But this is like solving it without performing the rules of bodmas

Experto, I understand your concern. Let's be absolutely precise about how BODMAS (or PEMDAS) works.

BODMAS is an acronym that sets the hierarchy of operations. It tells you which type of operation to do first.

• Brackets
• Orders (powers, roots)
• Division and Multiplication (these two are at the same level)
• Addition and Subtraction (these two are at the same level)

The crucial part for operations at the same level (like Division and Multiplication, or Addition and Subtraction) is that you perform them from left to right as they appear in the expression. This "left to right" rule is an integral part of applying BODMAS correctly.

Let's look at $3 - 18 + 2$ again, strictly following BODMAS:

1. Brackets: None.

2. Orders: None.

3. Division and Multiplication: None left (we already did $3 \times 6$).

4. Addition and Subtraction: We have both. Since they are at the same level of precedence, we perform them from left to right.

   • The first operation from the left is subtraction: $3 - 18 = -15$.
   • Now the expression is $-15 + 2$.
   • The next operation is addition: $-15 + 2 = -13$.

So, performing operations from left to right is how you correctly apply BODMAS when you have operations of equal precedence.

The final answer is $-13$.