Algebra is often considered a subject that a few students understand really well, score good grades in, and go on to become math geniuses while the rest struggle to make it through and leave high school with bitter memories of the subject.
That's probably a tad too dramatic, however algebra is a subject that many students have trouble with, and in this article you are going to see why it does not necessarily have to be that way.
What is algebra? It's a branch of math that teaches us how to find unknown values with the information that we already have.
That sound's pretty straight forward right? It also has numbers and letters, the latter which are usually used to represent the unknown variables.
Like any other discipline that's been around for so long, algebra has principles and rules which are followed during the solution process.
The most common problem that students face is one of uncertainty and lack of clarity on the concepts.
Since students have different learning styles and methods of assimilating new ideas, they may require the concepts to be presented in different ways in order to fully understand them.
Children who don't follow concepts well in class have a number of options to fall back on, which will enable them to learn algebra at their own pace.
Ask for Help - Asking the teacher for help is the first step toward understanding and learning a subject better, yet so many students don't take it.
Teachers know exactly which topics need to be covered and, if the extra coaching takes place after regular school hours, they can match their style of instruction to suit each student.
Use Resources - There are a lot of resources at students disposal today and everyone is sure to find something that they will find helpful and informative.
This is especially beneficial if you have a fair idea about the concepts you are learning, in which case study guides and text books will give you more information and provide solved examples.
Find A Study Partner - Studying with a friend or classmate makes a lot of difference, if both are committed to mastering algebra concepts and learning to solve problems.
A study partner can help you out in a tough spot and you can exchange ideas and new knowledge that you come across.
You can also consider forming a study group of four to five, but make sure the group sticks to studying rather than socializing.
Lastly, like any other subject, algebra requires a lot of practice before it starts making sense and students are in a position to solve any problem comfortably.
Make it fun by making tests for yourself and going online to find practice resources, algebra games and quizzes.