topic Re: Difficult school subjects. in Community Chat

Difficult school subjects.

J Town Girl — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 02:02:29 GMT

What was your most difficult subject to master when you were in school? For me, it was math. I remember sitting at the kitchen table with my dad when I was in grade school and while he tried to help me, I was crying because I just couldn't get the grasp of math. Spelling, history, geography, they all came so much easier for me.

I always received a passing grade and even when I went into high school and had to deal with algebra, geometry and calculus I somehow managed to keep my head above water but I never mastered those subjects.

To this day, I still have difficulty with math. Some people can easily work with numbers in their heads but I still need a calculator to do more than the simplest of mathematical tasks.

I always felt so inferior that I had such trouble when for others it came so easily.

One of my favorite subjects in HS was biology. I actually did very well with it. But I knew with my limited abilities in math I wasn't destined to any career in the health sciences. There was a time that I thought about a career as a radiological technician but the minute I found out about all of the math involved I knew that career was never going to happen.

Where there any careers that you had to rule out because they required a skill that you just never mastered?

Re: Difficult school subjects.

roeroe1005 — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 02:14:44 GMT

Oh my gosh, MATH! I can pretty much add in my head, but anything else, my eyes just glaze over.

I went to a Catholic high school a long, long time ago. English, zipped by. French, easy. Geometry - got a 4 on the Regents. Four.

When I was the secretary to the Principal in a local high school, everyday I would eat lunch in the math department chair's classroom. The class would usually be AP calc. After 12 years of listening, you would think I would be an Einstein. Put an (x) and (y) among numbers - I'm asleep.

I'm very jealous of anyone who is a math wiz!

Re: Difficult school subjects.

this is my nic — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 02:18:41 GMT

Math was my most difficult subject! I never understood it. I was taken out of kindergarten after about 2 weeks and put into first grade. Big mistake! Even though I was tested and passed the test so I could skip kindergarten, I believe that I missed the rudimentary math concepts taught in kindergarten. I remember sitting at my desk in first grade looking at problems such as 4 + 3 and thinking of what word the answer should be. Those numbers were just words to me. It was an uphill struggle through each grade. I never failed, but it was so very difficult.

Re: Difficult school subjects.

Tinkrbl44 — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 02:29:40 GMT

Latin .... I have no idea what ever possessed me to take it, but it was an incredible challenge.

In spite of that, I still remember a saying:

"Verbum Sat Sapienti" (A word to the wise is sufficient.)

Re: Difficult school subjects.

this is my nic — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 02:42:06 GMT

I had one year of Latin, then switched to French for 2 years to cover the 2 years of a foreign language requirement.

So for those of us here:

Caveat emptor!

(I think that's right!)

Re: Difficult school subjects.

Kachina624 — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 02:41:29 GMT

If it weren't for my dear mother, I'd still be sitting in that 9th grade algebra classroom trying to figure out what it was all about. She made such a pest of herself going to see the teacher, he passed me just to get rid of her. In all fairness he was a terrible teacher, one of those coach/teachers who was only interested in talking about football.

Re: Difficult school subjects.

software — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 02:47:43 GMT

Trig

I never understood it & never saw the value in it

Re: Difficult school subjects.

ALRATIBA — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 02:51:25 GMT

I agree with @Tinkrbl44. .... Latin (in college). More study time than any other class. Loved it, still studying.

I could have taken any language to complete requirement but I wanted the Latin. A school friend took Greek. We both had Classical Studies minors,

Re: Difficult school subjects.

handygal2 — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 02:54:11 GMT

Physics and calculus.

Re: Difficult school subjects.

bikerbabe — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 02:55:13 GMT

I actually always did well in school and had all A’s. I guess math was my best subject. Also chemistry. I majored in chem in college and took a couple years of calculus.

Worst subject? I’m not athletic except I’m strong, so PE.

Re: Difficult school subjects.

jeanlake — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 03:04:26 GMT

Math. I also skipped kindergarten and have thought about that connection, as someone mentioned. My dad's career was about math and my sis is an economist. Mom was valedictoria of her high school class. My mind shuts down with math. Brother went to college for engineering but didn't get past the third calc class and changed his major. I have degrees, but they certainly aren't math driven.

A friend teaches math and said people who like arts, social and behavioral sciences want to know "why" when math is actually about memorizing and trusting the formulas - even if these don't make sense. It sounds like a generalization but I can relate to that explanation.

