This is where I’ve been sitting a lot this weekend:
and doing homework.
Homework is infuriatingly hard. Basically, none of the stuff in the textbook makes sense to me because I never had Calc II, which they assume you know. So I’ll try to start solving a problem, see that there is no help to be had in my notes, read the textbook, read the second textbook, read the third textbook, and, as they say in Russian, smotret v’knigu, videt figu (looking in a book, and seeing nothing.) Then I Google around, and a point of clarity starts to occur to me, because on Google they actually explain mathematical economics for people who have not taken a math class in 4 years or so.
Then, Mr. B hears me thrashing about and comes up to help, because he loves math, double-majored in math, and this is his leisure reading table at any given time:
“What’s giving you problems,” Mr. B asks nonchalantly, and I give him a 20-minute sob story about how I am stupid and don’t understand anything and I’ve never had a class this hard and I’m dropping out, like, yesterday. He reads the part in the econ book that corresponds to the math explanation. 10 minutes later,” Oh, that makes sense. This is the answer, and here’s why. And here’s why the math.”
He always tells me that no one has real talent, you just have to work at it. No bigs. Everyone can do math.
I think I’ll use my non-talent in English to write a novel about wives that throw things at their husbands.
Good luck with all that math; it sounds really difficult. :-/
I’m surprised you haven’t taken cal II. At my school, econ majors are required to take math through calc III (which sounds hard and scary to be, and that’s the reason I’m not an econ major).
If that had been the case, I definitely wouldn’t have done econ in undergrad.
He obviously hasn’t seen my rubber band magic trick. It will shake his beliefs to the core. That’s how good it is.
I really feel for you. I looked at those notes a couple of posts ago and couldn’t figure anything out. This is why I chose to go for an MBA – I’m a concept person, not a talent/hard work person. If it doesn’t come easily to me, it’s not worth doing.
I’m the same way. Which is why I’m suffering so much.
Yikes. Your study desk situation looks really austere.
I didn’t have to take calc at all in college. In fact, as a music major, I tried to convince my advisor that even trig was unnecessary. Everything in music can be broken down into 4 or less. 6/8 time? Count 123123. See? He didn’t buy my explanation, for some reason.
Hatzlacha with your studying. May I suggest you don’t throw anything too hard at Mr. B until he’s helped you with all your homework for the semester?
I like your idea.