Now, Even Harvard Students Need Remedial Math

Unleash Prosperity ^ | 03/27/25 | Stephen Moore

[SeekAndFind]

Just how bad is our education system in America?

Harvard University is being forced to launch a remedial math course for its students.

The university is spinning this is only being done to make up for gaps in entering students’ algebra skills that it blames on lockdowns. Sure lockdowns were an unforgivable mistake.

But the bigger question: how are students getting into America’s most elite college without knowing algebra, which is taught starting in junior high? The elite school has a 3.4% acceptance rate for applicants.

What does this tell us about the math skills of the other 96% of high school grads?

[9YearLurker]

Our most selective college in the country has to run a fifth year of high school for its students.

Of course, if they just went with the top SAT scorers, this wouldn’t be necessary.

[roving]

I never could quite get the hang of algebra. Surprisingly, I’ve never had used it in my life.

[central_va]

I was in a freshman comp sci class and one student quit and walked out when the prof wrote a small program on the chalk board and one of the lines of code was:

A = A + 1;

The student argued with the prof that that was impossible then walked out. I am assuming he changed majors!!

[Magnum44]

A = A + 1;

In C++, that can mean anything you want it to. LOL.

[Fuzz]

What is the solution?

[Campion]

It’s an assignment statement, setting A to the value of A+1, not a test for equality.

[Fuzz]

So no real solution?

[lee martell]

Look how far the world famous Harvard has now fallen.
Only 15 or so years ago, this would have been unheard of.

[Magnum44]

Unless its in C++ and the operators have been overridden, or A is an object in a class and has other members, or both. ;)

[zigmeisterxiv]

My High School is better than Harvard ...

#Stuyvesant

Go Peglegs!

Z

[Vaduz]

Harvard University noted the new students were bringing their crayons with them investigation ensued.

[Lazamataz]

So no real solution?

Define the word "solution".

The above example, A=A+1, is an assignment operation in computer science.

[Lazamataz]

Unless its in C++ and the operators have been overridden, or A is an object in a class and has other members, or both. ;)

Or, if it is in C# and there is a finally { }; statement with additional operations, and the class A is disposed.

Or heck, even in the constructor!

[Magnum44]

This is not your mothers Fortran loop anymore...LOL

[StAnDeliver]

The deep hilarity in this is that the graduate instructors will almost surely be Asian with a few from India, and Harvard cracked down on Asian admissions late-Obama to present because they were "overrepresented".

And they will be instructing DEI gibmedat Herbvard degree leeches, who hate them and vice versa. So nothing will change but plenty of schadenfreude to go around!

[Fuzz]

You agreed to no longer post to me and continue to do so. Please respect the rules of the forum.

[Lazamataz]

You agreed to no longer post to me and continue to do so. Please respect the rules of the forum.

No thanks. I will contact you as I see fit. The only thing I will agree to, is I will not mention helicopters or Augustus Pinochet. I understand you do not like that, and I will respect that.

Other than that, this is a discussion forum, and if you make a comment that I can add value to, respectfully, I will comment upon it.

You have a STELLAR day!

[Lazamataz]

And frankly, I often don’t pay attention to who I am posting to. I don’t care about the personalities here. Example: I didn’t note I was posting to you.

I care about the topics and ideas.

[Lazamataz]

OOP changed quite a lot!

POOP is interesting: Prototype-driven Object Oriented Programming.

[Fuzz]

Is there a list of forum members who are not subject to the rules and guidelines?

It would be beneficial for everyone.