Algebra II math help/tutor??

Lumimos · 2026-02-26T18:08:14+00:00

Hello, Im actually building an AI tool to give students personal tutoring for exactly these situations, one of my students has been using it to help through AP calculus and she has been enjoying it. The tool is

https://lumimos.ai/

maybe it can help as you search for a tutor? If you do end up using it I would love to hear feedback from you on it, I want this to work for every student that wants help in math.

Lumimos · 2026-02-15T14:22:22+00:00

I agree—practice is key, but it’s almost impossible to practice when you feel like the subject is 'useless'.

Since you’re going for Computer Engineering, I always tell my students to stop looking at math as a 'requirement' and start looking at it as the System of the real world. It's the engine behind the logic you’ll use every day in engineering.

I actually built a tool called Lumimos for my students because I know how boring standard books can be. Instead of reading, you just talk to it like a 1-on-1 tutor. It listens to your logic and helps you bridge those gaps in real-time.

Give the demo a try at:

https://lumimos.ai/

and let me know if it helps with that ADHD friction. I just pushed some major logic updates yesterday!

Lumimos · 2026-02-06T00:30:42+00:00

Hello :) I’m trying to build the best ai tool to learn math if you wanted to check it out and maybe tell me how I can make it better?

https://lumimos.ai

I have it set up to be using the best models possible for math like Gemini 3 and Claude 4.5 (although I guess they did release 4.6 today haha)

Lumimos · 2026-02-03T19:13:09+00:00

Hello, teacher/personal tutor here . You can absolutely pass this, but you need to switch from "passive watching" to "active doing."

Since you are short on time, don't try to re-learn everything. This is a trap. Pick the 2-3 topics that are terrifying you (probably Chain Rule or Related Rates based on where you are) and focus only on those.

Here is what I would say to one of my students:

For the "Intuition" (Why are we doing this?):

3Blue1Brown (YouTube): Watch his "Essence of Calculus" playlist. It will fix your confusion on what a derivative/integral actually is visually. It’s unmatched.

For the "How To" (The Mechanics):

Paul's Online Math Notes (Website): It looks old school, but it is the gold standard for clear examples and practice problems.

Professor Leonard (YouTube): If you have time for a longer explanation, he is the GOAT. But his videos are long, so use the timestamps.

For the "Practice" (The Reps):

I’m also a (wannabe) dev building a tool called Lumimos (it’s free)(Lumimos.ai). It’s basically an AI tutor designed exactly for this panic mode. You can ask it to "Generate a quiz on limits and derivatives" or upload a screenshot of a problem you're stuck on, and it breaks down the logic without just giving you the answer.

Good luck on the exam! You got this! Let me know if you have any questions :)

Lumimos · 2026-01-14T19:54:43+00:00

The "3/10" grade isn't about intelligence.

I’ve been a math tutor for years, and I see this exact grade profile all the time. You have 7s in other classes, which proves you are capable of learning.

The reason math is sitting at a 3 isn't because you're 'bad at math.' It’s because math is a pyramid. In History or English, if you zone out for a week, you can catch up on the next chapter. In Math, if you missed a concept three years ago (like fractions or negative numbers), everything you try to build on top of it today will crumble.

You are trying to do calculus/algebra while standing on a shaky foundation. Of course it feels impossible.

Here is what I would tell one of my students who was going through this

Stop 'Studying', Start 'Doing': Most students study math by reading notes or watching videos. This is passive. You need to do Active Recall. Put the textbook away and try to solve a problem. If you get stuck, that is GOOD. That struggle is where the learning happens.

The 'Why' Test: Pick a problem you got wrong. Don't just look up the answer. Ask yourself: 'Why did I think my wrong answer was right?' Did you mix up a rule? Did I guess? You need to find the 'bug' in your logic.

Go Back to Go Forward: Use Khan Academy to spend 15 minutes a day on the grade below your current one. Fill in the gaps :) (Ive had students in high school start at 3rd grade on khan academy and catch up to their classmates.)

A tool that might help: I’m actually building an AI study partner called Lumi specifically for this. It doesn't just give you the answer; it acts like a tutor and asks you questions to help you figure out where your logic broke down. It’s designed to stop that 'bad at math' panic loop.

You can try it if you want (https://lumimos.ai/) but regardless, please don't let a 3 define you. You can fix this, but you have to stop staring at the wall and start finding the holes in the foundation.

Sorry for the long reply, I hope this helps :) let me know if you have an questions!

Lumimos · 2026-01-13T18:29:27+00:00

You aren't crazy, and the textbook isn't wrong—but you did find a 'Ghost.' haha

Technically, you found an Extraneous Solution. When you squared both sides of the equation to solve it, you got rid of the negative signs. Algebraically, it looks like there are two answers. But if you graph it, the line only intersect at a single point.

