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Algebra test is done, I think I passed, but not with very high marks. I think I figured out why I dislike algebra so very very much.
I'm a language person, as anyone who knows me for longer than 30 seconds could tell you. I know mathematics is just another foreign language, but it's one that doesn't seem to have any cognates in English -- different "alphabet", different rules for language and grammar, different internal logic and structure. There's nothing familiar that I can point to like I can with, say, a French/English cognate, and say, "There! I *know* this, because it's the same/similar to something that I already know" and use that cognate to kind of guide me along the edges of unknown information. The language of mathematics is one that I don't know, can't translate, and not knowing something and *realizing* that I don't know it makes me feel exceedingly stupid. I despise feeling stupid. As I was told once by someone I looked up to, "If you're not pretty, you'll have to get by on smarts." That's been pretty well internalized for quite some time now, as I don't feel pretty and never have (don't worry about complimenting, I wasn't fishing). So feeling stupid completely invalidates me, Krista, the one who has built most of her self-esteem on brains and the ability to use the aforementioned brains constructively.
So that's why I hate algebra.
In other news, I have begun the necessary prep work for creating Christmas presents. I got some super-seekrit measurements for some super-seekrit projects, purchased some necessary items for more presents, and have otherwise been a busy little reenactor-type.
And I'm hungry, so I am thinking that it might be a good idea to actually *eat* something instead of just getting a cup of coffee to supplement other other cup of coffee (aka breakfast) I had earlier.
I'm a language person, as anyone who knows me for longer than 30 seconds could tell you. I know mathematics is just another foreign language, but it's one that doesn't seem to have any cognates in English -- different "alphabet", different rules for language and grammar, different internal logic and structure. There's nothing familiar that I can point to like I can with, say, a French/English cognate, and say, "There! I *know* this, because it's the same/similar to something that I already know" and use that cognate to kind of guide me along the edges of unknown information. The language of mathematics is one that I don't know, can't translate, and not knowing something and *realizing* that I don't know it makes me feel exceedingly stupid. I despise feeling stupid. As I was told once by someone I looked up to, "If you're not pretty, you'll have to get by on smarts." That's been pretty well internalized for quite some time now, as I don't feel pretty and never have (don't worry about complimenting, I wasn't fishing). So feeling stupid completely invalidates me, Krista, the one who has built most of her self-esteem on brains and the ability to use the aforementioned brains constructively.
So that's why I hate algebra.
In other news, I have begun the necessary prep work for creating Christmas presents. I got some super-seekrit measurements for some super-seekrit projects, purchased some necessary items for more presents, and have otherwise been a busy little reenactor-type.
And I'm hungry, so I am thinking that it might be a good idea to actually *eat* something instead of just getting a cup of coffee to supplement other other cup of coffee (aka breakfast) I had earlier.
