Math disaster in college: Would-be STEM majors can't add 1/2 + 1/3

Joanne Jacobs ^ | Sep 6, 2023 | Joanne Jacobs

[FMBass]

Yeow! This is shocking. I can see a “Journalist” or a “Gender Studies” major not knowing rudimentary arithmetic, but someone who is in a STEM program?

That “problem” is covered in most 5th grades. It should have been solvable within seconds, merely via inspection. It’s not like they are asking you to prove the Riemann Hypothesis, or solve a quantum mechanics issue using Lie algebra.

[Mouton]

Kind of like some “programmers” today. To them it means going to staples and buying an off the shelf program for something to plug numbers into.

[grundle]

You get more pieces if you cut the pizza into eighths instead of quarters.

[bert]

When calculated on a phone,

.5 + .3333333 = .833333

Fractions don’t exist in a digital world

[eyeamok]

5/6

[CurlyDave]

My feeble mind this am says 5/6 but not sure with the new math if that is right.

I got that answer before I finished reading the sentence. No paper required.

But I got a STEM degree in 1967...

[dfwgator]

My feeble mind this am says 5/6 but not sure with the new math if that is right.

Being right is white privilege!

[nopardons]

BTTT

[mo]

Vaxed out brains.....precisely what the New World Order expects of its slaves

[zeebee]

1800W requires only 15A if 120v

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Math disaster in college: Would-be STEM majors can't add 1/2 + 1/3

As it is, most of the new engineers I interview every year are ethnic Indians or Chinese who've graduated from US colleges. Those countries have better and more rigorous academic standards leading up to college these days than we do - especially in math. And things are getting worse here as we prioritize diversity over any actual ability or learning.

[mewzilla]

If you have a dedicated circuit, you’re right, no problema.

But if you don’t...

[mewzilla]

Wait til kids who don’t know math try plugging in their electric cars at home...

[Roos_Girl]

These idiots entering college would have been in 9th grade when things started shutting down because of covid, well past the age of learning how to add fractions. At least one someone knew these kids didn’t know basic math for at least 5 years previous to this, though really it’s been much longer.

My homeschooler started learning fractions in 3rd grade, but he’s slightly ahead in math from what used to be the normal.

[eyeamok]

Yeah, we had those advanced mathematical devices when I was in school too. same years as you, Calculators didn’t exist.

I always ask myself on these math highlights today, What ever happened to elementary school, cuz thats when we learned the basics like this.

[mewzilla]

Dedicated circuit to one outlet with nothing else on it if you’re going to max out the circuit...

[ladyjane]

Most “college” students don’t know what a common denominator is.

Most college students and even some graduate students don't understand decimal. When asked to explain they usually say, "Everything works backwards to the right of the decimal."

[joshua c]

but they know their

LGBTQs

[antidemoncrat]

Hey, give them a break. At least they know which pronouns to use.

[oldbill]

You are incorrect.
It’s A plus B.