A good book as a refresher/catchup for precalc

[bhoglan]

Homework Statement

The Problem? I was the problem. In high school I didn't apply myself very much and slacked off quite a lot. I didn't like math classes very much because they required me to do too much work. It has been about 10 years since I've taken any math classes. When I was in high school I got through basic algebra which satisfied the requirements for graduation. So at this point in my life I'm getting to the point where I'm ready to go back to school and pursue a degree in physics. Why? I couldn't tell you. Something draws me to it and I haven't been able to fight it off. I find myself drawn toward astronomy/cosmology, but I also have a pretty decent interest in nuclear physics. So here is my question to the masses: Given my previous issues in high school, and my current motivation and willingness to learn my math before I try to go back to school, what would you recommend as a refresher/catchup for math. Is there a book that you've seen that would be helpful to refresh me with my elementary principles? Possibly a web tutorial?

I want to try to catch up as much as I can on my own in the interests of saving money. While I make a decent wage as an emergency dispatcher, I seem to have most of that going back out in the form of bills. So I'd like to try to catch up as much as possible without going through the classes.

In addition, given that I work full time, I'd like to try to find an online school from which to pursue a degree (probably bachelors at this point). I've taken a leisurely look around online but I'm not having much luck. At this point I've pretty much resigned myself to the realization that I'm going to have to just go to a community college, get an AS in Physics and then try to transfer over to a University (Of Washington I hope).

Any Suggestions?

Thanks in advance for your time!

Brian

 

[LightHero]

Homework EquationsN/AThe Attempt at a Solution For a refresher/catchup course in math, I would recommend looking into online math courses. Many universities offer free online math courses that you can take to brush up on your skills. Khan Academy is also an excellent resource for catching up on math. Additionally, there are many free math textbooks available online that you can use to review the basics of math. Once you have reviewed the basics, you may want to look into taking a more advanced math course to prepare for college-level math classes. For pursuing a degree online, I would suggest looking into accredited online universities. Many colleges and universities offer online degrees, and they can be just as rigorous as traditional on-campus programs. You can look into the accreditation of potential schools by visiting the website of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education. Additionally, you can research potential schools to see if they are accredited by checking their websites, as many universities list their accreditations on their homepages.