I’ve got a bit of a problem. And a story. You know what that means. I’ll write it all in one big hairy paragraph and mix in some irrelevant details, just like they do in my text book:
MAT1010 (UVU uses the “MATH” prefix for remedial courses) is four credit class that costs roughly $800. I want an A, and, as this is a difficult class for me, I would typically need to study 4 hours per week to achieve that goal. MAT1010 is normally a 15 week class, but I have to work just over twice as hard, since it’s only offered as a 7 week class during the summer. That’s like a full time job. Speaking of jobs, I’ve just started a full-time contract. Also, my kids are home from school now, which means I have an additional 8 hours per day to enjoy their company, but only for half of the summer; should I spend that time buried alive in work and books? Dropping the class at this point means losing the tuition as well as the cost of the online course, however, it would free up more hours to work, and hopefully do well with work and kids. MAT1010 does not count toward my major, but I am required to test out of it or pass with a C to take the math class that does count.
Now: who would like to write that in algebraic terms, find the solution, and graph it for me? 🙂
Seth Godin taught me that knowing when to quit is a good thing. I think I’m going to follow his advice this time around.
Legend of Velda 
Well you can count the projected income from your project during this time and compare it to the cost of paying for the course now and later.
However, many times it makes sense to take the financial hit if it means investment in the people around you that matter most. There are many things in this world worth more than any amount of money.
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Velda, I feel for you completely! I didn’t pass the math entrance exam, so I had to take Basic Math/Pre-Algebra, plus Algebra before I could continue on to the math classes that my degree require! It’s SO very frustrating. 😦 I am 30.5 years old, and have never had to use the terms, x=y, graphing, etc. I feel that only people who NEED this should take it.
Dropping it and taking it again later might be a good option for you. I just finally passed Advanced Algebra (a long story in and of itself, since I was put into the wrong class. :/) with a B, but only after studying/practicing for a semester away from math. lol! I was SO ready to give up, too. Yes, it does require a ton of time and effort too, which is mighty unfortunate. Spending the summer on break with the kiddos might be the way to go. No matter what way you choose to go, good luck! 🙂
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Well congrats on passing Advanced Algebra! It’s so much work even for people who are really good at it — and I’m not! Thanks for the encouragement.
Thank you too, Jeremy. 🙂
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