don't let calculus intimidate you...Once you grasp the *fundemental concept* it's not so bad. What was funny for me was that I absolutely loved algebra, geometry, trig...just couldn't figure out calculus for some reason.

The last time I took geometry was my freshman year of high school - and I remember barely sliding my way past it. Trig and Pre-calc (which I took for all of half a semester in HS before dropping,) were laregly the same way. No matter how hard I tried, I simply couldn't grasp them.
Somehow, I remember BSing my way into an A for the Trig. course too.

Somehow, I never found Mathematics or Physics hard to understand.

I've studied maths as a part of the portion for 10 years now (i.e. not counting the years where I learnt to devise basic equations, learnt the use of multiplication tables, etc). And all of it, without the use of calculators (it is not allowed).

And Physics is a subject that I absolutely love, (not the theoretical part, but the applied part).

It is all a matter of perspective. There is this interesting concept called Vedic Mathematics. Perhaps that would help you to understand and love maths kthxbye.

Here's an example:

Say there are 128 players in a tennis tornament and you are asked to find the no. of matches to be played to decide on a winner.

Now, conventional Western maths says that at first there will be 64 matches, then 32, 16, 8, 4, 2 and then the final. So you calculate the no. of matches by:
64+32+16+8+4+2+1 = 127.

But Vedic Mathematics says that there can only be one winner. Hence there are 127 losers. To decide these 127 losers, there should be 127 matches.

What say, eh?

but a match implies at least 2 contestants...how does vedic math get around that?

and if every one player had to play every other player, there would be a lot more than 127 matches

werewolf, a match implies ONLY two contestents in this case. and it is not in a round robin format; its knockout. And if is in a round robin format, it becomes a permutation problem (remember the nPr and nCr problems, factorials?). And there are Sutras in Vedic Mathematics to arrive at permutation results too.

But Vedic Mathematics CANNOT replace very advanced mathematics. It is just the utilisation of basic Sutras to solve basic problems of algebra, geometry and calculus. It plays around with nos. and makes a person comfortable around them.

That was just a suggestion to kxthbye as he said that he will be able to get his degree if he manages to cope with pre-calc. I am not very aware of the curriculum, but I assumed that it might include basic derivatives, integration, maybe L' Hospital's rule and a bit of summation. Hence the suggestion.

Shu even knows the names of the Theories. I could do the work, but the names. You can forget it.

Hey - if/when I ever go back to school - I'm going to need all the help I can get - especially if I do go into engineering - lots more math there!

Mine is 117 and I'm a word warrior. Hope this doesn't mean I'm an idiot.

Not much kthxbye. The mathematics is easy, in my experience. But I have from civil engineering classmates (i don't know about civil, am in Mechanical engg. tho) its the 'surveying' that kills, full imperial sheets and so on...

And weaksid, should I take your last comment as a compliment or as an insult?

Hey - as long as it doesn't involve lots of super-complicated math? I can handle it.

Great then. Wish you the best for your college.

We have much easier stuff, thermodynamics, fluid machinery, power plant engg. hydel, nuclear and the works), machine design, CAD/CAM...

Enh - well, the chances of me actually being able to go back anything in the near future are fairly slim, unfortunately.

I think you should. Few get a chance to complete their education to the extent they want to.