Free Algebra Help
Algebra is the course where the gap between "I understand it in class" and "I can't start the problem" is widest. Almost always the blocker is older than the syllabus.
Why algebra grades actually slip
The defining feature of algebra as a graded course is that it fails backwards. A student stuck on quadratics is usually not stuck on quadratics — they are stuck on fractions, or negative signs, or the distributive property, and the quadratic is simply the first place the weakness became visible. This is why re-reading the current chapter so often does nothing: you are revising the symptom.
The second trap is that algebra rewards procedure and the exam tests understanding. You can pass every homework by pattern-matching to worked examples and then meet an exam question phrased differently and have nothing to do. If your homework scores are far above your test scores, that is the diagnosis, and the fix is doing problems without an example in front of you.
Free resources worth your time
Everything below is free to use without payment. The note on each one says when to reach for it, because the usual problem is not a shortage of material — it is picking the wrong kind of material for the stage you are at.
- Khan Academy — Algebra 1 Free course The best free diagnostic anywhere. Use the unit tests to find the gap, not the videos to fill time.
- Khan Academy — Algebra 2 Free course Where most college algebra courses actually sit. Start here if Algebra 1 material feels easy.
- OpenStax — Algebra and Trigonometry Free textbook A genuine free college textbook with answers to odd exercises. Use it when your assigned book is locked behind an access code.
- Professor Leonard Video channel Full-length real lectures, not highlights. The right choice if you missed weeks and need the whole thread, not a summary.
- PatrickJMT Video channel Short single-problem videos. Best for when you are mid-homework and stuck on one specific type.
What to do with the time you actually have
If you have the rest of the term
Take the Khan Academy algebra unit tests before you study, not after. The point is to find which earlier topic is leaking — the test will tell you in ten minutes what a week of re-reading will not. Fix that topic first, even though it feels like going backwards.
If you have a week
Stop watching lectures and start doing problems with the solutions covered. Work ten problems, check all ten at the end, and write down the category of each mistake (sign error, wrong order of operations, misread the question). The category list is your study plan.
If you have tonight
Do not learn anything new. Take the three problem types most heavily represented on the practice exam and do five of each until you can start them without hesitating. Fluency on the common cases beats shaky coverage of everything.
Work out what you actually need first
Before you spend a weekend on this, get the number. If the final is worth 20% and you are sitting at 88%, an A needs 98% and a B needs 48% — those two facts call for completely different weeks. Run your real numbers through the final grade calculator, then come back and pick the plan that matches the gap. The finals-week triage guide covers how to split time across several courses at once.