Comments | ladyfalcon: My brain hates math.

ladyfalcon

My brain hates math.

Jul 08, 2009 10:21

I have not been posting, because I am home, and home is boring. I have been having a bit of fun seeing friends and hanging out (mostly Krystle and David - everyone else has been busybusy), and I have a few nice things coming up soon (Hershey Park with the college group, possible cross-country roadtrip with my grandfather?) but for the moment things ( Read more... )

Comments 11

lieutenant_sid July 8 2009, 20:17:41 UTC

Argh math, I agree. That's why I have this icon.

radanax July 8 2009, 23:26:17 UTC

I've never heard of a case like that before. Have you tried forcing it into your everyday life? The lack of any sort of continual presence could be the issue, rather than some absolute difference in brain receptivity, you know - it's a lot easier to avoid thinking about math than it is to avoid thinking, I'd imagine.

ladyfalcon July 9 2009, 05:19:54 UTC

Did you not read the part of the story where this was going on when I was in high school, and my dad had to help me with my math homework every day? So at the time, I was thinking about it every day? I don't think not thinking about it is the issue. Also I know lots of very clever people who aren't able to learn math with the same facility they learn other things.

radanax July 9 2009, 05:23:20 UTC

I didn't miss it, but I was saying that there's a difference between having distinct math time and having math be a part of your life. Maybe there isn't any difference between the two, but I know that when I was a kid I was doing math all the time (and yes, I know that's just a chicken-egg situation, but it's all I've got).

I'm not arguing against the possibility, but I would at the very least argue against deciding on a viewpoint that could easily be self-defeating.

philthecow July 9 2009, 19:04:38 UTC

Yeah--I know a lot of them too. You're definitely not alone there.

But I have no idea why it is. I also know that some people can't learn a foreign language to save their lives, whereas others pick them up quickly, with exactly the same instruction. (and I'm talking about people who started studying their first foreign language at 14 or 18 or 21--with language, we know that exposure before the age of 5 is hugely important, but there can still be disparities in people who didn't have that exposure. I don't know what we know about math.)

Thread 6

gamesiplay July 9 2009, 02:18:04 UTC

Hahaha. Just last night I finally cracked open my GRE practice book and started relearning, like, eighth-grade math, because I'm planning to take the test sometime in August, too. OH GOD. I feel your pain.

philthecow July 9 2009, 19:02:00 UTC

I'm studying to take them in the first week of September! I've never taken them before, and I'm with you in that the math (and the no calculator) is feeling really painful right now. My duck's back is a little more, uh, spongy when it comes to the math. But pssh, you're good with words. Don't idolize math--it only gets you in the bad situation of dating mathematicians, who are in the main way jerkier than non-mathematicians.

Also, did I miss what kind of grad school you were going to apply to? Gonna go back now.

ladyfalcon July 9 2009, 23:12:09 UTC

I don't think I mentioned that I am applying to programs for international relations/political science. One of my (many) problems is that I am interested in many things AND I don't have a very clear view of where I want to go in life. I don't have a 'dream job,' I just have a shopping list of things I would like any job to have, such as: something where I can travel, make enough money that I can live comfortably, prefer not to take work home after the work day is done, prefer to work in Europe if possible (better benefits, better vacations), etc. Unfortunately I feel that such a generic list is going to lead to me doing some work that is "beneath my abilities," whatever that means. I would like do do work that is meaningful, but defining what exactly that means is becoming difficult. Add to that the fact that I am not very decisive (my biggest fear is making a decision I can't go back on and thus closing paths for myself), and you basically have a big mess ( ... )

philthecow July 10 2009, 17:24:09 UTC

Oh, nice! There are a bunch of people here in Turkey who do IR type programs and so I am learning some more about what you do in them. Are you thinking of going back abroad to do graduate school for the reasons of it being (1) cheaper and (2) in Europe and all that and (3) thus more likely to get you a job in Europe? I do remember being impressed at the $3,000 dollar program in Prague--some girl here is applying for programs in Belgium so she can do European Union stuff.

I told someone the other day (who I was trying to convince to be more decisive) that I like making elaborate plans and decisions because they get you moving in such a way that even if there is drift (and there always is), you are at least in a different place from where you were, since my biggest fear is probably being in the same place for a long period of time.

Not that that will change your personality, but I liked the aphorism.