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I could never figure out math at all at school and even now, would probably struggle to grasp a lot of the concepts (inclination may have something to do with as well...). Basic sums, arithmetic etc, really quick at that sort of day to day malarkey but as much as I tried, I was bloody useless at math!
Any more uselessness from the UKC massive?
Any more uselessness from the UKC massive?
In reply to Denni:
I wasn't very good at maths (but I enjoyed it) but I was particularly bad at football.
I wasn't very good at maths (but I enjoyed it) but I was particularly bad at football.
In reply to Robert Durran:
I see you call it maths rather than math. We were taught at school, UK, to call it math even though this is the American, Canadian way of saying it.
I see you call it maths rather than math. We were taught at school, UK, to call it math even though this is the American, Canadian way of saying it.
In reply to higherclimbingwales:
Maybe that's it, I was very good at footie, shinty, rugby etc but pants at math.
> I wasn't very good at maths (but I enjoyed it) but I was particularly bad at football.
Maybe that's it, I was very good at footie, shinty, rugby etc but pants at math.
In reply to Denni:
Shooting. Joined an air pistol club at uni and I was absolutely appalling, far worse than any beginner should be. It didn't make sense, I was doing all the right stuff with the right approach, but hey ho. Then three weeks later Thomas Hamilton entered a school at Dunblane and that was the end of such clubs anyway.
Shooting. Joined an air pistol club at uni and I was absolutely appalling, far worse than any beginner should be. It didn't make sense, I was doing all the right stuff with the right approach, but hey ho. Then three weeks later Thomas Hamilton entered a school at Dunblane and that was the end of such clubs anyway.
In reply to Denni:
And you obviously didn't completely grasp English. It's maths not math!
After all meths is completely different from meth.
Sorry pet hate, I know a few American maths professors and have an on-going battle with them.
And you obviously didn't completely grasp English. It's maths not math!
After all meths is completely different from meth.
Sorry pet hate, I know a few American maths professors and have an on-going battle with them.
In reply to Denni:
socialising with other human beings.
Was a pretty decent rugger player back in the day- i coulda been a contender if i hadn't been so useless at not suffering life changing injury.
socialising with other human beings.
Was a pretty decent rugger player back in the day- i coulda been a contender if i hadn't been so useless at not suffering life changing injury.
In reply to Graeme Alderson:
But that is what we were taught at school, so not really my fault and its stuck to this day.
But that is what we were taught at school, so not really my fault and its stuck to this day.
In reply to Denni:
I was crap at writing (still am). I couldn't write extended answers to questions in exams but I put that down to dyslexia. I think I am slightly discalculic too as I struggle to do simple arithmetic sometimes.
I was crap at writing (still am). I couldn't write extended answers to questions in exams but I put that down to dyslexia. I think I am slightly discalculic too as I struggle to do simple arithmetic sometimes.
In reply to crustypunkuk:
Me too. It's slowly dawned on me over many years that my people skills are well below average.
> socialising with other human beings.
Me too. It's slowly dawned on me over many years that my people skills are well below average.
In reply to don macb:
I'm crap at climbing, thought that doesn't detract from my enjoyment of it, same as most things really.
A harder question for me would be; "what are you good at?" Be hard pushed to answer that.
> (In reply to Denni)
>
> climbing...
>
> <sob>
>
> climbing...
>
> <sob>
I'm crap at climbing, thought that doesn't detract from my enjoyment of it, same as most things really.
A harder question for me would be; "what are you good at?" Be hard pushed to answer that.
In reply to Denni:
Languages, just never had the vocabulary recall, sometimes even with English. A quirk of how my brain works, too full of other possibly less useful stuff.
Languages, just never had the vocabulary recall, sometimes even with English. A quirk of how my brain works, too full of other possibly less useful stuff.
In reply to Denni:
Not very good at Languages again here. Maths, physics, etc, would just *get*. Languages, not a hope.
Not very good at Languages again here. Maths, physics, etc, would just *get*. Languages, not a hope.
In reply to John_Hat:
Oh, and physics. My twin brought got the science/engineering skills; I got creative/languages/people skills.
Oh, and physics. My twin brought got the science/engineering skills; I got creative/languages/people skills.
In reply to Denni:
Star Jumps.
Picture this - a very large military gym in 1983 with 249 people in nice smart red T-shirts, blue shorts, green socks and white plimsolls all doing star jumps in time. Except that in the back row is Number 250, your correspondent, doing something peculiarly different.
A large, PTI Sergeant makes his way over to this unfortunate specimen and bellows in his ear "Are f******g taking the piss, Sir, or what?" "No, Sergeant, I am not. I am trying my hardest, really", I pant. I'm not quite sure what he said next, but it wasn't complementary, but I got the gist of it.
Still can't do them, which the kids have always found immensely amusing.
Star Jumps.
Picture this - a very large military gym in 1983 with 249 people in nice smart red T-shirts, blue shorts, green socks and white plimsolls all doing star jumps in time. Except that in the back row is Number 250, your correspondent, doing something peculiarly different.
A large, PTI Sergeant makes his way over to this unfortunate specimen and bellows in his ear "Are f******g taking the piss, Sir, or what?" "No, Sergeant, I am not. I am trying my hardest, really", I pant. I'm not quite sure what he said next, but it wasn't complementary, but I got the gist of it.
Still can't do them, which the kids have always found immensely amusing.
In reply to Denni:
Another one for mathematics (saves any arguments), I could always understand it, explain what I needed to do to solve the problem/equation if asked, but I could never apply it to any exercises in a text book. Bizarre.
