And Yet, She Still Lets Me Handle The Budget
I learned something today: my math skills have severely diminished. To be fair, It’s been 10 years since I completed a math class, and at least 7 years since I’ve taken one (and dropped it, as previously mentioned). I figured I could pick up where I left off and run with it. Hell, all it is is moving around numbers to simplify or balance an equation, how hard could it be?
So today, I was scheduled to take a math placement test at ICC. I had a calculator and some scratch paper, and had perused my old notes and taken some new ones in preparation. No serious studying, just a quick refresher.
Question #1:
“Oh, hey, I remember this! That’s the property of… SHIT!”
Okay, bad start, but I squeeze out a passable answer.
Question #7:
“The answer…. is C?”
Alright, I’m still in this. This isn’t as bad as I thought.
Question #8:
“Okay, I recognize this formula! It’s… it’s… sonuvabitch!!”
The results were ugly. I actually got bumped back a level!
Math isn’t hard. At least not until you have to deal with theories and advanced concepts. There’s not much understanding involved, really. Everything has a principle, every operation has a function, everything has a method and a formula. It’s orderly–follow the steps and everything will be alright. If only I remembered the fucking things.
So now I have at least two more classes to add to my list: the one I ought to be taking and the one I’m stuck with instead. Dammit.
Tags: dumbassery
June 10th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I remember the property of “shit!” when I was in math courses, too. Seemed to encompass all of them.
June 10th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
But thanks to that placement test being multiple choice, I placed well above my mathimatical ability. I damn near shit when I took my first math class and was more than clueless. I ended up dropping it. When I go back to ICC, one of these days, I’m going to try to find a major with a serious lack of math.
June 10th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Oh yes, I remember well. My first weeks in Algebra 110 at ICC. I finally dropped, at the professor’s encouragement. :( Nonetheless, to obtain any 4 year degree, at least one math class at 110 level is necessary. I finally found a good teacher at Bradley and ended up acing the class. And that was Statistical Math. Sweet. I thought being a lawyer meant never having to say I love math, but those damn child support orders and even the task of billing requires a basic level of knowledge. Too bad my dad isn’t still around…he actually taught Calc at Bradley and was an engineer. I have no one to turn to anymore for help, and I’m too busy to teach myself all over again. Dude, it’s NOT like riding a bike.
June 15th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Poor, Reno!
I tested well above Math 115, but due to my major I had to take it anyway. After my second try, I decided maybe going back a class would be beneficial. On my second try of that class, I finally got through. Then my third attempt at Math 115 came out as a ‘C’ and I could not have been happier. I now have Pre-Calc, Calc, and Finite Math ahead of me. And that is my story of Mathematical ‘dumbassery’.
Good luck. I hope you have a day class!
June 16th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Heh, it’s all night classes. Except the art class. That’s on a Saturday.
June 17th, 2008 at 8:06 am
Wait til your kid(s) get older. My son had Algebra 1 last year, and it’s really fun helping a kid factor trinomial equations after being out of college for several years. And next year is Geometry. I HATE PROOFS. (And I love math-esp. algebra)