school girl update

I know you've been anxiously waiting for news about my last semester at SLCC. But, well, I've been busy:

--Shopping: not something I've typically even thought about since it isn't even mid-December yet, but I am all over the shopping and nearly done and ready to begin the wrapping;
--Creating: well, not actually creating much, but I have been looking at and fingering my bead assortment and I'm feeling a creative stirring in my soul that may blossom into jewelry at any moment;
--Worrying: about my kids because, hello, that's what I do;
--Enjoying: a lovely little dance recital by two adorable granddarlings last night followed by dinner at IHOP (or IPOP if you happen to be Janey, because I taught her it is called that)

My calculus final is on Monday. I think I mentioned my last test was two weeks ago and I got 35 out of 98, which was, anyway you figure it, the worst test score of my life. I had to do some really serious self-talk to convince myself I'm not really stupid at math.

I've been fretting a bit about the final. Because 1) I just totally failed a test for the first time ever, and 2) it's calculus, and 3) the professor told us during our last class that the final would be on eight sections instead of the previously announced four sections, and the combination of newly included sections makes this as close to a comprehensive final as is possible (mathematically speaking).

While I should probably be studying my brain into a coma, I've instead been fretting and stalling--which is why I had time for a haircut, several visits to the store, much online purchasing, and all of the rest of the dawdling and procrastinating I've been doing.

But just now, I've finally come up with an idea that gives me hope that I just might pass the final and with that, pass the class, maybe even earning (and I do mean earning) a C. (In case you need to know, a C is not average at all--it is hard to earn a C in math when numbers are not your native language.)

My plan is to redo all of the homework assignments for the eight sections that will be covered on the final. In yet another fit of procrastination, I checked the syllabus and noted that I will be completing 28 + 12 + 11 + 22 + 28 + 9 + 34 + 29 + 10 + 13 problems which = 196. One hundred ninety six calculus problems in the next two days (really in the next day because I'm working on Monday).

Now it should be clear why calculus is so hard. It's the stalling and cramming and reviewing before the big test and then the big brain freeze anyway. But I can do this, right?