 

[Herzog]

I was too busy writing text books for nonlinear equations.

Swoon.

 

[sawtooth4x4]

I just skipped everything and went straight to Differential Equations.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I just skipped everything and went straight to Differential Equations.

I skipped right over the ordinary ones and went right to partial ones





*Actually I still have no clue what ODE/PDE's are, despite that I still managed to get a passing grade

 

[sawtooth4x4]

I really can't remember anything except algebra now. It's been 8 years since I was in college. I use algebra and trig a lot in my job

 

[Troop92]

Algebra was 7th grade for me, though I was placed there after the Pre-Algebra teacher though I was bored in class and needed something more challenging. I was, but only because I hated math! It worked out though, got me to like math again and kept at it all the way up through Calculus in high school.

 

[DAA]

In third grade, I had all I could handle just trying not to get beat up every day. I think the math was along the lines of memorizing times tables and "you have a pie, there are four pieces, if you eat one of them and there are only three pieces left, how many fourths is that?".

- DAA

 

[Kevin B.]

In third grade, I had all I could handle just trying not to get beat up every day. I think the math was along the lines of memorizing times tables and "you have a pie, there are four pieces, if you eat one of them and there are only three pieces left, how many fourths is that?".

- DAA

I was twice as big as everybody else and didn't have to worry about getting beat up, but I'm pretty sure that was the math I was doing too.

Don't get me wrong, the kid loves math and I love that he's getting taught the fun stuff so early. He and I had messed around with really basic variables and such on road trips, it just blew me away that the school was going to teach him this stuff so early and I'm slightly worried that he's going to be beyond my ability to help him with homework before he's out of middle school.

I didn't ever get past basic Algebra myself. I was too busy skipping class and running from truant officers.

 

[Rot Box]

The only thing I remember from third grade was all of my family members getting sick/dying from dysentery or typhoid and me always sinking the wagon while attempting to ford the Columbia river :-\

 

[sawtooth4x4]

Oregon trail! Nice. Once I figured out all we needed was food and water. The game got easy

 

[skippy]

Whats Algebra?

 

[mesha]

I was one of those smart kids who started algebra in middle school and read the encyclopedia for fun, I guess it comes with being the son of a teacher. If I hadn't discovered skiing, girls, and partying I likely would have went to a top school in the northeast like MIT instead of joining the Army.

This doesn't make sense. You discovered girls and partying so instead of college you went to the army.
College=girls
Army=dudes
College=party
Army=daily inspections

Sounds like you should have studied common sense in middle school.

 

[bryson]

I was one of those smart kids who started algebra in middle school and read the encyclopedia for fun, I guess it comes with being the son of a teacher. If I hadn't discovered skiing, girls, and partying I likely would have went to a top school in the northeast like MIT instead of joining the Army.

Sounds like you excel in female hygiene too...