My son has taken college algebra 3 times and still hasn't passed it. It just isn't in his genes. He's very frustrated with it. He sees no point to learning algebra which doesn't help the issue. (I'm inclined to agree with him. I've never used my algebra skills in real life. I'm an English teacher.) He's one of those practical people who needs a reason to learn something. Coupled with just poor math skills, it's a huge mountain to climb. Put him in a literature or philosophy class, a history or science class, and he does beautifully.