Re: Difficult school subjects.

happycat — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 03:21:37 GMT

I never could grasp math either. I remember doing homework, thinking I had done a good job and getting the papers back with red marks all over. Lord, I am glad I am done with school!

I tried to help my neice who is in the 4th grade with her math homework and few weeks ago.......I still stink at it.

Re: Difficult school subjects.

this is my nic — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 03:22:32 GMT

@software

I'm with you on that! Trig was one of the courses on the "college prep" list of required subjects. Unfortunately, it was taught by a really creepy teacher, this guy liked to "date" high school girls.

Additionally, he taught physics, another requirement, and was our class's home room teacher. So, the entire morning was spent in his classroom. I really had no idea what was going on in trig class, so I and several others dropped it and took a basic math course instead. Despite the rules for the college prep course requirements, we all passed without trig. I've spoken to my classmates from way back when and the majority had the same low opinion of this so called teacher/pedophile. BTW, no one ever reported him for his girl chasing because back then the teacher was believed, and, his father-in-law was our town's police chief. Another time, another place.

Re: Difficult school subjects.

GenXmuse — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 03:35:34 GMT

Gym. I was always picked either last or next to last for everything. Can't say that I blame them though, but it was embarrassing.

Re: Difficult school subjects.

Zaimee — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 03:52:30 GMT

@this is my nic

Trigonometry was my nemesis, too. Thought I would fail the NYS Regents but managed to do okay.

i also had a teacher that would be in jail today. He would pull the girls to sit on his lap and massage their backs. We all wore skirts back then. Had him in eight and ninth grade! No one talked about it then.

Re: Difficult school subjects.

Flatbush — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 04:19:04 GMT

Latin and chemistry. As I remember some Latin, Caesar was always camping and de camping. What was that about? I did better in French, which was called the Universal language. I wonder if French is still called that?

Re: Difficult school subjects.

ECBG — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 04:47:04 GMT

I hated history with a passion. My grades were high, but I hated it!

Re: Difficult school subjects.

stevieb — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 04:59:07 GMT

I hated math... all math beyond arithmetic. I hated chemistry. I hated gym. I pretty much liked everything else, especially social sciences, history, English (liteature, not diagamming sentences...) and drama (no comments on the drama thing)...

Re: Difficult school subjects.

aroc3435 — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 05:30:32 GMT

@J Town Girl Math was my nemesis. Also disliked phys ed. Would rather have my nose in a book.

@jeanlake I, too, tested out of Kindergarten. I agree with

the notion your teacher friend offers. Had As and a fewBs all through school except Cs and one B in high school math. Took algebra and geometry. In sophomore year my geometry teacher remarked I was such an outstanding student except in math; I told her I could memorize and regurgitate the theorems but couldn't write out the problems to prove them.

In a very respectful manner (this was a private Roman Catholic all girls school) I said I can see that the sides of the illustrated figure are equal and can use a ruler, or my finger joint, or whatever, to prove it. I don't understand how the equations do so. Fortunately for me, she did weekly spelling quizzes for mathematical words and those I always aced. Some of the best math students flunked those. So I got by with a C for the year.

Supposedly you needed three years of math for college, so Junior year I took something called "Terminal Math" and got a B--it was looking up mathematical things in tables--schools probably don't even offer it any more. Math kept me out of the National Honor Society--my grade point average was high enough but could not have any grade of C at all. Made the school's internal high honors list each year--never missed.

I struggled in grade school but finally mastered arithmetic. Never understood New Math, math in Bases, etc. Again, why? What was the point? To me, most of life is not a stark yes or no; find the middle way and there are many ways.

Always loved philosophy, languages, history--all types--and art, theatre, music (no talent in it but talent needs appreciative audiences). Even science and economic history interested me. My first love is reading. It opened the world to me in first grade and continues to do so.

So, in college I majored in English and American History and politics. Married right out of college and supported my husband financially while he got his college degree after he completed his military service, so between that, having children, and a divorce I wound up doing secretarial work for the long haul. A far cry from my dreams of working in New York publishing, or journalism, or something along those lines.

Can't complain though. The journey through life is what you make of it, whatever the surprises may be.

Re: Difficult school subjects.

spiderw — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 05:41:07 GMT

I have to say Chemistry was my least favorite subject, one I didn't have any interest in and struggled through.. I loved my teacher, he was kind and understanding and did what he could to help me but nothing seemed to work. I did pass in the long run and was so happy to not have a chemistry class to dread going to anymore!!!!