Why Students Fail MATH 1314 (And How to Recover)

MATH 1314 — College Algebra — has one of the highest failure rates of any general education course in Texas. At community colleges like Houston Community College, Lone Star College, and Dallas College, it’s not uncommon for 30-40% of students to withdraw, fail, or repeat the course.

If you’re currently struggling — or already failing — you’re not alone. And more importantly, you’re not stuck. Understanding why students fail helps you either avoid the same mistakes or figure out how to recover before it’s too late.

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The 5 Reasons Students Fail MATH 1314

1. Falling Behind on Platform Homework

Most MATH 1314 courses use MyMathLab, ALEKS, or WebAssign for homework. These platforms have strict weekly deadlines, no partial credit, and penalize formatting errors. Miss one week and you’re already in a hole. Miss two weeks and catching up feels impossible.

The problem compounds: each unit builds on the previous one. If you didn’t master linear equations in Week 2, you’ll struggle with systems of equations in Week 6. By the time students realize they’re behind, they’re behind on everything.

ALEKS is particularly brutal — its Knowledge Checks can reset your progress if you’ve forgotten material, making it feel like you’re moving backward even when you’re trying to catch up.

2. Hitting the Logarithms Wall

Logarithms and exponential functions typically appear around midterm. For many students, this is the first time they’ve ever seen this material — and it’s abstract, notation-heavy, and completely different from the algebra they learned in high school.

Students who were getting Bs suddenly bomb the midterm. The confidence crash is real. Many students mentally check out after a bad midterm score, assuming they can’t recover (they often can).

3. Underestimating Exam Weight

Here’s a pattern we see constantly: a student completes all their homework, maintains a 90% assignment average, then fails both exams and ends up with a D or F in the course.

In many MATH 1314 sections, exams make up 50-60% of your final grade. Homework might only count for 20-30%. You can have perfect homework and still fail the class if you bomb the midterm and final.

Making it worse: exams disable all the help features (hints, “Show Me How,” multiple attempts) that students relied on during homework. The difficulty spike catches people off guard.

4. Weak Algebra Foundations

MATH 1314 assumes you remember everything from high school algebra: factoring, working with fractions, solving equations, graphing lines. If it’s been 5, 10, or 15 years since your last math class, those foundations are rusty.

The course moves fast. There’s no time built in to review prerequisite material. Students spend twice as long on problems because they’re relearning basics while trying to learn new concepts. Eventually, they run out of time and energy.

5. Life Gets in the Way

MATH 1314 realistically requires 10-15 hours per week: homework, studying, exam prep. For students working full-time, raising kids, or taking multiple courses, that time simply doesn’t exist.

One bad week — illness, work emergency, family crisis — and you’re behind. Two bad weeks and you’re drowning. The rigid platform deadlines don’t care about your circumstances.

This is especially common at Texas community colleges where many students are non-traditional: working adults, parents, first-generation students juggling multiple responsibilities.

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Warning Signs You’re Heading for Failure

Caught early, most of these problems are fixable. Here’s how to recognize trouble before it’s too late:

If you recognize yourself in this table, you have a choice: keep struggling alone, or get help now while there’s still time.

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How to Recover If You’re Failing Now

Here’s the truth: if your final exam hasn’t happened yet, you can probably still pass. We’ve helped students recover from current grades in the 40s and 50s to finish with Bs. It requires aggressive action, but it’s possible.

Option 1: Calculate What You Actually Need

Before panicking, do the math. Check your syllabus for grade weights, then calculate the minimum scores you need on remaining assignments and the final to pass. Sometimes the situation is better than it feels. Sometimes it’s worse — and knowing that helps you make realistic decisions.

Option 2: Talk to Your Professor

Some instructors offer extra credit, dropped lowest scores, or alternative arrangements. It costs nothing to ask. Be honest about your situation. The worst they can say is no.

Option 3: Use Campus Resources

Texas colleges offer free tutoring through math labs and learning centers. If you have time to use them, they can help — especially for foundation gaps.

Option 4: Get Professional Help

If you don’t have 15 hours a week to catch up on your own — or if you’ve already tried tutoring and you’re still drowning — professional course assistance exists for exactly this situation.

At Finish My Math Class, we specialize in helping students who are behind, failing, or out of time. We handle MyMathLab, ALEKS, WebAssign, and Canvas-based MATH 1314 courses at Texas colleges. We complete homework, quizzes, and exams — and we guarantee A/B grades or your money back.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Related Resources

• MATH 1314 Help, Exam Answers & Course Guide (main landing page)
• How to Beat ALEKS: What Actually Works
• ALEKS Knowledge Check Survival Guide
• MyMathLab Help
• WebAssign Help

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