[rometest]

when i was a kid, i was told to use the BODMAS rule i.e Brackets, Orders, Division or Multiply, Addition or Substraction

After you have done "B" and "O", just go from left to right doing any "D" or "M" as you find them.

Then go from left to right doing any "A" or "S" as you find them.

[alexchamberlain]

I was taught the same, but with strict precedence - division comes first. Having said that, a mathematician would never write those down anyway, as it's too confusing.