Am sithin' mad

[ars_longa]

You will never need to know algebra. I have never once used it and never once even rued that I could not use it.

Yeah, right. I'm a moron so it's not a big deal for everyone to be the same kind of a moron I am.

Why do I complain, though? As long as people are thinking something like that I'll have some means to pay my bills, after they come to me crying, unable to pass 'this damn class that is, o horror, required to get a diploma'.

You'll never need math. Yeah, right. Listen to him, girl, the country needs more cheap workers to do unqualified jobs.

Comments

[doctor-iola.livejournal.com]

i will be the last to advocate less education as opposed to more education, but they do have to somehow make it a bit more relevant. as a college student i did physical chemistry, and calculus, and biochem, and all the "fun" and difficult things, but if i didn't go into medicine, i could have wiped my bootie with my diploma. and even though i did go into medicine, i have NEVER used any of my organic chem, or physical chem, or calculus knowledge....(or lack thereof now), and that is considering that biochem major had included the most courses required for entrance into medschool...

[dswdiane.livejournal.com]

Arrrrgghhh. Arina, you are absolutely right. Learning algebra and geometry teaches the requirements of logical thinking as does no other discipline.

This article made me crazy, but what makes me even more crazy is that there is no reason for students with reasonable intelligent to flunk algebra over and over. The problem is almost always bad teachers.

I will never forget the calculus teacher I had in college who asked me to stay after class one day and then informed that I was asking too many questions and slowing down his class. He told me that no one understand calculus. One only memorizes the equations. Classical example of a *rotten* teacher.

[averros.livejournal.com]

Someone got to wait tables and say "Your luggage, sir!"

*indifferently*

[keturah.livejournal.com]

I would not listen to the male-secretary's views on mathematics, if I were her.

Nevertheless, this does not surprise me at all. I completed two years at public school in Texas (in Houston area), and then the latter two years in California, and I testify that I lost an entire year of math. So I believe part of the problem is not an attitude against math, rather poor ethic of teachers in this state, and definitely at my school.

On the other hand, if Algebra is really that tough for her to fail 6 times, it is probably too late. I would also encourage her enroll in some homemaking class or a typing class, and if this is not disheartening to her, then my point stands true.

I was horrified to hear a student in the physics laboratory section for which I was serving as a TA complain, "This is so much math!" As it turned out, she was complaining about pure arithmetic. She was some engineering student!

[ryrma.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah.

"Most of math can now be done by a computer or a calculator."

Sure... I recall how a guy like that was presenting me my tuition bill... He looked at the computer screen (a couple of numbers in $200-s and three more two-digit numbers), added them on his calculator, and proudly gave me the resulting $700+ bill. I was speechless, so I just muttered something, left and came back another day to pay the bill...

Oh, and the guy had (of course!) a BA diploma proudly displaysed on the wall of his cubicle! Grrr!

If only all of THEM would carry suitcases or mowing the grass! Lots of'em are calculating your bills or doing other (rather important for your life) stuff. :(