what IS factoring

Sometimes people remark that going back to school is tough.  It's been a long time since I've been in a math class, right?

No, I've never been in a math class before last semester.  My placement test put me at the college algebra level, but I was totally winging it.  I never learned ANY of this.  I'm not going back to college.  I dropped out of high school, just as we were starting to get into the most basic of math using letters as variables.  I've been trying to pick it up as I go, but it's been rough.

The other day, my pre-calculus teacher did a quick factoring review, and I attempted to ask this.  What IS factoring?  She starts by explaining that it's breaking numbers down into factors - duh, I get that - and then she goes on and on, without answering my question - I only realize that now, as I've finally figured out the answer for myself.  What I can't figure out is why the hell teachers don't just put things in direct terms.  I seem to have this learning disability where I have no patience for the rest of it, when I don't even understand the point.

Going through youtube videos and online tutorials, it's the same way, except that somewhere in the middle, sometimes I find what I'm looking for.  Aha!  This could have been a ten second video, what the fuck.  Factoring is such that the multipliers of term C can also be added together to equal term B. 

Suddenly, I know what the point is, and it's goes from immiserating confusion, to oh.  This is easy.  What the hell.  I realize it gets much more complicated from there, because some equations are complicated and require further tips and tricks to work with, but I needed that basic foundation, before I could understand anything else.

I suspect that physics is somewhat similar.  I have no patience for two hour lectures, where all the vital details and formulae are interspersed throughout.  Maybe it's severe ADD, or maybe it's just my learning style, the way my brain works, because of how I learned to learn, when I was very young.  When I was way ahead of everyone else.  On the other hand, it just makes sense to me, that you put the foundation first, before building on it.

It's not just an issue with teachers though.  I have a textbook, and it's the same way.  If I sit and read the entire chapter, I can't make sense of it or retain a goddamn thing.  I need it condensed to a succinct list of formulas used.  That should be page one of each chapter, rather than piecemeal all over the place.

There is a chance here, that I am still in fact pretty damn smart, but I've been having some serious doubts, wondering if after years of disuse, my brain has simply shriveled up, and I'm actually a moron now, only just coming to realize it.  That has certainly been what it's felt like.