magoosh blog | high school
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author: todd shively

todd shively
todd shively is an ancient graduate of purdue university, where he changed his mind so many times that he finished with a major in english and a minor in math. he has taught high school in three different states and currently teaches in scotland, where he lives with his family. in his spare time he bakes his own sourdough bread and tries to work those carbs off doing crossfit.

  • a crash course in fractions on the act math test

    a fraction consists of a numerator, a fraction bar, and a denominator. to add or subtract fractions, you just need to find a common denominator. for example ¼ + 1/3 = 3/12 + 4/12 = 7/12. all fractions are rational numbers. a rational number is a number that can be expressed as a ratio of…

  • [video post] a history of the sat

    there are few three-letter combinations that evoke such a potent mix of fear and disgust,  (or, in sat-speak, trepidation and revulsion). first off, the sat has a troubled history, one that reaches as far back as the 19th century—depending on whom you ask. then there is the unavoidable reality of the sat: if you want…

  • sat math: the fundamental counting principle

    knowing this rule–or principle as it is called–will make certain questions on the sat much, much easier. before i tell you the rule though, let’s take a look at the following scenario. jane has white socks, red socks, and black socks (she must be a baseball fan!). additionally, she has four different shoes: tennis, basketball,…