Go back to the beginning

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Go back to the beginning. Learn, or relearn, what you thought you already knew. This is likely to be a subject you avoided in the first place, probably because you thought it was too hard, or you were afraid to ask questions, then you got behind. Worse yet, you didn't believe you could do it.

Why didn't you believe you could do it?

I am not blaming anyone here, with the possible exception of my sophomore algebra teacher, but especially not my grandmother. At the age of 18, she traveled to the United States alone from Poland. She was not afraid to tackle a problem, nor was she a quitter.

As you can imagine, she had opinions, and these were based on what she knew of the world around her when I knew her, and the one in which she was raised. Consequently, she tried very hard to convince me to go to secretarial school. According to my grandmother, secretaries had very respectable jobs. I probably would not make it in college, but I would need a respectable job.

I'm sure the secretaries of the world enjoy this opinion even less than I do.

Math Avoidance

I don't have the statistics for the following statement. Maybe one day for a more formal paper, I will check out the following assumption: I believe more females suffer a fear of math than males. I also feel sure it is probably less true now than it was a few decades ago, though this particular prejudice is probably alive and well in some places.

Now my sophomore algebra teacher was a very nice man, I think. And he by no means looked so fierce as the gentleman in the photo. But. . .. He did, whether involuntarily, or not, influence me as to my ability to do algebra, which of course would be a requirement on a college entrance exam.

When I would ask why or how, he would say read the text. There were few questions answered in his class, and if they were, it was most likely posed by one of the Students. Thinking back, among the Students, there were quite a few girls, one, our Valedictorian. There goes my theory flying out the window. Enough.

Memories this old tend to get twisted-- a little like a dream after waking. But as I recall, on the college entrance exams, math scores were below averages, but English scores made up for it. In fact, they (the Powers) advanced me past English 101. I was on my way in the field of Humanities.

How to Get a Bachelor of Science

with an Art Minor

I love the road I took, working as a waitress atop the Space Needle in Seattle and other places, including Alaska and Hawaii, while putting myself through school-- for 14 years-- nearly all the while avoiding math. I was happy in my role of professional student.

The rubber finally met the road (I enjoy cliches), when I chose Business Administration. How was I to successfully avoid math when requirements included Accounting X2, Economics X2, Finance X2, Statistics, and Math to the 10th power (I couldn't figure out how to type that power deal. Help?) Let's not forget Algebra X2.

And let's not forget the sciences that required math to understand or prove or whatever.

Very long story made short: I started over in math. I went back to the beginning with 7th grade fractions, courses offered on a college campus to grade school geniuses or adult miscreants.

Understand, please, I am directing any jabs or satiric humor in this article toward myself (and a little toward my long gone, but not forgotten, 7th grade algebra teacher).

Many of you who did not have the luxuries of the education we enjoy in this country, have face/faced far greater obstacles to pull yourselves up, more than I can imagine. Congratulations belong to you.

Numbers Never Lie

The thought of Statistics terrified me. But I was doing well now. I fell in love with Economics, micro, macro, opportunity cost, PPC curves, etc., subjects of which I wish a few politicians could understand. Anyway, a few 'A's pumped up my confidence, so Statistics, here I come.

We were assigned a project on probabilities. I knew a bit about that subject having loved the game of poker since grade school, though those odds are a bit trickier to calculate than flipping a coin. I hired my son to toss a coin 1000 times and, sure enough, the results showed a nearly 50/50 ratio. He enjoyed this job more than most. My report did not have an A marked on the the front cover. It was an A+.

I still have my Statistics Report saved in a box of memoirs

I believe the main point here is-- one that you can apply to your goals here at Wealthy Affiliate-- if you didn't get it right the first time, do it over. Go back to the beginning. Get the foundation needed to make your plan work. All the instruction and all the tools are here. The more you do it right, the more your confidence will grow and the more fun you will have. Then one day, VOILA!

THE END

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Recent Comments

12

Deelilah, I am glad to let you know that the trend has shifted. Girls seem to be more interested in their academic work than boys! I do not have statistics to back it up but if what we have noticed in a lot of schools is anything to go by, this view holds.
Thank you for sharing your struggle with Maths in your student days and how you overcame it. I have no doubt it will be a source of inspiration to somebody somewhere thinking of throwing in the towel and making an exit from some endeavor that is proving difficult to handle.
Going back to the drawing board is a practice entrepreneurs should engage in especially when the road is foggy and they can't see a path forward.

Hi there. I love your comments and I believe you are right about the trend shifting. I am not particularly glad girls have taken the lead. I wish we could just stay equal. Come on boys, the ball is in your court.

I knew that was where you were going with this post, Donna! This also applies to anything you don't understand or might have forgotten too!

An excellent post!

Jeff

Hi Jeffrey. Yes, it does indeed apply to things we forgot, possibly right up to seconds ago. I hope you're enjoying your day-- and Friday isn't freaking you out. LOL

Thanks, Donna! It certainly does. We do CONSTANT learning!

The day is okay so far. As for Friday, I'll let everyone know how that goes when I get there!

Jeff😎👍

Thanks, Deelilah, for the peek into your past and how you grew and thrived.

It's a testament to the strong and capable women in your family. Here's honoring your grandmother, who blazed the trail!

A do-over is always good.

I've started over more times than I can count.

Keep on thriving!

Al

Thank you for the nice review, Al. I am committed to starting over less, but I think I will do over, let's say update, some of my past work.

Yes, I keep going back to read those parts of training I have forgotten or need to brush up on again.
I feel more confident the more times I have gone over something.

BTW. I had a series of bad math teachers during high school and never enjoyed it after that. Thus I learnt on the job and am probably better than most of the younger calculator generation.

Lol.
Stephen

It's true about the confidence. I got good with some math, as you said, even developed, at times, sort of knowing the answer in a flash. I get annoyed (though, hopefully, I don't show it) at the calculator generation who can't make change the old-fashioned way of counting it back. They are quite at a loss without their machines.

Yes, you are very correct. I've started over once, and could probably stand to do so again. You pick up so many little things you missed or forgot when you do the training again.

You are so right. I am working over some of the training now. Is your snow level below the windows yet? LOL. Thanks for reading my post.

Yes, the snow is almost gone, thank goodness.

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