Maths Course for Adults

What you'll learn

Discover your inner mathematician with our mathematics short courses in Sydney.

Did you choose English & the Arts while avoiding Maths and Science in high school?  Find yourself losing track working out your tax and credit card interest?  If mathematical problems get you shaking in your boots, then this maths course will allow you to tackle maths with confidence again.

This maths course will help you understand the beauty of mathematics as, precise, and logical skill set with its indisputable conclusions and infinite applicability.  This course is designed to rebuild and reinforce the knowledge and skills you may or may not have learned at school, this course will reconnect you with the foundations of maths, problem-solving techniques and explore where maths is used every day around the home, in business, outdoors. We will help you to fill the holes in your mathematical knowledge to allow you to extend your skills to more complex topics.

Keep your brain in shape and brush up on some long-lost skills with this compact Maths for Adults course in Sydney!

Learning outcomes

By the end of this Maths Course, you should be able to:

In Core Numeracy Skills

1. Basic Arithmetic

• Outcome: Develop fluency in basic arithmetic operations to perform everyday calculations independently.
• Skills: Execute +, -, X, and ÷, roots & exponents; use place value effectively to quickly estimate for faster mental maths.

2. Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages

1. Outcome: Understand and use fractions, decimals, and percentages in real-life situations.
2. Skills: Convert between these forms; recognise part-whole relationships; apply these concepts to discounts, tax calculations, and proportional reasoning.

3. Number Sense & Comparison

1. Outcome: Develop an intuitive sense for comparing values and verifying reasonableness of answers.
2. Skills: Identify and compare quantities; understand scales and orders of magnitude; estimate answers to check accuracy.

4. Negative Numbers

1. Outcome: Understand the role of negative numbers in real-world contexts.
2. Skills: Use negative numbers in financial and temperature contexts; perform basic addition and subtraction with negatives.

5. Ratios & Proportions

• Outcome: Apply ratios and proportions in practical scenarios.
• Skills: Use ratios in cooking, resizing, and scaling; solve proportion problems related to map reading or resizing.

6. Basic Percentages & Interest

• Outcome: Calculate percentages and understand interest in financial contexts.
• Skills: Work out percentages for discounts, tips, and sales taxes; distinguish between simple and compound interest; interpret interest rates and savings growth.

In Practical Geometry and Measurement

1. Basic Shapes and Properties

• Outcome: Use geometry to solve real-world measurement tasks.
• Skills: Identify shapes and calculate perimeter, area, and volume for practical tasks (e.g., room measurements).

2. Measurement Units and Conversion

• Outcome: Convert and use measurement units for everyday tasks.
• Skills: Understand and convert metric and imperial units for cooking, DIY projects, and travel.

3. Angles & Directions

• Outcome: Apply basic angle knowledge to navigation and spatial tasks.
• Skills: Recognise right, acute, and obtuse angles; use simple navigation and compass points in map reading.

In Data Literacy and Basic Statistics

1. Data Interpretation

• Outcome: Interpret graphs, tables, and data to make informed decisions.
• Skills: Read common data visualisations; understand mean, median, and mode to interpret information.

2. Probability & Risk

• Outcome: Use probability for everyday decision-making and understanding risk.
• Skills: Apply basic probability concepts to real-life decisions (e.g., medical statistics, lottery odds, budgeting).

3. Introduction to Budgeting & Financial Literacy

• Outcome: Develop budgeting skills and a basic understanding of financial terms.
• Skills: Create a budget, manage expenses, and understand savings, loans, and interest rates.

In Problem Solving and Logical Thinking

1. Word Problems and Real-World Applications

• Outcome: Translate everyday scenarios into solvable maths problems.
• Skills: Break down multi-step problems, apply strategies to organise and solve problems relevant to daily life.

2. Logical Reasoning

• Outcome: Develop critical thinking through pattern recognition and basic logic.
• Skills: Identify patterns, make predictions, and use if/then reasoning for decisions.

3. Estimation & Mental Math

• Outcome: Use estimation and mental math confidently in practical settings.
• Skills: Estimate in shopping, tipping, and budgeting; improve speed and accuracy in mental calculations.

In Technology-Assisted Math Skills

1. Calculator Use

• Outcome: Use calculators effectively as a problem-solving tool.
• Skills: Apply calculator functions accurately to support quick, precise calculations.

2. Using Spreadsheets

• Outcome: Organise and analyse basic data using spreadsheet software.
• Skills: Perform basic spreadsheet operations (e.g., sum, average); use spreadsheets for budgeting and tracking data.

In Building Confidence

• Outcome: Cultivate a positive, confident attitude toward maths, building resilience and reducing anxiety.
• Skills: Approach problems gradually, recognise personal progress, and apply maths skills to reinforce real-life value and understanding.

Course content

What will be covered in this Maths Course for Adults?

The foundations of working with numbers

• What is a number?
• Fractions & Percentages
• Be aware of different problem-solving techniques
• What makes an equation an equation
• Patterns and puzzles
• Sequences and series

Maths in the physical world

• Rates, Speed, Distance, Time, and more
• Basic geometry
• Ratios and Proportions

Crunching data into information

• Understanding graphs
• Introduction to statistics
• Understanding probability & risk

Maths around the home & elsewhere

• Calculating percentages
• Area & volume calculations
• Perimeters of a space

Financial mathematics

• Different Types of loan calculations & budgeting
• The mathematics of superannuation
• Shares and calculating their value
• Credit card interest calculations

Technology-Assisted Math Skills

• Calculator use beyond the basic operations of +, -, x & divide.
• Spreadsheets for budgeting and other uses.

Intended audience

Who is this Maths Course for Adults for?

This mathematics course is best suited to:

• Those who found maths difficult at school and have avoided it throughout their adult life
• Those who have to dust off the cobwebs and brush up on things you have lost along the way or never quite grasped
• Those looking to apply simple mathematics to basic but important things in their lives such as stocks and credit card interest
• Those attempting career courses that required maths, but that course doesn’t review maths.

Course materials

What to bring to class

• A calculator or phone with a calculator function
• Pencil & paper with rubber for working out (essential)