History of My Surviving in Math Classes - Essay Example

1. Challenge Perhaps one of the more tricky challenges I faced in life was my academic problems, most especially in Math. Even as a kindergarten tot, I knew back then that I was to have a problem with that “counting subject” in the coming years. Because in the following years, I found Mathematics not only boring but a subject that I was not adept at. I feared numbers and I feared solving problems which involved numbers. I told my parents and they just shrugged it off, and laughingly told me that they were not good in math too, when they were my age.

Instead of being relieved, I felt worried about my future, my academic future; I thought then that being a kid meant no worries. Second grade, third grade and fourth grade passed and I struggled to at least survive in math class. I felt isolated from the rest of the class by just the mere sight of them participating in recitations, taking a look at each other’s satisfactory score, whilst I hardly pass any quiz or seatwork at all. Whenever I get a grade that was barely passing, I felt happy while my classmates frown upon looking at theirs, despite the wide gap their scores possess over mine.

I thought I was never meant to go to college if my math malady was not going to be resolved. I was a bright student in other subjects and my classmates sounded upset whenever I told them my math problems. I thought I was the only one who had it – excellence in other subjects and a loser at math. I approached my Math teacher and told her that I feared flunking the subject and that it would not be unfair if she were not to give me any consideration; I deserved a failing grade. She had that look on her face that looked as if she understood my situation right away, as though she had also been through a struggle exactly like mine.

“In the first place, why did you not come earlier? I was more than willing to boost your spirits up. When I saw you, I saw myself.” Right there and then, she had told me her story; she not only hated math when she was my age but failed a number of times, then got encouraged by her teacher. She had questioned me that how was I to conquer my all of my fears when I could not even look at math face to face. I felt rejuvenated and math was never the same since then. It was mind over matter. 2.

Bertrand Russell – What I Have Lived For For Bertrand Russell, the essence of his life revolved around his seemingly endless seeking for new knowledge, the search for love and a niche in this world, and the compassion for his fellow humans. For him, the equality among these three facets of his life defines the meaning of life itself. He strongly insinuated that nothing in the world can be deemed right without the presence of love and knowledge, the two things being the closest to heaven. The search for knowledge cannot be complete if love was yet to be found because it serves as the fountain of happiness in the midst a life of despair.

The significance of mankind’s existence relies on his ability to love and search for new knowledge. But those two cannot be consummated without the presence of compassion – the thing that balances love and knowledge. However, compassion happens because of the sadness and misfortune prevailing over people. Compassion happens because man cannot do anything to alleviate the nature of life and those feeling compassion also suffer. Given the chance, Russell uttered that he would live his life all over again.

Work CitedRussell, Bertrand. What I Have Lived for. Boston: Alcuin Society Press, 1970.