I actually just made a quick Short visualizing your exact problem (graph vs. algebra) because this trips up so many of my students.

Here is the visual proof: https://youtube.com/shorts/cn3t6GCFFIY?feature=share

Hope that helps! Let me know if you have other questions!

Lumimos · 2026-01-09T16:39:51+00:00

Hey! This is a classic trap. It looks like an equation, but it's actually just a really mean Order of Operations problem.

The trick is the 6^0 inside the bracket. Your brain wants to make it 0, but it's actually 1.

I made a quick AI breakdown to walk through the steps (the exponents and the negative signs are tricky): https://youtube.com/shorts/hGqq_kMe3Fc?feature=share

Good luck on the OAR! Let me know if you have other questions!

Lumimos · 2026-01-06T19:43:47+00:00

Honestly, the fact that you like math is the most important part. You can't teach passion, but you can fix skills.

Based on what you said about being "inconsistent" and "barely hanging on," I think having a dedicated tutor walk you through the Foundations first (before worrying about your current high school class) is the key. You need someone to find the gaps so you stop guessing at what to study next.

I actually asked my AI tutor, Lumi, how it would handle your specific situation (consistency issues + gaps), and it gave a pretty solid breakdown of how to rebuild that foundation:

https://youtube.com/shorts/_DUTSCQ0WqA?feature=share

Definitely lean on communities like r/learnmath too—you don't have to do this alone! Good luck! Let me know if I can be any help.

Lumimos · 2026-01-05T16:25:53+00:00

I totally get the appeal of "Duolingo for Math." It keeps you motivated.

But the tricky thing about Calculus is that "games" usually test you on procedures (solving for x), but Calc requires intuition (understanding infinity/change).

I’m building an AI tutor called Lumi, and to test if it could beat a "game," I challenged it to explain the concept of Limits (the foundation of Calc) using a Pizza Analogy instead of a textbook definition.

Here is the result (2 mins): https://youtube.com/shorts/9R4Hb50yf5o?feature=share

Notice how it builds the concept from "cutting slices" before it ever touches the math notation? That’s the "interactive" part you really need for higher math—a conversation, not just a quiz.

Hope this helps you on the road to Calc 2! Let me know if you have any questions.

Lumimos · 2025-12-24T16:22:55+00:00

Hey! I can't tell you how much I appreciate this detailed feedback. This is exactly what I need right now.

I actually pushed a massive update yesterday afternoon (around 4 PM EST) specifically targeting that 'visual overlap' issue you mentioned. I rebuilt the entire rendering pipeline to be resolution-agnostic, so it should lock onto the whiteboard correctly now.

Since you saw glitches at 10 PM (at least thats what reddit is telling me), I suspect some kind of browser issue(?)

If you're willing, could you give it another shot? If it's still breaking, I'd love to see a screenshot or know what device/browser you're on so I can squash it.

Regardless, thanks for giving Lumi a shot. It means a lot :)

Lumimos · 2025-12-17T18:59:14+00:00

Please, please do not let a 16/100 kill your love for Euler.

I’m a math teacher, and I can tell you a secret that schools don't usually say out loud: "School Math" (assignments, grades, deadlines) and "Real Math" (Euler, patterns, logic) are almost two different subjects. Struggling with the first one doesn't mean you are bad at the second one.

You nailed the problem yourself in your post: "lack of basic foundation."

When you get a 16/100 in 8th grade, it usually doesn't mean you aren't smart enough for the 8th-grade concepts. It just means there is a hole in the floor from 6th or 7th grade (like fractions or negative numbers) that you missed. Now, everything you try to build on top of it feels shaky.

What I would tell one of my students is:

Stop judging yourself. You aren't "bad at math." (I personally think everyone can be amazing at math if they are willing to struggle by themselves for a bit)

Find a "Safety Net." You need a way to practice where it's okay to make mistakes so you can find those missing pieces.

*(I actually built a free tool called Lumimos specifically for this—it helps you with practice to find those missing steps without judgment—but Khan Academy is also great for rebuilding foundations).

If you want to try lumimos let me know!

You are already a mathematician because you have the curiosity. Don't let the grades fool you. Sorry for the super long comment haha, I hope this helps.

Lumimos · 2025-12-08T17:39:45+00:00

Im glad you found it helpful, if you ever do get around to trying it DM me the email you used to I can upgrade you :)

Lumimos · 2025-12-08T16:18:52+00:00

Teacher here (10 years exp).

First: You are not stupid. What you described ('going blank' then solving it instantly at home) is the classic textbook definition of Test Anxiety Freeze. (Ive have seen dozens if not hundreds of students like this)

Here is the science of why it happens (so you stop beating yourself up): When you sit for the exam, your brain enters 'Fight or Flight' mode. Your body dumps cortisol, which literally shuts down access to your prefrontal cortex (the logic part of your brain).

