Friday, October 14, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
College Algebra for Dummies
I thought I was used to waking up early, but I guess being a college student automatically makes you lose your immunity to anything before noon. Waking up at 7:30 to get to an 8am class on time Monday through Thursday was super hard, even though for the past four years of my life I had been getting up at 5am, catching a bus at 6:30, and in my seat, notebook out, pen in hand by the time the class bell rang at 7:30am. The sunshine every morning made going to class that much more difficult. This sucks! All of my friends from home, aka that place down the street, are still in their beds, and probably haven't been sleeping for more than three hours...
Dr. Mbongo walks in 11 minutes after 8 every morning. His eyes are perpetually low and red, as if he just finished his morning joint; but we never gave it a second thought because he smelled of oranges and Kente oil. He started every lecture "Good morning class, did you do your homework? Is everyone here? I will take attendance now." He wasted at least seven minutes of our class time arguing with Al about calling him Allen instead of Al, because that's what was written on the roster. I sat next to another girl, Michaela, who had gone all the way through Calculus in high school, like I did, so we suffered through the tedious 90 minute review together. I think I spent most of my morning staring off into space, doodling or wishing I had gone to Kettering so at least I would be at home with my friends, not at school doing homework (even if the school was the best.)
Dr. Mbongo, feeling hopelessness in our classes ability to "interpret the equation" always picked on Michaela or me to show our work on the board. I never did homework, so I would show up to the half-erased chalkboard with an empty notebook in my hand, reading and solving the problem on the spot. This would have been an impressive skill if I hadn't taken Algebra in 8th grade and if I wasn't a tutor for algebra and geometry for the past three years. Needless to say, I thought the class was a joke.
I had a simple schedule, math in the morning Monday through Thursday, English in the noon Tuesday and Thursday, and Freshmen Seminar Monday, Wednesday, Friday; and everyday I was done with class no later than 2:00pm. Once I got into routine of my classes and found some familiar faces that traveled with me, I decided I should actually get to know some of these people... maybe.
Dr. Mbongo walks in 11 minutes after 8 every morning. His eyes are perpetually low and red, as if he just finished his morning joint; but we never gave it a second thought because he smelled of oranges and Kente oil. He started every lecture "Good morning class, did you do your homework? Is everyone here? I will take attendance now." He wasted at least seven minutes of our class time arguing with Al about calling him Allen instead of Al, because that's what was written on the roster. I sat next to another girl, Michaela, who had gone all the way through Calculus in high school, like I did, so we suffered through the tedious 90 minute review together. I think I spent most of my morning staring off into space, doodling or wishing I had gone to Kettering so at least I would be at home with my friends, not at school doing homework (even if the school was the best.)
Dr. Mbongo, feeling hopelessness in our classes ability to "interpret the equation" always picked on Michaela or me to show our work on the board. I never did homework, so I would show up to the half-erased chalkboard with an empty notebook in my hand, reading and solving the problem on the spot. This would have been an impressive skill if I hadn't taken Algebra in 8th grade and if I wasn't a tutor for algebra and geometry for the past three years. Needless to say, I thought the class was a joke.
I had a simple schedule, math in the morning Monday through Thursday, English in the noon Tuesday and Thursday, and Freshmen Seminar Monday, Wednesday, Friday; and everyday I was done with class no later than 2:00pm. Once I got into routine of my classes and found some familiar faces that traveled with me, I decided I should actually get to know some of these people... maybe.
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