Ive never been good at maths, ive always struggled, but i want to
change that,  I know I can do it,  just wonderng if anyone has any
tips to improve (general maths) :P

Hi Randomegga,

I reckon that maths should be treated like a woman. Accept the proven
aspects that you don't understand; dance with the logic and learn from
it; don't question why, but rather how can I add to her equation, not
subtract from it; how can I multiply our combined worth through my
addition to her. What compound can we create from two elements.

Accepting that which isn't understood, does not mean that maths should
be taken for granted. Mathematics, like a woman is a complexity of
sums that helps us understand the meaning of things, provided that we
place our trust in those proven formulas, understood or not.

Without maths or women, we would not exist. Approach mathematics like
you would a woman. With respect, questions and interest to her well
being. From that we learn. Trying to twist an equation with a spanner
in the works, the whole equation falls to bits. Dismiss the pure
equation altogether and it means nothing, only through ignorance of
it's existance. Yet it holds value .. elsewhere. Maths like women,
gravitate to where they are needed and feel most comfortable. That is,
where the equation fits.

Phil

Very well said Phil :)

I always absorb skills better when they're applied to something I'm interested in.

Like carpentry?  Try building something with lots of angles --
triangles, trapezoids...  Then, look up the trig formulas.  Solve the
algebra to figure out how things fit.  The motivation to complete the
furniture (or whatever) may be enough to keep your mind focused on it.

How about computers?  Programming and scripting languages are filled
with all sorts of simple algebra.  You could learn to write a simple
program that fills a simple need.  Graphics programs are especially
math-intensive.

Do you like gambling?  Calculate the probability for various gambling
situations. (you won't be a gambler for long, hehe)

Or even better, if you like politics and social sciences, try figuring
out some statistics -- are people with a low income more likely to
shop at Wal-Mart?  How does the local economy do when a new Wal-Mart
moves in?  Are children of gay parents more likely to become gay?

Electronics uses a lot of math.  Is one electric heater more efficient
than another?  Does it cost less to leave your air conditioner on
while you're gone, so that it doesn't have to do all that work to cool
the house when you get back?  Does a computer consume more energy
during boot-up, or during the 8 hours you leave it on overnight?

Even shopping can employ some math.  Sometimes similar items'
price-per-unit is in different units...  So is $0.64 cents per pound
more or less expensive than $0.07 cents per ounce?  Do you get more
food per dollar, on average, at McDonalds or Burger King?

What about saving money with your car?  Maybe you know the miles per
gallon, but what about miles per dollar?  Do you get more miles per
dollar with high octane or low octane gas?  Does the motor oil you
choose have an affect?  Do fuel treatments improve mileage (yes).. 
How much?

What about investment in your future?  How much money would you have
if you saved $100 every month for the next 10 years in a high-interest
account?  How much more would you have if it was $150 per month
instead?  You can work the numbers to your advantage -- and have a
good bit of money when you're done!

Just think about some of these -- Despite the complexity, they could
really save you time and money.  So once you've found a good reason to
chew on some math, an excellent place to get answers and formulas is
Dr. Math: http://mathforum.org/dr.math/

If you *really* want to get in to it, have a look at Maxima.  It's an
extremely comlpicated, but free, math program that I use all the time.
 When I don't feel like shifting around the algebra to solve for the
variable I don't have, I plug it into Maxima.  It takes a while to
learn, but if you learn all of it, you'll be better at math than I am.

http://maxima.sourceforge.net/

Just remember to keep plugging away at it.  Focus on the goal; forget
about the fact that it's math you're not good at.  After a while,
you'll find that you'll be getting all sorts of solutions without
realizing you're doing math.  After a bit of time and patience, you'll
find it getting easier.