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I am 37 years old and I have a mild learning difficulty. I never went to a special school, but yes, I got some help and I never got held back. I left my grades on borderline. I always loved to learn how things function and work in the world and my strongest point was computing and tech.

Now I want to continue my life work. I have always liked maths and physics but never grasped them until now. I love to solve things, and now all I want to do is learn enough maths for physics and engineering and to help me get a good reputation on maths and physics stack exchange sites.

I use Khan Academy and I was going to go from level to level, but I find that boring. I love to learn new things. I have a maths capability of a 4th or 5th grader, and understand maths better now. My interests are electronics. For example, I love to learn robotics and how the parts work, and chemistry and bonds, and particle and quantum physics and particle field physics just like the new age physics.

The thing is, I accidentally deleted Khan Academy 1 month ago when I got down to AP Calculus level and had to restart because I was stuck. Now I am wondering whether I should continue from geometry, trigonometry and algebra 1 and 2, or continue from where I left off before I deleted the old account? I am a bit rusty on, but familiar with, the old studies. Or should I just start from functions, conic sections, polynomial and quadratics, then the trig pre-calc then back onto AP Calculus and onwards?

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  • $\begingroup$ I edited to add paragraph breaks etc. Please check I did not mess anything up. $\endgroup$
    – Tommi
    Nov 2, 2018 at 12:04
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    $\begingroup$ To close voters: There are clear and explicit questions in the new final paragraph. I think a good answer would tell how to evaluate where one should continue the studies. I am not familiar with Khan academy or ap calculus as a term, so I will not answer. $\endgroup$
    – Tommi
    Nov 2, 2018 at 12:06
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    $\begingroup$ Pauline: go sign up for kahn academy again. I also recommend to take some shop classes. It will get you interested in how things fit together. $\endgroup$
    – guest
    Nov 2, 2018 at 12:11
  • $\begingroup$ For basic arithmetic and prealgebra concepts, perhaps look at the books in my answer to Which topics and textbooks to learn elementary school arithmetic and beyond? $\endgroup$
    – Dave L Renfro
    Nov 2, 2018 at 18:32
  • $\begingroup$ It is ok Tommi Brander you are fine I am just a lazy typer. $\endgroup$
    – Pauline
    Nov 2, 2018 at 21:28

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My suggestion is to follow your comfort level. Start in wherever you feel comfortable - if it's a struggle, go back to earlier material. If it's smooth sailing, see that as an opportunity to strengthen your foundations. It's surprising, sometimes what new connections or understanding you gain from revisiting topics.

One huge factor in your favour is the desire to learn and a curiosity about how things work. IMO, that's half the battle with learning - having it matter and be meaningful.

It may also help if there's someone you can go to with questions for when you get stuck. Sometimes a different explanation can do wonders at removing roadblocks.

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  • $\begingroup$ Yes Stigeon your right infact it is plb not that I have forgot it, I plb do remember it or most of it and understand and anyway I should forget the badges and points and continue from the ap calculus section because once I see it I will plb recognise it anyway, and they do say that I don`t kneed to do every sum, just understand it or use it as a resource. $\endgroup$
    – Pauline
    Dec 13, 2018 at 16:25
  • $\begingroup$ Because there are tones of free pdfs like freebookcentre.net/Mathematics/Set-Theory-Books.html like in abstract algebra and basic algebra and maths section has set, group etc in it and has them seplate so you can allways check the prequisits before you read it. $\endgroup$
    – Pauline
    Dec 13, 2018 at 16:46

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