Natalie+Willmore


 * Week 1 - January 12th & 14th**

After attempting to conquer the odds by taking Math 1050 two times I went back to square one. It was a difficult decision to make but now I am learning the concepts that I missed throughout Junior High and High School. While doing my homework this week I realized that these simple concepts were actually quite challenging for me. I am a very visual person and when it came to multiplying negatives and positives or adding them. I pictured the number line in my head and had to count on my fingers or in my head to figure out that answer. I wish I could just know the answer like my husband. I would ask him a question and he knew immediately what it was. That's what was frustrating. I feel so behind. Math is something where you have to build on each concept. If you don't understand the first concept you will most likely struggle with the next because it's like building blocks. One thing that has always been difficult for me is order of operations. My husband walked me through the problem and when I attempted to do the next, we both came up with different answers. Then I could see the importance of doing things in order. I just hope that I can remember how to do these problems when it comes time for the test. Which happens to be today. When I heard that we had a test a lot of anxiety built up inside of me. I don't like tests, especially when they are scheduled for the next class period. Which is even worse since it was my first class period. I just hope I can perform well. I am studying really hard but it's hard to study as much as you would like between class and working full time. Class was good. I liked that we were back to the basics but I just don't want to go very fast. I can tell that we have a lot to cover and so we have to hurry and get through the concepts. Which leaves me trying to further understand it at home while doing my homework. Cory: We rush through a lot of stuff in chapter one just to get up to the pre-algebra level. I think, until chapter 10, that it actually slows down a bit as it goes through topics in more detail, such as a chapter for fractions and a chapter for ratios. Math is definitely my weakness. Therefore while sitting in class I fear that I will be called on or asked to solve a problem. I can do it on my own but once again that anxiety creeps up when I am asked to do math. I anticipate that this class will be a positive experience and that it will allow me to understand those incremental concepts I lack in understanding. Now I am off to study more. Wish me luck on the test...let's hope it's graded on a curve and that my fellow classmates and I are on the same page.


 * Week 2 - January 19th and 21st**

I attempted to do my homework before our class on Tuesday about coefficients, variables and constants. I got far but not too far. Then in class we went over how to do these problems and I understood it but I need to practice more. We went into Chapter 3 on Thursday and I feel like there is so much that I have to remember for this upcoming test. I am getting nervous. I immediately do homework after class in the library so that it's quiet. I am really enjoying this class though. The professor is good and is explaining things well. I really liked his visual aid. When he brought it out I was impressed that he provided a different way of understanding math instead of just writing it out on the board. It really made sense. The students in the class are great. They all want their problems fixed and want to get to the root of what they did wrong. They aren't afraid of asking the professor or getting involved. I hope that as time goes on we will get more familiar with each other and comfortable enough to share concerns and problem solve amongst ourselves. I met one of my classmates Holly. We exchanged numbers and plan on getting together before the test for a study group. I think study groups are essential to doing well in a class. If you have someone who is willing to teach you something you don't understand and you can do vise versa it really helps. I am looking forward to getting together with her and discussing the homework and class notes and lectures. I can only cross my fingers and study hard and anticipate a good end result on the test this Thursday.


 * Week 3 - January 26th and 28th**

My internet hasn't been working and so I haven't been able to post my learning logs. In class we began learning about combining like terms through addition and subtraction and multiplication and division. For me I find it hard to grasp all of it during our class period but after wards when I start my homework it is easier to understand and I catch on quickly. It helps to have my husband explain the homework to me and walk me through problems. I like being able to do problems with him watching. He will then tell me if I am doing something wrong and what I need to fix. It is good to reinforce what I am learning in class at home. Perimeter and area hasn't been too hard for me. The only one that really stumps me sometimes is finding the area of a parallelogram. It's formula is different Length *Height. When our professor first introduced finding the perimeter and then adding another step such as a mirror with a one inch frame it was really hard for me to understand. I couldn't figure out how to incorporate that into the existing problem. Then as I began doing more I began to understand it more. The problems that have been the hardest for me are the story problems. I listen really carefully and draw pictures but I can't seem to write out problems that coincide with the problem. It's really hard so I have to solve the problem an alternate way. I try to write it out and solve it any other way and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Those are the hardest problems I have experienced yet that I don't feel confident with. No matter how many times I practice I seem to fall short of feeling content with my answer. I missed the test and luckily had the opportunity to take it on Tuesday. I prepared over the weekend for it. The notes that Professor Little posted online in the "Chapter to Chapter" really helped me review before the first test. This time I took the Chapter tests in the back of each chapter in our textbook. It was helpful and I feel like I covered more material that way instead of picking and choosing different problems. I am glad I reviewed before I took the test. It allowed me to see the mistakes I continue to make and change them.


