Intermediate Algebra is often a gateway course that students are mandated to take in order for them to enter various areas of study. Mejia, Rodriguez, and Johnson found that 56% of California community college students who began a developmental math sequence did not complete it. This thesis explored how students at a small urban-suburban community college in Southern California attempted to make it through one semester in an Intermediate Algebra classroom. Over a period of two months in Spring 2018, I utilized a case study approach, which included participant observation, interviews, and surveys, to investigate the perspectives and practices of one instructor and five (5) students in a class that consisted of 34 students. Drawing from a ‘figured worlds’ framework, I found that the instructor required what I conceptualize as a proactive/systematic reactivity outside of class, which most students found themselves unable to attain. I found that most students were novices who were already positioned at the periphery within the field of mathematics and relied upon an approach I refer to as improvisational reactivity. Three different themes emerged in the analysis of the students’ data: 1) passive participation with peers and the instructor; 2) a passive use of course materials combined with a proactive use of the internet; and 3) challenges with making self-assessments. The thesis concludes with recommendations for addressing these issues.