I just never liked the weird number choices. They would be an
   instant turn off, forcing me to go into formula mode which for
   some reason, I'd mentally reject, do poorly etc. Any grade that
   had word --> math problems like that, my brain went *no!* I knew
   what I was supposed to do but my frustration with the
   ridiculousness of the questions is what was always maddening to
   me in school. Common Core math from what I've seen, is just more
   of the same... just made a bit _more_ ridiculous still. I
   understand what they're trying to do; inducing "grit" by
   breaking kids of the idea that they're "good at math" by forcing
   them to write all the steps down. [by making it as hard as
   possible to do in your head or through alternative means than
   the formulas]... but it's not a well tested approach... and
   forced-failure is "learned helplessness"... which to me,
   psychoogically, is not good. I see it as a backlash to the
   self-esteem movement... but.. *sigh* nothing I can do. And
   fundamentally? Just another way for them to make school suck
   instead of improve. Oh well.