 * Week 4 - February 2nd and 4th**

This week I felt that I did relatively well on the test. I worked really hard and took my time and was very disappointed with my results. Even if I didn't know the correct answer I did my best to show my work. I believe I need to work harder and spend more time practicing and possibly get together in study groups before the test. I just don't know what better approach I can take before the test. I knew how to do those problems and I felt very confident that I did well. Although I missed less problems than I did on the first and I did worse. Class on Tuesday was ok. I did homework right after and began to understand most of it. Although when I arrived at class on Thursday I felt like it was a overload of information. I feel like there is so much that we have to know for this upcoming test. The reason why is because we are building upon all of the principles we have learned in past chapters. I hope that I can remember everything from past chapters and be able to apply it in these new problems. One thing that has been hard is being able to "simplify" fractions. I will look at a problem and think that it needs to be simplified down and then our professor will say "It's already simplified". I am so confused. I always hated in math when in school we would be told to find the lowest common denominator and it would be 60. To me that seems high and so logically when I hear low I think of a low number and spend most of my time trying to figure out what other numbers could be the lowest common denominator. When I reach a point where I feel overloaded I tend to give up. I don't want to give up and I feel like I am doing ok but then I realize that I am not even half way through the semester. It's frustrating that I know I have a mid-term and final coming up that could be harder than my professors test. Cory: The only reason why the midterm or final might be more challenging is that they cover more chapters. They are, otherwise, very similar to my tests with a mix of easy and hard questions. Another thing that frustrates me is that I am in pre-algebra. I have taken this class before in Junior High. Why can't I remember these concepts? I hope that I can retain everything I am learning and be able to pass this class. I am honestly doing my best and trying to go above and beyond. I just can't help but feel helpless when it comes to math. Sometimes I get it and sometimes I don't. I can't explain it and I can tell it frustrates those that work with me. Wish me luck...this is going to be a long journey.


 * Week 5 - February 9th & 11th**

This Thursday the chapter was surprisingly very understandable. I was getting frustrated because the previous chapter has been really hard for me. I haven't completely grasped all of the concepts and definitely don't feel comfortable for any upcoming tests. I think those are the areas that I will do poorly on in the mid term. But I am working on understanding those chapters slowly but surely. I really liked Chapter 5. I felt like it was explained very well. Professor Little did a good job of being very thorough and going over everything in the chapter so that we were prepared to do the homework. Although I am apprehensive about Tuesdays class because he warned us to do the homework so we would be prepared. I went home right away and did the homework after class. I sat down and completed it start to finish. I only had 2 problems that maybe gave me grief. What I noticed was terribly important was the difference between the "hundred" and the "hundreth" place. I began to do a problem thinking it was the "hundreth" place when it was really hundred place. My answers were completely different and I saw how crucial it was to pay attention to what each problem is asking you to do. Other than that the homework was easy to complete. I feel like everything is a little overwhelming right now. We are at a place in the semester where we have chapter tests and are preparing for a mid term. These tests are all so intimidating. I do not like tests at all. I hate feeling good after a test and then getting the results and beating myself up for it. I hope that with all of my preparation that I will do well on this upcoming mid term. I feel like the class is doing well at being more engaged in each different class period. I came home and told my husband one night, "Everyone really is in the same situation I am." We can't sight read any of these problems and we all have our areas where we struggle but we're doing it and getting by. I really liked what Professor Little said in class. He not only wants to prepare us for the next course so we can pass this class and advance but he wants us to pass and understand our next course. I can't wait to be done with math but I can tell that if you miss one step you can be lost in a sea of problems and formulas that won't make any sense unless you go back. Hence, I am back in Pre-Algebra.


