What's happened in 6 months - Happy New Year!

Well, I didn't have school over the summer session but instead of writing I was reading and journaling, which is writing just not for the world. I didn't think that anyone would mind sense since I'm not read all that much and unlike some other great bloggers I have no coherent voice. It's the New Year and its time to change that. My posts are going to start being geared towards interesting science, some horrible short fiction that I write for no other reason that I have a teenage dream of being a writer, and my true experiences of school. And maybe some posts on the classes I'm taking.

Regarding the classes I'm taking or took, Calculus I - well, I have struggled with the class during an illness and dropped it. Then I thought I didn't have to pay so much attention to it and passed by it with a low grade (nothing that allows you to move on), and on my last outing I have this to report: CALCULUS IS FUN! Now, I'm sure that anyone passing that remark is doing a Scooby double take but this last semester I took the course with the objective to get an A. I didn't get an A but I'll live receiving a B. And I can only tell you it was because I choked on the final - I don't know why but I've a couple of tips for that too.

If you are taking Calculus this spring here our my steps for getting a good grade:

1. Read the entire chapter before the lecture.
2. In the lecture, take notes but leave space between concepts for text notes.
3. Ask the instructor questions (if you can).
4. Re-read the chapter and take notes alongside your lecture notes. 
5. Solve the examples in the book. Don't just copy.
6. Do the proofs (which probably are the examples) writing them down helps you understand the questions.
7. Don't do the assigned questions - DO THEM ALL! It'll help your understanding.
8. Ask questions on the homework — but only on the ones you have attempted. If you haven't done a question and you let the instructor do it then you won't get much out of it.
9. Re-read the chapter and your lecture/study notes.
10. Ask questions!!!!!

Those ten things helped me almost get an A. My problem with the final had less to do with the work and more to do with these couple of tips.

1. When the test is given — give yourself 3 minutes to read the entire test.
2. Take note of any questions that you know how to answer and don't seem difficult.
3. Complete the easy question, first. If you spend more than a couple of minutes on the question move onto the next easy question. 
4. Return to questions not answered.
5. Attempt to do all other questions.

What happened during my final was that I bogged myself down on what I thought was an easy question but I spent way - WAY - too much time on it. That left less time for the rest of the final and I didn't do too well on it.

Thats it for this New Year's post. I won't post anything about Calculus in the fall since I'm not taking Calculus II till then. I have a new role at my full-time job so and I have training in the morning and they don't offer evening Calculus Classes here.

I will post a stupid idea of a short story I can't get out of my head — so far it's titled: Earth Movers Universal, Inc.  (which is odd because I usually don't title till a story until I've completed it).