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Positive Thinking
May. 19th, 2008 08:01 pmIt's eight o'clock, which, being 3 hours after the end of my last exam, was supposed to be start-working-on-logic-again time. But I really need to write this down; as if by publishing it on the internet, maybe I can make myself believe it all.
Frazer's workshop last week was about positive thinking, as applied to focus, study and exams. It was helpful to remind myself that, for all that I've been frustrated with my classes, my department, and even analytic philosophy in general, lately, I really do love this stuff. I love this stuff. I actually enjoyed my exam today, for instance.
( Extended aside, though I suppose y'all are used to these by now )
And I can do this Logic exam. I love logic. I still love logic, for all our falling outs lately. I'm good at logic, too. I got a 19.5/20 on the class test last year, which the marker said would have been a 20 but for one superfluous line of proof. I can do this.
There is substantial evidence I may be good at maths, too. Hell, I got a 700 on the SAT. In 9th grade I was 'geometry girl' at AMS, the sole geometry student, teaching herself from a textbook in the corner (by the stove, hahaha!), while everyone else did algebra. I did it quite ably, too! I was that kid who memorised pi to the 25th digit when we were first taught the concept in 5th grade. In 4th grade I remember begging to stay inside during recess to work on the 'peg board', a physical/visual representation of and means of working out square roots. I... love maths? Sure. But my pattern-finding human mind can't help but notice a common trait of nearly all of my positive mathematical memories: they are all geometry. Even recently, when Nick managed to finally explain mathematical induction to me, I suspect I only understood because he started with a visual, geometric proof (something about triangular numbers) of the one I was puzzling over before explaining it through in the algebraic style Dr Read had used.
But... I can do this. I can because I have to. I can understand it, if I calm myself down and stop having panic attacks every time I look at it. There's no need for that kind of thing. I love logic. I love logic.
Frazer's workshop last week was about positive thinking, as applied to focus, study and exams. It was helpful to remind myself that, for all that I've been frustrated with my classes, my department, and even analytic philosophy in general, lately, I really do love this stuff. I love this stuff. I actually enjoyed my exam today, for instance.
( Extended aside, though I suppose y'all are used to these by now )
And I can do this Logic exam. I love logic. I still love logic, for all our falling outs lately. I'm good at logic, too. I got a 19.5/20 on the class test last year, which the marker said would have been a 20 but for one superfluous line of proof. I can do this.
There is substantial evidence I may be good at maths, too. Hell, I got a 700 on the SAT. In 9th grade I was 'geometry girl' at AMS, the sole geometry student, teaching herself from a textbook in the corner (by the stove, hahaha!), while everyone else did algebra. I did it quite ably, too! I was that kid who memorised pi to the 25th digit when we were first taught the concept in 5th grade. In 4th grade I remember begging to stay inside during recess to work on the 'peg board', a physical/visual representation of and means of working out square roots. I... love maths? Sure. But my pattern-finding human mind can't help but notice a common trait of nearly all of my positive mathematical memories: they are all geometry. Even recently, when Nick managed to finally explain mathematical induction to me, I suspect I only understood because he started with a visual, geometric proof (something about triangular numbers) of the one I was puzzling over before explaining it through in the algebraic style Dr Read had used.
But... I can do this. I can because I have to. I can understand it, if I calm myself down and stop having panic attacks every time I look at it. There's no need for that kind of thing. I love logic. I love logic.
