Certain things come easy to me. Arithmetic never has been one of them.  I’m 33 and still count a lot of things on my fingers like a first grader.  I remember every horrific time I had to take a multiplication and division test.  No matter how much I tried I just couldn’t remember them.  Addition and subtraction don’t come easy for me either, even after all these years.

Things got a little better in high school.  Geometry and basic Algebra come easy to me.  I like Geometry.  I can remember most of the formula’s like there’s no tomorrow.  The ones that don’t get used as much I do have to look up.  Only thing I can figure (no pun intended) is that Geometry is real.  I can touch a square, triangle or rectangle.  I can imagine measuring a square room to figure out the area.  I can understand the uses for perimeter of a shape.  I can understand how it’s important in life.

Basic Algebra I at least understand.  It makes sense that you’ll need to know how much something is per ounce, pound, liter, et cetera to get the better deal.  It doesn’t make sense that I need to know the quadratic equation and how to factor when I actually won’t use it in my life.

Ah, the dirty F word.  Well one of them anyways.  Fractions and factoring are both dirty F words but I’ve gotten better with both.  Factoring was the evil bane of my existence until last year. At the time I was still 31 and finally learned how to factor!  It was a wonderful feeling!

I had tried 3 different times to take that math class. Four different times I had an A until chapter six.  Three different times I got the dreaded R (repeat).  I tried tutors, online help and struggling through it but I kept getting that dang R.  What’s worse is that the R is worse than an F.  Repeat means that you’re failing so miserably that the teacher has taken pity upon you and given you the R so that it won’t affect your GPA.  Now how sad is that?

Now think back to what I said earlier about not being able to remember my multiplication tables.  The way they were teaching factoring was by memorization!  And to top it off everyone kept telling me it was so easy!  Easy my back end!

But at least I can chuckle at it all now.  I can even help my fellow students with their math now!  And I’m proud to say that math is now exciting and easier than it ever has been!

I should get an A in College Algebra this semester, which is the greatest feeling of all!