Teen Years
Once Michael was a teen, I started to feel a little nervous that there wasn’t much math happening. I anticipated that he’d take community college classes but I thought he’d need to prep a little for that. (SPOILER: He didn’t need to.) Occasionally I’d ask him to do a few pages of the KeyTo Math workbooks so he’d know a little about the math he’d see on the placement tests. He did a few pages and then wandered off from it. A few months later, I’d inevitably have a wave of panic, shoving the workbooks under him – he’d comply for a little while and then I’d realize how ridiculous it all was.
He was still involved in what would be considered "consumer math."
- He raised money to travel to Japan as an exchange student.
- He participated in all the fundraisers his Scout troop set up.
- Making change was no biggie for him.
- He understood percentages from tipping and from sale prices.
- He understood larger math principles from ranch life… sorting, estimating, making logical conclusions.
- He worked in a pecan orchard and then as a cashier at Target and later at Barnes and Noble.
- He took lifeguard training and worked at a Scout camp for a summer.
A few months prior to taking the college placement tests, Michael played with a program online called Number2.com. It was cool how they set it up – but I don’t really think Michael thought it was as cool as I did! I didn’t really watch to see how much he did of it, but I wanted him to know it was available. (I’m not even sure if it’s actually the same as it was back then… again, though…. not necessary).
Community college placement time…
Michael did the practice tests, looked up what he thought he didn’t know, and scored well enough that he could move straight into College Algebra with no remedial work. He didn’t though. Instead, he took other classes – just enough to transfer as a sophomore to Texas State University. By going in as a “transfer student,” he avoided having to take the SAT/ACT. But when he got ready to take Algebra there, they wanted him to do an assessment test. He didn’t pass it. (He didn’t study again for it, like he had for the community college placement test.) But no worries, he took the Pre-Algebra class, sailed through with flying colors, then took Algebra the next semester and made an A.
I can honestly tell you that all my panicking was completely unnecessary.
The KeyTo workbooks weren’t hard, but they weren’t big factors in how he well he did at college.
As Michael said,
“They give you the info, then you take the test. It’s kind of simple like that.”
College math classes were no exception.
Michael graduated Magna Cum Laude. He also had a really full active college life before leaving for Nicaragua with the Peace Corps. His focus there was teaching English to the high school teachers - ironically it was the first time he had ever stepped foot in a high school!
His math leanings are back to what they always were… real world, consumer math.
Buying cars, buying a home, figuring out best insurance rates, budgeting for life. He’s good at it.
...because Real Life has been his focus all along.
I originally wrote this back in 2018. I've updated it a a couple of times as he's completed his MBA now.
