So I’m taking a math class (pre-calc), mostly as a way to try to feel less dumb in my day-to-day life. I’m doing OK at it, getting most of the “higher” principles such as using conjugates to decomplexificate* a complex ratio. But I’m having trouble remembering some of the basics, especially during quizzes.

Historically, I’ve done better on quizzes than on homework, but now that I’m old, things have changed. Now I watch as other students finish their quizzes before I’m half way done with mine, and I still get things wrong.

I titled this post “math shame” because I hope that by sharing my shame, I will remember what I typed here, and will get it right the next time. Today’s inspiration is due to the fact that on a quiz, I forgot how to change √-2 into something that follows the “a + bi” form. I wrote 2i. The real answer, as pointed out by another student on our way out of class, is actually i√2. D’oh. If I had thought about √-4, I might have realized that’s really what 2i is.

I think this plan may work. There’s only two remaining class periods before the final, so I’ve got to get this shit down quick.

* Firefox says that’s not a word. Too bad.