 * Week 6 - February 16th & 18th**

This past week I took the test for Chapter 4. I am not happy to report that I did poorly. This is the chapter that I struggled with the most and I could honestly feel myself getting emotional as I realized that I was not going to pass this test. But I took the advice of our professor and realized that I didn't do well, learned from it and am moving forward. I am now preparing for our next test which is tomorrow. We learned on Thursday about fractions and circumference of a circle and the radius. I was glad that our professor brought in visuals and applied them to the concepts we are learning. He always finds a way to make a connection with what we're learning and how we could use it in our lives. I am just tempted to say every time "I will never use this". Cory: Ask Sue about using it last week in Biology class. We learned how to multiply, subtract and divide decimals. I had a struggle with subtracting but am working it out by practicing more. We learned how to do the volume of a circle as well. I am practicing and doing my homework before tomorrow. We had a good test review that covered everything that would be on the test. I feel confident that if I study everything that is on the test review then I will perform well. We learned about the square root in class. It has been really hard for me to understand square root until our professor wrote it out and explained it. I understood the pythagorean theorem until we got down to have x for the smaller side. Then I got a little confused. Another thing that confused me and I need a lot more practice on is surface area. We did an example which was really good for me to observe. Sue made a label around a can without overlapping to find the surface area. This week I guess I have just gotten down on myself even though my professor told me not to. It's all mental for me and I am very much a perfectionist. When I didn't do well I was frustrated and disappointed in myself. I wish there were more opportunities for me to receive more credit besides homework and tests. I get major anxiety when it comes to test. I hope that I can prove myself better with this upcoming test and learn from my mistakes.


 * Week 7 - February 23rd & 25th**

This week we had a test on Tuesday. The test for me was ok. I guess that at home I am more comfortable working out problems with someone who can tell me what I am doing wrong. I am confident in my homework and the problems I don't know, I flat out don't know. So what's frustrating for me is that when I go into a test I freeze up. This last test I looked at the problems that I thought I knew and I froze. I was so frustrated because I had honestly just worked out a problem similar. I knew that if I couldn't figure out one part of the problem it affected four or 5 other problems after it. It has affected my confidence. Since the first failure in test taking I feel like things have gone downhill. I have tried to recover but I feel like I'm climbing out of mud. I don't want to develop the mindset of "just get a passing grade". I hate that mindset. I love working hard, understanding and then turning around and performing accordingly. Unfortunately I feel stuck in a rut and don't know how to get out. I know the natural response is "hard work" but I am working hard. It can only go up from here. We had a review for the midterm on Thursday. I feel like there is so much to cover that I don't know the specifics. Holly and I are getting together tonight to study. She recorded class and I am glad. I felt like I was tuned out because I was focusing on my test performance in stead of what I needed to be studying for the next test. For me it seems like it is one test after another. I am very nervous for tomorrow. I hope that I can recall everything that I learned throughout the semester. I was shocked to find out that nothing from the last test will be on the midterm. I am a little relieved as well. I struggle with midterms and finals because it's comprehensive. Everything I have learned in the past 3 months is going to be on this test. The problem is I haven't perfected everything I have learned in the past few months. I am still rough around the edges and learning as we go. Tonight with the help of my husband and Holly I hope we can have a good review before the midterm. Wish me luck!


 * Week 8 March 2nd & 4th**

I can't believe that we just had our midterm and that we are that much closer to the end of the semester. On Tuesday we had the Midterm. I felt prepared (but then again I usually feel that way). I took our professors advice and did the problems that I knew and worked through them. The problems that I kept getting stuck on I left and went back to. The time limit didn't bother me that much until I thought about it. I felt good about the problems that I knew. I think I liked the problems that I could show my work on. I felt confident when I knew that I came up with the answer myself. As for the multiple choice, I wasn't as confident. It showed on my final score. I kept guessing and second guessing myself and changing my answers. I was disappointed with my performance on that portion of the test. I feel like I am not doing as well as I could be but I am determined to do better half. I hope that I can get a good grade. We are currently studying ratios and rates. I know that I am going to get those confused when I complete the homework. I have been really busy but I know that I need to do the homework. I want to sit down with him and completely understand it this time. I don't want to be unprepared for any more tests. I want to be able to devote a day of studying and be able to study without my husband having to give me a "refresher". He's been good to explain everything and re teach himself if he doesn't understand it. I'm very lucky! Professor Little taught ratios by showing a picture of students laying next to each other 3 boys, 3 girls. I have to have visuals in order to learn. When he pulled up pictures and had different problems to teach this concept, it was making sense. I don't learn well when we do different problems on the board and keep rushing through, I get so confused. We have a test on Thursday. I feel like it has been test after test in this class. And for a person who doesn't like tests...this hasn't been pleasant. I am feeling a little run down and worn out with math. It's a frustrating subject so I am definitely looking forward to Spring Break! I haven't run into any problems with ratios but I am sure I will. I am going to be studying with Holly on Tuesday. I hope that together we can discuss things we don't understand and get them resolved before the test. I will definitely let you know if I am not understanding or things get too confusing. Professor Little, are there going to be any more opportunities for Extra Credit :) ? I'm not giving up, but it wouldn't hurt to be ahead of the game.


