Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Calculus

I hate math. Why is it so hard???????? Calc. is the hardest class that I have taken so far in college and ARRRRg, it’s killing me. I mean it’s going to kill my GPA. I didn’t do well on my test today. I got most of the answers wrong. The first two I got right. I missed the second one because I looked at the wrong thing in my calculator. I think I got the third one right. The fourth one I got the tangent wrong because missed my x value. I missed the fifth and sixth ones completely because I didn’t understand them. I need to ask Kelly about the fifth one. The sixth one I understand now after looking at the key. I missed that one because I didn’t spend enough time on story problems. I’m so horrible at story problems because they always give me a hard time. I didn’t understand the bonus problem either.

The second part of the test is a take home. I guessed how many points he’s going to take off and if I get 100% on the second part, I’ll get around a 76%. That is horrible. I can’t afford a 76 because I got a 77% on my first test. Right now, I’m depressed because I don’t know how to get out of this one. I want to go to vet school and I really have to get good grades like all A’s. I can’t afford a C on my transcript. I could retake the class because I’ll get a higher grade on my transcript. However, my dad says that will show too.

I’m already spending lots of time as it is on calc. At least, three hours per day. I don’t know what I should do. I’ve been spending so much time on calc. that I haven’t spent that much time on chemistry. So far, chemistry is pretty easy because it’s a review for me. However, the things that we are learning now is new. So, I have to spend more time on it. So far chemistry is pretty easy because it’s a review for me. However, the things that we are learning now are new. So, I have to spend more time on it. Do I have enough time to spend on that because of calc? I don’t know. I barely have enough time looking for a new dojo and spend some time with my boyfriend. Before I met Andrey, I would do my chemistry when I got home from school and over the weekend. Now, it’s really I’m not home that much because I’ve been spending time with Andrey.

I didn’t spend time to study for my chemistry test. If I had more time, I know that I would have gone faster through it. I had a hard time remembering how to do some of the problems. I don’t know how I did my chemistry test today. Probably, I would have done better if I had time to study. Dr. Miller said that I probably did well when he skimmed over it.

Why can’t calc be as easy as chemistry? Dr. Miller said that chemistry is harder for some people than calc. It just takes me a long time to comprehend calc. I have to work with the solutions manual that shows how to do the problem step by step. I don’t think I could figure it out by myself like other people. I’ve been doing well on the homework and on the projects. I’m not doing very well with the tests. Gerrrr. I’m afraid that my chem. grade will go down because I’m spending so much time on calc.

Or is it that I’m not wisely managing my time? Am I spending too much time on with Andrey and the computer and not enough time on homework? Having a social life is good too because it releases stress. It’s so hard just to know how to balance my time. I think that I’ve been doing well with it. Probably, it could be improved even further though.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You're reminding me of my years in college, but I think you program is a lot more challenging. I agree that balance is most important, but my take was school had to be first because I can always do everything else later. Not that I was any good at that though.

Anonymous said...

Lizzie,

Good luck with your classes. You're braver than I am even taking calculus.

Mir said...

Oh I can understand your issues with calculus.. it's so easy to get lost in those word problems too!

I'm sorry that this class is getting you down. Is there a place where you can go to get some tutoring help?

Your time seems so caught up now.. with boyfriends, and schoolwork! I agree that you need to relax, and have some social time. You can easilly burn out your mind by putting it under too much stress.

I totally support your goal to be a vet, but maybe there are other careers that work with animals out there that do not need you to have "A"'s in Calculus... Have you checked your local Colleges?

If I remember correctly.. you wanted to work in a zoo.. right?

From what I can see, some zoos will actually do something called an "internship": wherein you work in the zoo as a volunteer and get to know the ropes.

Here is a website that talks about all the potential careers possible in a zoo location:
http://www.aza.org/ForEveryone/Careers/#typ