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To: Talisker
"I loved math until I hit calculus."

Same here. As a matter of fact, I felt that I was good enough at math/algebra/trigonometry (etc) that, when I arrived at the Naval Academy, they asked me if I wanted to be in their first class of Calculus with Computers. I was full of enough piss-and-vinegar that I said "Of course".

Total flameout! I don't know whether it was the combination of trying to learn the calculus at the same time as computers (or what passed for computers in 1972) or it was just simply beyond my understanding. Functions did not make sense and "imaginary numbers" made the final drawing stroke across my throat.

I'm still pretty good at math and the like, but my "math ego" certainly took a critical hit from calculus.

97 posted on 05/01/2016 1:28:49 PM PDT by BlueLancer (Once is happenstance. Twice is circumstance. Three times is enemy action.)
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To: BlueLancer
Same here. As a matter of fact, I felt that I was good enough at math/algebra/trigonometry (etc) that, when I arrived at the Naval Academy, they asked me if I wanted to be in their first class of Calculus with Computers. I was full of enough piss-and-vinegar that I said "Of course".

Total flameout! I don't know whether it was the combination of trying to learn the calculus at the same time as computers (or what passed for computers in 1972) or it was just simply beyond my understanding. Functions did not make sense and "imaginary numbers" made the final drawing stroke across my throat.

I'm still pretty good at math and the like, but my "math ego" certainly took a critical hit from calculus.

Yep - see my post 108. A good teacher is CRUCIAL.

111 posted on 05/01/2016 2:08:21 PM PDT by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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