Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Friends don't let friends find square roots by hand!

Xist · 02-05-2014, 02:48 PM

I have been surprised to find people that knew how to find the square root by hand, although I would probably have more difficultly this weekend at drill. I thought that I was bright taking pre-calculus my senior year of high school, but I was the only senior in the class. When I went to college, they told me to take college pre-calculus. It was a few years before I decided to take calculus, so I took pre-calculus a third time. It was so easy for me that I did the homework during class, before the instructor explained the material or made the assignment.

However, calculus...

I checked all of my Saturday-night math on the computer and I kept making small mistakes, which seems characteristic of my life--I get distracted and lose track of what I am doing.

I felt like I understood calculus, but when I spent four hours each night on homework and I never finished because almost every time that I checked my work I had the wrong answer, I gave up and changed my major. Saturday night, I was frustrated because I could not imagine needing to do this math by hand--I have three laptops, two calculators, and a phone, and if I really needed to, I could purchase or borrow another calculator.

However, I realized that as a computer programmer, I would have done math by computer, not by hand. I am inclined to think that a bachelor's in computer programming would have been more useful than one in Spanish, and here I was going through that all over again.

It was completely by random that I received a handout explaining how to find square roots by hand. I thought that it was brilliant. I still have it, but I was never taught how by a math teacher.

I found many square roots by hand, in my free time.

However, the issue was timing. I have three tests this week. Somehow I earned an 97.49% on my statistics test.

Anyone have any good statistics jokes about that?

I really wanted to start studying on Saturday, instead of doing math by hand, only to be told by the professor that I could use a calculator.

However, I wonder if the professor made me an exception to his no-exception rule by giving me half credit, just because of all of my hard work.

02-05-2014, 02:48 PM	#4 (permalink)
Xist Not Doug Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Show Low, AZ Posts: 12,265 Chorizo - '00 Honda Civic HX, baby! :D 90 day: 35.35 mpg (US) Mid-Life Crisis Fighter - '99 Honda Accord LX 90 day: 34.2 mpg (US) Gramps - '04 Toyota Camry LE 90 day: 35.39 mpg (US) Don't hit me bro - '05 Toyota Camry LE 90 day: 30.49 mpg (US) Thanks: 7,273 Thanked 2,236 Times in 1,726 Posts	I have been surprised to find people that knew how to find the square root by hand, although I would probably have more difficultly this weekend at drill. I thought that I was bright taking pre-calculus my senior year of high school, but I was the only senior in the class. When I went to college, they told me to take college pre-calculus. It was a few years before I decided to take calculus, so I took pre-calculus a third time. It was so easy for me that I did the homework during class, before the instructor explained the material or made the assignment. However, calculus... I checked all of my Saturday-night math on the computer and I kept making small mistakes, which seems characteristic of my life--I get distracted and lose track of what I am doing. I felt like I understood calculus, but when I spent four hours each night on homework and I never finished because almost every time that I checked my work I had the wrong answer, I gave up and changed my major. Saturday night, I was frustrated because I could not imagine needing to do this math by hand--I have three laptops, two calculators, and a phone, and if I really needed to, I could purchase or borrow another calculator. However, I realized that as a computer programmer, I would have done math by computer, not by hand. I am inclined to think that a bachelor's in computer programming would have been more useful than one in Spanish, and here I was going through that all over again. It was completely by random that I received a handout explaining how to find square roots by hand. I thought that it was brilliant. I still have it, but I was never taught how by a math teacher. I found many square roots by hand, in my free time. However, the issue was timing. I have three tests this week. Somehow I earned an 97.49% on my statistics test. Anyone have any good statistics jokes about that? I really wanted to start studying on Saturday, instead of doing math by hand, only to be told by the professor that I could use a calculator. However, I wonder if the professor made me an exception to his no-exception rule by giving me half credit, just because of all of my hard work.