This posting is a celebration of survival leading to a monumental moment in my life, the end of mathematics. I had to take two math classes for my university education. One dragged on endlessly over the spring semester; 16 weeks over two continent and three countries, just awful. The second I took over the summer; 14 weeks, three continents, three countries, less awful, still awful. The idea behind college math is supposedly to be "a well rounded individual." Ha! The evil masters in high offices in supposedly wealthy (but honestly broke) private institutions are seriously just cooking up ways to bring your GPA down. But thankfully, the two hardest classes of my freshman year (and hopefully my education) are finished. Life as it is meant to be lived can rebegin. Here's how I got through math (maybe not with flying colors, but I didn't get Ds either!).1) I bawled. This always works. It's not productive and it breaks a principle rule of mathematics; "stay emotionally unattached to the problem, work through it logically." Nonetheless, I bawled, whined, whinged, screamed, yelled. It didn't help, but it felt real good at the moment.
2) Drink coffee. This is the world's fundamental problem solver and coffee must be consumed interchangeably with extended period of rest (naps).
3) Pull late hours. College requires many late hours, but math requires late hours to the 10th power (ie. a whole lot).
4) Draw up a schedule and stick to it. I derived much joy calculating the number of lessons, and then creating a work plan to get through the material. What's more, you stick to the plan. Nothing interrupts the plan. You don't skip a day. You don't call in sick. You cancel other activities and rearrange your days because you have made an oath to stick to the plan. If you don't, the joke's on you buddy because you're the only one to blame for your poor timing and lack of commitment.
Math has ended, now I continue my education by beginning my sophomore year and look forward to the era when I shall be able to select more of my own classes, and let the lofty mortals with the PhD's watch me with envy as I pursue my own interests.
1 comment:
Have I told you lately how I much I love your blog?!! I love that your math class carried over three continents - not many people in the world can say that. Meanwhile, I'm attempting to survive college classes and deal with the stress at the same time (apparently, my hallmates tell me all my problems are likely due to stress, including oddly timed breakouts and loss of appetite. hopefully, these will subside asap. ;-) Oh, and late nights, yes. I was so tired at my 8:30 chem this morning, I noticed in my notes that I'd written firefighter instead of firefly. Yikes! I don't know that I've gotten to bed before 1ish ever since I got here... :O Happy sophomore year!! Love always!
P.S. I'm still voting for chai over coffee... ;-)
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