Monday, August 09, 2004
Preterm has been truckin' along for almost a week, and yesterday was the first night I actually studied. Before then, I hadn't quite made the connection that I need to study during the down times. Just because you have 3 hours off between classes does not mean you should go shopping or just hang out.
I've been studying in study groups to prepare for the big Math test coming up next week. Wharton tests incoming MBAs to check that we have a basic proficiency in math. You take the test until you pass it, and apparently everyone eventually passes. BUT, if you fail the test twice, you have to take a semester long math class with the undergraduates. Not that there's anything wrong with taking classes with undergraduates - but taking calculus with a bunch of 18 and 19 year olds may be a bit much for old heads like me. So I'm working quite diligently to make sure I pass the test the first time.
I'm really enjoying learning new stuff. The coolest thing continues to be how the professors connect one subject to another. The way I learned stats, econ, and calculus before - I kind of went through the motions. I learned the mechanics. Now I'm learning what things actually mean, which is surprisingly exhilarating. Today in math class, for the first time since I was 17, I finally understood the purpose of derivatives. I get it now. So now, not only can I take the derivative, I actually know WHY I'm taking the derivative. It's like that "Circle of Life" song from The Lion King. Everything is connected. Theories learned in economics can be applied to marketing. Methods you learn in calculus can be used in stats. It's all so cool. I guess the fact that I find this all fascinating makes me a major nerd. Oh well. I love this stuff!
I've been studying in study groups to prepare for the big Math test coming up next week. Wharton tests incoming MBAs to check that we have a basic proficiency in math. You take the test until you pass it, and apparently everyone eventually passes. BUT, if you fail the test twice, you have to take a semester long math class with the undergraduates. Not that there's anything wrong with taking classes with undergraduates - but taking calculus with a bunch of 18 and 19 year olds may be a bit much for old heads like me. So I'm working quite diligently to make sure I pass the test the first time.
I'm really enjoying learning new stuff. The coolest thing continues to be how the professors connect one subject to another. The way I learned stats, econ, and calculus before - I kind of went through the motions. I learned the mechanics. Now I'm learning what things actually mean, which is surprisingly exhilarating. Today in math class, for the first time since I was 17, I finally understood the purpose of derivatives. I get it now. So now, not only can I take the derivative, I actually know WHY I'm taking the derivative. It's like that "Circle of Life" song from The Lion King. Everything is connected. Theories learned in economics can be applied to marketing. Methods you learn in calculus can be used in stats. It's all so cool. I guess the fact that I find this all fascinating makes me a major nerd. Oh well. I love this stuff!
