40% of College Students get this question wrong. AND IT MAKES ME ANGRY!

[Lukeje]

Those of us who:

a) have a clue
b) don't have any use for advanced maths in our occupations

simply refer to any of the THOUSANDS of applications, websites, and calculators that exist to solve these problems, in the rare case that they come up. Faster than you.

My answer? http://twitpic.com/1brqqr

BS. Took me five seconds in my head.

Yes, because you *already know* what the answer is. As did the vast majority of us. Try an equation you haven't already stored the answer for.

Here, let me help you.

Expand:

Is that times 2x or to the power of 2x?

It has to be to the power of 2x, or it makes no sense.

Nah. Simple Year 10 maths plus tiredness has failed me. I assume it's not meant to be worked out on paper by a 15-yr old?

You could always use Wolfram Alpha [http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Expand(%28%28i+%2B+6+x%29%2F3%29^%282x%29)].

it's x with an exponent of two over it, seriously guys? (I don't mean that's the answer, but that is what the problem shows, I'm saying that the ^ means the next number is an exponent)

The actual answer is:

Spoiler

x^2 + 6x + 9

"I don't supposed it's to be worked out on paper by a 15 year old"
^
No crap, it's supposed to be worked out by a 13 year old in THEIR HEAD.

Try reading what you're quoting next time.

 

[Jamous]

Well, I wasn't sure what FOIL means, as I usually refer to it as "expanding" or some variation thereof, but I did know the answer.

Edit: Also, there are a lot of people who study fake majors (like Art, Music, etc), and they don't tend, or need, much in the way of math classes so it's somewhat understandable. Depressing, but understandable.

"Fake?"
FAKE?

As an art major, I work my ass off. Ask anyone in the IRC; I'm always doing working. I'm here taking a break from doing art, then going back for more.

I'm sorry, but if you seriously think that the arts aren't real majors, you obviously know nothing about it.
If the OP gets to say that people not knowing foil makes him mad, then I am taking the liberty of saying that people insulting something they know nothing about makes me mad.


But yeah, first, inner, out, last. Makes me think of the fencing impliment. But isn't it more people not knowing PEMDAS?

Yeah, I'm taking art to GCSE and I find it HELLISH. At GCSE! I dread to think what it must be like for you... Good luck anyways!
OT: Never heard the term FOIL in a maths term, but I managed to get it right.

Spoiler

x^2+6x+9

 

[jboking]

College is supposed to be a place of higher learning. To get into college you must also pass high school and a number of exams. Yet, based on a recent campus wide survey conducted at my school 40% of college students cannot FOIL. I am a math major and this saddens and angers me. So Escapist, I ask you:

FOIL: (x+3)^2

X^2+6x+9

Foiling is easy, but I have a theory for you on why some college students can't do this. Not everyone is going into a field that even requires math beyond what many of them get in high school. Even if you do take math in college, you can simply forget what you've been taught after the class is over if it doesn't apply to what you want to major in.

It's sort of the equivalent of asking college students: Who wrote On the Road?

It's a very basic literature question, but I bet quite a few of them would get it wrong.

 

[RvLeshrac]

Is that times 2x or to the power of 2x?

 

[ninjajoeman]

x^2+6x+9

how about doing the reverse with dividing polynomials so you can get the factors... seriously wtf is up with college kids these days. Oh by the way I'm in high-school *sad face*

wait they do know what i means right?

 

[Quantum[STD]]

Went for the obvious first but got it after a few seconds

 

[BehattedWanderer]

x=-3

Yeah, that's what I thought.
e[sup]i(pi)[/sup]=-1

 

[AncientYoungSon]

Yeah but I'm 35. I forgot all that crap nearly 20 years ago because it's not used in the field that I now work in. My brain keeps the useful knowledge and discards the other stuff.

Same for me.

I can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning, but I still remember how to debug a DEC Multia from 15 years ago...

 

[Rutskarn]

College student. Hadn't the slightest clue. Don't remotely care.

I'm studying writing, and will write. The alternative to this (unlikely, hopefully) is a dead-end job that will also not require the algebra.

Sherlock Holmes maintained that one's brain is like an attic: one must square it away, keeping what is necessary and removing the clutter. While I can't say I totally agree with him, I think I can be forgiven for forgetting this nonsense.

