Aaron
When I first encountered this problem, I found it challenging not due to a lack of understanding, but rather the abundance of different techniques and steps that an equation like this requires.
The mistake I continued to make would be forgetting to foil as it was difficult for me to recognize the difference between a monomial and a binomial when radicals were involved. Not only this, but I also struggled with the organization of my equations, which led to me often forgetting crucial components that were necessary to the final answer.
To combat these obstacles, I asked my father to tutor me. My father graduated from Seoul University as a math major. Due to this, he’s a very reliable and sophisticated tutor, as he can set me on the right path better than most other tutors. I also practice quite regularly through either the worksheet or through practice questions given to me by my father. Through this, I can easily gain a foundation that I can build upon.
In order to complete a question like this, an individual must understand the basics of algebra, the basics of understanding radicals, exponent laws, multiplying/dividing/adding/subtracting radicals. “FOIL”-ing, factoring trinomials, simplifying radicals, being able to find restrictions, and checking your final answer
The next time I encounter a difficult problem, I will first try to solve based upon my prior knowledge and foundation, if I’m able to get through it, I would go back and correct any mistakes. If I’m not able to solve it, I would either ask a teacher, parent, or search it up on YouTube. Once I have no questions left and I’m able to solve it with little to no guidance, I would find practice questions and continue to strengthen my methods and technique until I fully understand the concept.