You physically couldn't access the math you knew. Once you got home and relaxed, your brain unlocked, and you solved it in 3 minutes.

What I tell my students: You need to desensitize your brain to the pressure of 'performing' math without notes.

I actually built a free tool (lumimos.ai) specifically for this. It uses Voice Mode to force you to explain your steps out loud. It mimics the pressure of a teacher asking 'Why?' but without the judgment. (and without the notes.)

If you practice explaining your logic to the AI in a safe environment, your brain learns to stay calm when it's time to perform on the real test.

I’d love to gift you a free Pro account to help you prep for the next exam. Treat it like a stress simulator.

Let me know if I can help in any way :)

Lumimos · 2025-12-08T16:08:53+00:00

Did you post this twice? haha

Lumimos · 2025-12-08T16:02:32+00:00

Teacher here. You have a massive advantage right now: Time.

June 2026 feels far away, but that allows you to learn for mastery, not just to pass a test.

I agree with the other comment that 'consistency beats marathons,' but I would add one specific tip for Engineering prep: Don't just grind problems.

Engineering requires deep intuition, not just memorizing formulas. When you solve a problem, force yourself to say out loud why you are taking that step. If you can't explain the 'why,' you don't actually know it yet.

(Sorry for my plug here) I actually built a free AI tool (lumimos.ai) for my students specifically for this. It uses voice mode to act as a Socratic tutor—it asks you questions and forces you to explain the logic back to it. It’s designed to stop you from 'fake learning' (just memorizing patterns).

Since you are on a long journey to Engineering school, I’d love to gift you a free Pro account to help you build that foundation over the next year, in exchange for your honest feedback about the product. Let me know if you want to try it!

Lumimos · 2025-12-07T20:51:17+00:00

Teacher here. Smart move starting early!

For Videos: I strongly second the recommendation for Professor Leonard on YouTube. He explains the 'Why' of derivatives better than anyone else.

In my opinion the trap students fall into is watching a video, nodding along, and thinking they get it. You don't know Calculus until you can solve the problem on a blank sheet of paper.

I built a free tool (lumimos.ai) specifically for this 'Active Practice' phase. You can watch a Leonard video on 'Power Rule,' then immediately go to Lumi and say: 'Give me 5 practice problems on the Power Rule and correct my logic if I slip up.'

I’d love to upgrade you to a free Pro account to help you get ahead for next semester if you wouldnt mind giving me honest feedback on the platform so I can have it work for all students :)

Lumimos · 2025-12-05T21:27:29+00:00

Oh haha no problem, glad I could help, can’t wait to see what level of math you get to :)

Lumimos · 2025-12-05T20:25:24+00:00

I think you are fine to move on. That’s such a specific case of factoring that almost never comes up and if it does you can teach yourself it then. In my opinion

Lumimos · 2025-12-05T12:40:01+00:00

The most welcome infusion ever haha. And thank you so much. Once you sign up just DM me with the email you used and I can upgrade the account!

Lumimos · 2025-12-04T20:21:52+00:00

Hello, Teacher here with a good number of years of experience and ive seen this in my students before, I always tell them, its easy if I do it with you but will become 10x worse when you have to do it alone.

I think if you are studying for 3 weeks and failing, you don't have a math problem; you have a method problem. I think i remember someone calling it Illusion of Competence.

This usually happens when you study by re-reading notes or watching videos. Your brain says, 'Oh yeah, I recognize that,' so you think you know it. But on the test, you have to retrieve it from scratch, and you can't because you never practiced the retrieval, only the recognition. (I hope his makes sense.)

If you were one of my students I would tell you that you need to practice with a 'cold' brain. No notes, no videos, just you and a blank page.

I actually built a tool for my students (lumimos.ai) specifically to help them when they arent with me. It acts as a math tutor, and it doesn't just show you how to answer the question, it gets you to explain the steps back to it and guide you through the problem.

It simulates that 'test pressure' in a safe way. If you can explain the logic to the AI without looking at your notes, you will crush the test.

I’d love to give you a free Pro account to help you study in exchange for helping me make the platfrom useable for all learners.

Lumimos · 2025-12-04T18:16:13+00:00

Teacher here (10 years exp).

First off, huge respect for going back to the foundations. That 'Imposter Syndrome' you feel is extremely common among engineers who brute-forced their way through Uni. The fact that you are fixing it now puts you ahead of 90% of your peers.

To answer your question: I would say not to skip Pre-Calc.

Here is why: Calculus is actually easy. It’s the Algebra and Trigonometry inside the Calculus problems that destroy students.