 

[thats it exclamation]

oh right ^2 means squared oh you should have said thats simple sure im just 16 an i can do that just square the first then add twice the two of them plus second one squared.

Seriously? 40%?? in college???

 

[51gunner]

To the people answering "I don't need this kind of math".

You don't need ALGEBRA? Bullshit. What part of that (x+3)^2 do you not need to know? The multiplication, or the addition? I'd be more lenient if it was geometry or trigonometry, but basic Algebra should not be a skill forgotten so quickly.

Handling money in any form takes that much math. God help you if that's beyond your abilities.

 

[PhiMed]

x^2+6x+9

I don't know where you go to school, but I might consider transfer. Most of the majors at the university I attended required you to show basic math proficiency before you could declare a major, either in the form of passing a test on admission or taking remedial math.

On another note, I like the people here who say things like, "I'm qualified in a profession that doesn't require this type of calculation".

If it doesn't require basic algebra and you're not a lawyer, I think you're probably playing pretty loose with the word "profession", chico. Not every career is a profession.

Also, I hope either a)you never have kids, or b)they never need help with their homework, because they will realize that mommy and/or daddy are dummies.

 

[WilliamRLBaker]

Go to college for one thing and you will likely get into something that has nothing to do with that education you got....that's the sad thing and one reason I never went to college.

You know that based on the fact that you never went to college.

Hmmm....

Actually no, I read it in quite a few statistical surveys when I was thinking of going to college awhile ago I'm 27 right now, and Decided against it since college is the single largest waste of time in your life, specially the single largest waste of money.

read all the propaganda and it all points to one thing college only benefits you in the given field you study whether it be through education or an increase in money, A college degree and if you get into a job not in the profession you studied means diddly for both your proficiency in that job, and whether you get an increase in wage in said job over your life time.

Then again one doesn't have to read statistical survey's to see its the truth just look at all the people in America all the people in jobs, and you'll see most don't get into a profession they studied for in college.

Your far better off getting a job and going to college in the areas of that job, more often the company will pay for such education and training or help out monetarily, and you are assured of getting a pay increase and promotion based on that training in that job.

@TC
So its a highschool math problem...there's your problem in highschool your taught to read books and papers and then regurgitate the answers back out, your not taught to figure things out, which is why there have been many papers of how college professors grow angry that highschools don't teach the students how to learn only how to repeat like a parrot what they have been taught.

 

[Borntolose]

How can 40% of college students not know that?

Spoiler

x^2+6x+9

 

[rt052192]

i have to respond to this with a question. Who cares? its the same argument i gave to my teachers back in high school, it never comes into practical everyday use, so it's useless outside of studies.

well actually it just came into "practical" use with this person's question, so maybe it is being taught for some purpose, besides everyday use.

 

[PhiMed]

Those of us who:

a) have a clue
b) don't have any use for advanced maths in our occupations

simply refer to any of the THOUSANDS of applications, websites, and calculators that exist to solve these problems, in the rare case that they come up. Faster than you.

My answer? http://twitpic.com/1brqqr
(By the way, that's [F2,3,(,x,+,3,),^,2,),Enter])

I'm not sure this really qualifies as "advanced" mathematics. I knew how to do this in the 8th grade.

 

[Mahha]

maybe they're American collage students
effin weak... it's a very very basic thing

I understand if they didn't know how to derive or integrate
but this is kinda hard to believe

oh and all of this talk about how it isn't useful in RL...
If you work as a chemist it's a life saver

 

[redsoxfantom]

I managed to figure it out, but then I'm a CS major so I need to know math. I understand how someone who hasn't had to take a math class since senior year might forget it.

 

[Otterpoet]

Half of the college graduates I meet these days still need a calculator to do SIMPLE arithmetic (like 56 + 33 = ?)... and you're shocked that they can't do algebra?

Hell, I've seen Berkley grads stumped by complex questions like 'What planet from the sun are we?'

But if you ask them 'Where's the best beach in CA to get drunk on' or 'Who's your favorite Jersey Shore character and why,' well then, get ready for an encyclopedic level of knowledge.

For the level of access to information this generation has, it's seriously retarded.