Back to School, Kinda…

When I decided to come home, I knew I would have to take Calculus and Physics at the local community college. Almost every grad program listed the two classes as prerequisites, and it’s possible that if you didn’t have them completed by the time of admission, they would rescind their admittance. Now, some schools may be lenient in this, and others less so, but I didn’t want to take the risk . Also, both classes are a prerequisite for a reason, so taking them would be enormously beneficial for when I start the degree. In addition, one school’s application required me to submit the syllabus of the two classes and all the info for the classes “I was planning to take.” Submitting that application cemented my decision to take them and prevented me from backing out when I arrived home (I submitted all my applications before I came home).

I was nervous about taking Calculus. In high school, I took AP Calculus and remember it being extremely difficult. In college, I took Pre-Calc and I remember it not being that hard because it was mostly a review from what I had learned in high school. I think I got a B- in the class. I had also taken a Calculus class (which I don’t remember taking) and I think I earned a C or a C-. At that time, I was taking classes to figure out what I wanted to study and to do with my life, so while I was motivated to do well, my mind was focused on a multitude of other things. Now, I’m taking calculus because it’s something I will need, and I have a clear idea on why I’m taking it. I’m focused and at the moment I have nothing else to do anyway, so all my time and energy can be used to figuring out or learning ideas I don’t understand. Physics didn’t consume me with the same amount of dread; I had taken it in high school and did well. It’s more straightforward, while Calculus appears more abstract. Physics makes sense, while in Calculus the rules seem to be made up.

I’ve been taking the classes for about a month now and it’s been great. They’re online so I don’t have to travel. It’s also nice to have something to do, and Calculus is no longer like a shadow in a dark room where you imagine a monster to be. I’ve had my first exam and I scored a 95 on it. I took my first Physics exam last Thursday and it also wasn’t difficult.