Dites-moi

Wow, finished grading two days early, talk about a paradigm shift in my work ideology!

Also, i did a kick-ass job on the french composition course, ah oui, even tho i missed quite a few classes, (going to Paris mid-quarter and nursing mini-me back to health, one after the other), making me think at one point that i was falling behind my standards. Hey what can i say i proved myself wrong! So watch me beam! :-D

Hmm...

Sigh1.

I was supposed to leave country for a few weeks but my travel agent ate my ticket, so now i can't go. Hmm, no worry, you see, i believe in karma, so the man shall pay one way or the other, but malheurusement pour moi now i have to see the inside of a small claims court ...bleugh!

On the plus side, i get to see mr jones before he leaves for his trip to le continent plus bas qu'Etas-Unis...in addition, i can take it easy for a few days before the grinding starts anew. Perhaps ponder here and pick up some unfinished research stuff i pushed off to the back burner (which was subsequently switched off haha eek!) I am also designing a webpage for my new grant, so i am hoping to be very creative this break!

Sigh2.

More than 60% flunked the college algebra course. In that lucky (able?) 40% there were 1 A, 4 Bs, 6 Cs. The A and Bs went to students of a certain race, and I knew it was coming. Nevertheless, this always gives me a pause. And I can't attribute it to good study habits of a certain race, because there were some very hard working students in the 60% that didn't make it. Hmm. Je ne sais pas c'est quoi! Truly it makes no sense, but it's a pattern i see over and over, and as mathematicians we are trained to trust patterns. Patterns repeated lead to rules. Of course in maths it has to be 100% true before it can be called a rule, but allowing some error tolerance for human subjects, this is no short of a rule. So far.

What does it take to be successful in math? Let's analyse. LOL. Sorry, i am just laughing thinking of the upcoming pun, but seriously i think that it's very important that one has an analytical brain, first and foremost. Reflecting on what is done is no less important than the doing part itself. Students who get bogged down in the how part and leaves the why to bite the dust will not succeed. Secondly, knowing a new concept is not enough, one must connect it continuously with the old. It's a language where there is a logical structure, singing out of tune will only make for cacophony. Thirdly, make no assumptions, be creative and cognizing enough to cook from scratch on a blink's notice. It's a fine balancing act. One cannot drop one ball and carry another like it's possible in some other subjects, hehe, no disrespect. Lastly, math is art, not science, let the beauty of its highly abstract nature dazzle you without baffling. :-P C'est comment? Seulement celles qui tombent amoureux de la langue ce savent!

So yeah. Tall order, i know, but if one race can continue to succeed at it then why can't the rest? Tell me?