how do I solve (X^8 + X^-3) / X^-2?? I know you can't just add the top but I tried flipping the negative exponents but I keep getting stuck

Note the negative exponents. x^{-3}=\frac{1}{x^{3}} and so forth.

Just use the laws of exponents.

\frac{x^{8}+x^{-3}}{x^{-2}}=\frac{x^{11}+1}{x}=x^{10}+\frac{1}{x}