I am going to study mathematics

Fuck yes, I am going to study mathematics, finally.
The first semester starts october 25th, it's late due to pandemic.
Classes will be online until they aren't.

One thing that you learn from teaching mathematics at the college level is that something in the education system has simply failed. What do you say to a student who, in a calculus course at a top 50 public university, does not understand how to add fractions? (I'm sure you learn this from teaching other subjects as well).

At this point, it seems standard to point one's finger at various pieces of the K-12 system. And certainly there are some issues with how school is structured. But the problem is really on the other end: universities are accepting too many people. Degree dilution isn't happening just because more people are seeking degrees, it's happening because universities are eager to give out more degrees. I think you can reason out why. These students should simply not have been accepted in the first place; university has turned into a continuation of high school (or worse), and this is not a good trend.