Update: Goal #43) Take a Calculus Class

I don’t like math. But, like many of my other goals, taking a calculus class is meant to be a challenge.

Today, I picked up my textbook, and will be starting class in about a week. I wish I could say that I’m looking forward to it, but really, I’m just looking forward to it being over. There are things in life that I feel are worthwhile, that what I’m learning is valuable…I’m not convinced calculus is one of those things.

Earlier this year I took an introductory course to calculus. The material didn’t seem difficult, a lot of it was a review of algebra. Of course, there was also a great deal of trigonometry presented in the course, and not having any background with trigonometry, I found myself struggling to understand. And that’s maybe one of my biggest challenges in learning…I have to understand the material in a way that is meaningful, not just memorize facts and formulas.

It’s because of this need to understand, rather than memorize, that I failed my second semester of organic chemistry. There was so much information to remember, that without spending hours and hours of my life forcing myself to learn reaction mechanisms, I had no chance to succeed. And I didn’t spend the time to learn the material. I gave up about halfway through the semester, and I failed.

With this being a summer class that lasts only four weeks, I think I can stay focused and motivated to succeed. I know it’s going to be a challenging class, but if I can just push through and work hard, I know I’ll do fine. I’m less concerned with my ability to learn the information than my ambition to learn the information. If I get discouraged, I get frustrated and give up. I can’t do that again…the stakes are too high! If I don’t pass this class now, I’ll have to take it again in the Fall…or else I won’t graduate.

The pressure’s on!