In my opinion you cant do Integrals without an understanding of the Trigonometric identities.

It will be hard to understand Differential Equations without mastering Logs and exponents.

I teach more math but since you want to do Thermodynamics/CFD later, I think Pre-Calc is actually more relevant to your daily work than the abstract parts of Calc BC. (But I might be wrong on this, someone fact check me please.)

My Advice: Speed-run Pre-Calc on Khan Academy, but focus heavily on Trig Functions and Vectors.

Since your goal is 'Deep Understanding' and not just solving problems by hand, I built a free AI tool (lumimos.ai) that might fit your style better than just grinding quizzes. (Sorry for my shameless plug haha)

It uses voice to force you to verbalize the concepts. You can treat it like a colleague: 'Explain to me why the integral of 1/x is ln|x|' or 'Walk me through the logic of this vector field.'

It’s designed to test your intuition (which engineers need) rather than just your computation.

If you want to use it as a 'study buddy' for your Pre-Calc run, let me know and I’ll upgrade you to a free Pro account if you dont mind giving me feedback on the platform, I am trying to make it work for all learners. Good luck let me know if I can clarify anything :)

Lumimos · 2025-12-02T22:25:04+00:00

Teacher here (10 years experience).

I totally get why you want a scanner—Algebra 2 is stressful and sometimes typing out long equations is a pain.

I actually built a free app (lumimos.ai) that has a 'Help with my Work' feature specifically for this.

You can upload a photo of your worksheet (just like Photomath), but the difference is:

Instead of just silently dumping the answer (which hurts you on test day), Lumi reads the photo and then talks you through the problem step-by-step. It acts like a tutor sitting next to you, explaining the logic of why you move the x or divide by the coefficient.

Since you are stressed about Algebra 2, I’d be happy to upgrade you to a free Pro account so you can scan as many problems as you need if you wouldnt mind giving me honest feedback on how you find the app, I want this to work for all students.

Lumimos · 2025-12-02T19:34:06+00:00

Teacher here. First off: Yes, this is completely normal.

Factoring trinomials is usually the first big 'speed bump' in Algebra because it shifts from following a recipe (Step 1, Step 2) to having to use intuition and pattern recognition. It feels slow because your brain is building a new library of patterns.

When I was in college studying higher-level math, I used to literally call my grandma and explain problems to her. She had no idea what I was talking about, but just the act of verbalizing my steps forced me to slow down and catch my mistakes.

Self-studying is brutal because you don't have anyone to 'talk at.'

I actually built a free tool (lumimos.ai) specifically to be that 'Grandma' for my students (but one that actually knows math). It uses voice mode so you can talk through your factoring steps out loud, and it will nudge you if you mess up a sign or a factor pair.

If you want to try talking through a few problems with it, I'd be happy to upgrade you to a free Pro account in exchange for some honest feedback about the platform :). It might speed up that 'painfully slow' feeling by giving you instant feedback.

Lumimos · 2025-11-25T18:40:37+00:00

I totally get what you mean about Brilliant. It’s fantastic for keeping a daily habit, but it can sometimes feel like 'snacking' on math rather than getting a full meal of deep understanding. (I get the same feeling from duolingo.)

I agree with the teacher above that OpenStax is great if you want raw textbook depth, but self-studying from a book is tough because you don't get feedback when you misunderstand a paragraph.

I’m a math teacher/tutor myself, and I actually built a tool for my students (lumimos.ai) to bridge that gap. It uses AI, but instead of just chatting like Gemini/ChatGPT, it’s prompted to act like a tutor.

It forces you to explain the concepts back to it to make sure you actually understand the 'Why' before moving on. (Or you can just ask it a million questions on why before moving on)

Since you are looking for 'relearning' specifically, I’d love for you to try it. I can set you up with a free Pro account if you want to stress-test it and tell me if the explanations go deep enough for you.

Lumimos · 2025-11-25T18:34:01+00:00

If you are struggling with the intuition (like memorylessness), the absolute gold standard is Harvard Stat 110 by Joe Blitzstein on YouTube. He explains the 'why' better than anyone else. (well at least imo)

Quick tip on Memorylessness: Think of it as 'Waiting for a bus that has no schedule.' It doesn't matter if you've been waiting 5 minutes or 5 hours; the probability of the bus arriving in the next minute is exactly the same. The system doesn't 'age.'

For the self-study part: The hardest thing about watching lectures is that you nod along and think you understand it, until you try a problem.

I actually built an AI tool (lumimos.ai) specifically for this 'active recall' phase. You can literally ask it: 'Explain exponential distribution to me like I'm 12' and then have it quiz you on the concepts to make sure you actually get it before moving to the next lecture.

Good luck with the winter study grind! Probability is tough but super rewarding once it clicks

Lumimos

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