ASU MAT 142: College Mathematics
MAT 142 is ASU's terminal math course for majors that don't require algebra-track courses like MAT 117, covering applied topics including probability, statistics, personal finance, and geometry. Like ASU's other intro math courses it runs through the ALEKS adaptive system, on campus and in 7.5-week online sessions.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with Arizona State University. This is an unofficial study guide.
What makes it hard
Most MAT 142 students are taking their last-ever math course and carrying math anxiety into it, and ALEKS gives no credit for cramming: knowledge checks re-test old topics, so skipped weeks literally undo progress. The finance unit (compound interest, loans, annuities) is the famous sticking point, because the formulas are easy to mix up and the word problems require choosing the right one.
What you'll cover
- • Probability basics
- • Descriptive statistics
- • Personal finance: interest, loans, annuities
- • Geometry applications
- • Sets and counting
The MAT 142 study guide
How to study for ASU MAT 142, step by step.
- 1
Work ALEKS in short, near-daily sessions
MAT 142 rewards rhythm over talent: 30-45 minutes most days keeps the topic pie growing, while weekend binges lose ground to knowledge checks that re-test what you rushed.
- 2
Let knowledge checks find your real gaps
Don't prop them up with notes. A falsely full pie collapses before proctored exams. Honest checks surface weak topics while they're still cheap to fix.
- 3
Make a formula-decision sheet for the finance unit
Simple interest, compound interest, annuities, loans: list each formula with the cue words that signal it. The finance unit is the course's sticking point, and choosing the right formula is most of the battle.
- 4
Solve everything on paper too
Proctored exams, Honorlock for online sections, are worked by hand, and screen-only ALEKS practice doesn't fully transfer. Keep a notebook of worked problems, especially finance and probability.
- 5
Bank progress ahead of the module deadlines
Aim to hit mastery milestones several days early, since knowledge checks can add topics back. In a 7.5-week session that buffer is the difference between steady and panicked.
Today
Today's MAT 142 plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for MAT 142. Yours is built from your own syllabus and adapts every day to your deadlines and progress.
First plan free, no card required. Fennie is independent and unaffiliated with your school.
FAQ
Is MAT 142 at ASU easy?
It's ASU's most accessible math course, with no algebra track and applied topics, but ALEKS still demands consistency. Students who work it near-daily find it very passable; students who cram fight knowledge checks all session.
What's the difference between MAT 142 and MAT 117?
MAT 117 is college algebra and feeds courses like brief calculus; MAT 142 is a terminal applied course (probability, statistics, finance, geometry) for majors that don't need the algebra track. Check your major map before choosing.
How long does MAT 142 take per week?
Plan on 6-9 hours in ALEKS weekly, ideally split into short daily sessions. The 7.5-week online format compresses the same topic count into half the calendar, so daily consistency matters even more there.
More ASU courses
MAT 117: College Algebra
MAT 117 is ASU's college algebra course covering functions, linear and quadratic equations, polynomials, exponentials, and logarithms, and it's a prerequisite gate for brief calculus, statistics, and many majors. It's taught through the ALEKS adaptive learning system, which most students first meet during math placement.
MAT 210: Brief Calculus
MAT 210 is ASU's applied calculus course for business and non-engineering majors, covering derivatives, optimization, and basic integration with business applications, minus the trigonometry of the full calculus sequence. W. P. Carey business majors take it in huge numbers.
MAT 243: Discrete Mathematical Structures
MAT 243 covers logic, proof techniques, set theory, functions and relations, induction, and combinatorics, the mathematical foundation for computer science. It's required for ASU CS majors and is most students' first encounter with writing proofs.
MAT 265: Calculus for Engineers I
MAT 265 is the first course in ASU's calculus sequence for engineering majors, covering limits, derivatives, applications of differentiation, and an introduction to integrals. It covers Calculus I territory in three credits instead of four. Every Fulton Schools engineering student passes through it.