Monday, August 15, 2011

Flashback.


My dad is an engineer and really good at math. I, on the other hand, have never been good at math.

When I was in junior high my dad started helping me with my homework. We would sit at the kitchen table with "lots of light", pencils, an abundance of scratch paper, and of course my textbook. Before we started, he would always ask if I had read the chapter in my book.

"Of course not! How can you read a math book?"

And so we would procede... 

Remember how I said he was really good at this? My dad would use ridiculous terms and overly confusing equations that he used on spaceships! Not my way watered down versions. I also got the history of math/the equation/everything else he could think of. This made me so mad because I just.wanted.the answer! The night would always end in me crying and being more mixed up than ever. I just think that people who are really good at what they do have a harder time understanding why I don't get it. 

About my junior year of high school, my parents and I finally learned our lesson and I got a tutor who I exchanged math lessons with babysitting services. She treated me like she was talking to a third grader (which was great) and I passed the class. Not by much, but at least I got the grade!

Present day...

I am taking a physical science class. My professor makes me want to throw my shoe at him. He is so knowledgeable about the subject, he can't teach it. He doesn't finish his sentences and confuses me even more when I ask a question. It brings me back to high school math.

I read the chapter (my dad would be so proud), and still have no idea what is going on.

Jake has been trying to help me. Now, we all know that adorable husband of mine likes to talk. I even raise my hand at home to let him know I have something I'd like to say. He, like my papala, likes to give me the history and test me on previous information.

Like last night, everything starts out fine. He explains it, great I got it. But then he continues to explain...

...

...

...

Still talking
(and I'm not allowed to ask questions until he's done)

...

...

Now he has gone overboard and told me way more than I need to know instead of my watered down version I was already confused about.

Sound familiar?

Can you guess what happens next?

J: "... and that is why the protons and electrons become one and blabbidy blabbidy scientific mumbo jumbo chemistry. See? It's so easy!"

E: "This is stupid and I hate it and I'm never going to use this! This doesn't really exist and someone made up all this crap to make people like me feel stupid!"

P.s. Now we're yelling at each other over SCIENCE and throwing the book on the floor and pens at the walls and he's not going to help me because I have a bad attitude about it and I'm crocodile tear crying over the Periodic Table of Elements!

Every newlywed couple does this, right? Who doesn't argue over chemistry and laws of physics?

Maybe we should learn from our mistake and find a tutor who I can babysit for in return...

4 comments:

  1. Remember I STRONGLY SUGGESTED you get an on campus tutor at the beginning of the year.......? Go there every day if you have to. That's how I got through that class. Love, Mom

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  2. hahaha...you are the best story teller ever!! Next to Morgana Wood. ;)
    Good Luck little Nunu! I hope you find a great science tutor with a very good child to babysit! :)

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  3. HAHA! erica! guess who's a science major...? if you babysit for me, I'll help you.

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