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Welcome!
Welcome!
Hi, I'm Dr. Karen Remick. My Ph.D. is in Space Physics so I know my math. I also do math to get answers, so my techniques are focused on getting things done rather than proving anything. I'm currently teaching remedial math for the Army on Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska.
I truly believe that the biggest difference between people who are good at math and those who aren’t is that people who are good at math play around with it and find all the little tricks needed to make it easy. This means that people who are good at math get better at it, while people who aren’t avoid math and often lose what they do understand...unless someone gives them a leg up.
I have tips and tricks that are meant to be that leg up. Check out the Medium articles and YouTube videos on the other tabs for free access to my way of doing things!
Also...
I've written 2 books!
I've written 2 books!
In this book, I give you all the tips and tricks I’ve learned in the past 40+ years that make basic arithmetic (adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, and taking averages) easier. The more of these hacks that you can incorporate into your mental math system, the faster and easier you’ll be able to do math. Many of the hacks simplify math enough that you can solve problems entirely in your head.
Here's a Sample!
Here's a Sample!
Math Hack 7: Subtracting from Large Round Numbers
To avoid a lot of borrowing when subtracting from large round numbers, we can subtract 1 to make the numbers all 9s. It's easy to subtract from 9s. Then we add the 1 back in when we're done.
My newest book focuses on fractions because a lot of people have trouble with them. I discuss what they are and how to do basic math with them using graphics and intuition. I also include 18 math hacks to make working with fractions easier.
Here's a sample!
Here's a sample!
Let’s add 1/2 + 5/8.
We can split that 5/8 into 4/8 + 1/8. That’s a pile of 4 pieces and a pile with only 1 piece. Now we have 1/2 + 4/8 + 1/8. But 4/8 = 1/2, and 1/2 + 1/2 = 1, so the total is 1 1/8. Graphically, it looks like this:
Adding fractions graphically uses the visual and spatial relations part of our brains rather than the math portions. We use the visual and spatial relations parts of our brains a lot more often than we do the math parts, so they are a lot more trained up. This makes the calculations feel easier and more natural.
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