 * Week 9 - March 9th & 11th**

We're on to Chapter 6. We are learning about ratios and unit rates and proportions. This week we learned about lines. I could remember learning this and so it came back pretty quickly. Professor Little did a very good job of bringing visuals with the yardsticks and asking us if they were still the same triangle and flipping them every direction. That was good for me to see because at one point or another I thought, "oh that has to be different" but it wasn't. Sometimes math can get tricky like that and then I second guess myself. This past week he took the class outside to apply what we had been learning. It was freezing but I was excited to see the application. We all stood in a straight line next to the sidewalk as he explained that we were going to find out the length of the river. We were all laughing as we were trying to figure this out. Some had learned it in boy scouts. Then we came in and he asked Paige to lay on the ground and using a ruler, look up and measure the distance to the tree. This got a little tricky for me. It was hard to see how I would do that but later in the homework I saw the application and understood it. When Professor Little explained angles to us he made his hand look like a little gun and like he was giving a "compliment" said "you look really nice today." And then explained that the L he had formed with his hand was 90 degrees and that is a compliment. Then he made his arms look like he was flexing and said "I take supplements" which mean't that a supplement angle was 180 degrees. I thought that was so clever! I don't do well with remembering everything but when you throw in creative ways to remember something, I do! When my husband was helping me with the homework he said, "Compliment?" and I said "Oh I know!" and I showed him what our professor said. He started laughing and said "Well, if thats what helps you remember." and it does. At the end some of the triangles started to get tricky in the homework. I had Holly come over so I could help her with her homework. She didn't understand some concepts. This is what throws me. I can do the homework and do great and be able to explain it to someone else and then it's like I get test anxiety and cramp up and do poorly. I hope that I can do well on this test. Like Professor Little said, this is a light chapter. I hope that all goes well today. Spring Break starts tomorrow!! I am so excited for a break away from math. No offense, it's just not my favorite subject and it has been hard so this is a well deserved time away. But I will be back on Tuesday :)


 * Week 10 - March 16th & 18th**

This past week we learned about percents. The one thing that was hard for me is that we covered so much in class period. I took a test before class and then we had a long class period with so much to cover. I like learning math when I can have time to understand it but it has never slowed down which is overall very frustrating for me. During class I had a headache so the last portion of class was a blur as I was hoping to just get through it all. I didn't think that I would understand percents but for the most part I did understand a lot of it in class. I need to review it and hope that I can remember it for the test that is two weeks away. I really like how Professor Little made sales calculators to help us understand the process and to make it easier. I really wish we could use it on the test because even though I have the formula in front of me I still find it difficult. I really like how Professor Little has been using visuals. It helps me so much to learn better. It makes more sense and I can actually see the process work. He kept asking students what they were buying, how much and much the item was on sale for. I always wished that I worked in a store so I could learn this process easier. I think this is good for anyone to learn. This is the practical math that I could use everyday in the grocery store. The last two problems that we worked on as a class were difficult to me. Professor Little explained that the last one was really hard and it was. I was sick and couldn't follow what he was talking about. I was extremely confused. If I have further problems in the homework I will be sure to let Professor Little know so that he can help me understand for the upcoming test. Just on a side note, I really liked this lesson. I didn't know that 15/100 is 15%. Where have I been? It made sense and I was fascinated as our Professor continued to explain the origin of percents and how they used them and how we use them today. I feel that a little history lesson always allows me to remember things easier. It was a really good presentation.