Football. To the point that my Y10 PE teacher wrote on my report card 'Please stick to rugby'. Wasn't too bothered about this one.
Until about six months ago I could never work out how to use a photocopier.
Another one for mathematics (saves any arguments), I could always understand it, explain what I needed to do to solve the problem/equation if asked, but I could never apply it to any exercises in a text book. Bizarre.
Football. To the point that my Y10 PE teacher wrote on my report card 'Please stick to rugby'. Wasn't too bothered about this one.
Until about six months ago I could never work out how to use a photocopier.
In reply to Denni:
putting names to faces!!! I remember names. I remember faces. I'm just hopeless at putting both together. So if you say hello and I'm obviously struggling, its not that I dont remember you!!!!!
putting names to faces!!! I remember names. I remember faces. I'm just hopeless at putting both together. So if you say hello and I'm obviously struggling, its not that I dont remember you!!!!!
In reply to Denni:
Running. I know the theory, you put one foot in front of another quickly and repetitively, but I just can't seem to get the hang of it. Never could.
Running. I know the theory, you put one foot in front of another quickly and repetitively, but I just can't seem to get the hang of it. Never could.
In reply to Denni:
Learning was always a f*cker for me, being shown how to do something by someone, there's a part of my brain that internally starts screaming "that's bull shit, I've never even heard of this before but that's definitely not the way to do it, I know best" and I have to either f*ck it up myself or read about it myself before it sticks in my head.
Exams as well, I know everyone says that but I just never got the hang of them, even at uni my average coursework was about 8 grades above my exam results, I still don't see the point of exams on a philosophy course, whatever they say it is a f*cking memory test. Incidentally, as far as I can see the largest part of philosophy is about saying "that's bullshit" (in more polite terms and with reasons) to every position you come across, so I had that part down.
Learning was always a f*cker for me, being shown how to do something by someone, there's a part of my brain that internally starts screaming "that's bull shit, I've never even heard of this before but that's definitely not the way to do it, I know best" and I have to either f*ck it up myself or read about it myself before it sticks in my head.
Exams as well, I know everyone says that but I just never got the hang of them, even at uni my average coursework was about 8 grades above my exam results, I still don't see the point of exams on a philosophy course, whatever they say it is a f*cking memory test. Incidentally, as far as I can see the largest part of philosophy is about saying "that's bullshit" (in more polite terms and with reasons) to every position you come across, so I had that part down.
In reply to Denni:
Maths, organised sports, learning things by rote, time and priority management (although I have got much better at that last one over the years!)
Maths, organised sports, learning things by rote, time and priority management (although I have got much better at that last one over the years!)
In reply to Graeme Alderson:
Good for you, completely with you there. Yes, it's maths in the UK, not "math"; and do remind those professors that, to date, they, as representatives of the US, owe us 237 years of back tax.
Bloody colonists. Can't speak, spell, or use proper grammar...grumble....
Sx
> (In reply to Denni)
>
> And you obviously didn't completely grasp English. It's maths not math!
>
> After all meths is completely different from meth.
>
> Sorry pet hate, I know a few American maths professors and have an on-going battle with them.
>
> And you obviously didn't completely grasp English. It's maths not math!
>
> After all meths is completely different from meth.
>
> Sorry pet hate, I know a few American maths professors and have an on-going battle with them.
Good for you, completely with you there. Yes, it's maths in the UK, not "math"; and do remind those professors that, to date, they, as representatives of the US, owe us 237 years of back tax.
Bloody colonists. Can't speak, spell, or use proper grammar...grumble....
Sx
In reply to Denni:
In answer to the OP;
Maths, for me too. Got there in the end, though. Doing the drugs round (as a nurse) and doing the drugs calculatins were always entertaining, at 4 am on a night shift....
Sx
In answer to the OP;
Maths, for me too. Got there in the end, though. Doing the drugs round (as a nurse) and doing the drugs calculatins were always entertaining, at 4 am on a night shift....
Sx
In reply to Graeme Alderson:
>
Why do you say American English is wrong? Are you saying that the English we use in the UK is the more correct? We in the UK don't have a monopoly on the English language. We write maths, they write maths. Both forms are correct.
You should respect and honor the differences. My spelling of honour was deliberate because it is a perfectly correct spelling to an American
> And you obviously didn't completely grasp English. It's maths not math!
>
Why do you say American English is wrong? Are you saying that the English we use in the UK is the more correct? We in the UK don't have a monopoly on the English language. We write maths, they write maths. Both forms are correct.
You should respect and honor the differences. My spelling of honour was deliberate because it is a perfectly correct spelling to an American
In reply to Denni:
I'm mostly mediocre at everything, rather than being good at some things and bad at others.
That said, I'm rubbish at remembering peoples' names. And talking to strangers. I'm fairly sure I'm a bit autistic, but my girlfriend insists I'm just being awkward :o
I'm mostly mediocre at everything, rather than being good at some things and bad at others.
That said, I'm rubbish at remembering peoples' names. And talking to strangers. I'm fairly sure I'm a bit autistic, but my girlfriend insists I'm just being awkward :o
In reply to Trangia:
That's as may be, but 'math' just sounds awful and, as a consequence, anybody who uses it should be punished.
> Why do you say American English is wrong? Are you saying that the English we use in the UK is the more correct? We in the UK don't have a monopoly on the English language. We write maths, they write maths. Both forms are correct.
That's as may be, but 'math' just sounds awful and, as a consequence, anybody who uses it should be punished.
In reply to Trangia:
Yes, unless Americans are consistent and say "mathematic", which I don't think they do.
> Why do you say American English is wrong? Are you saying that the English we use in the UK is the more correct?
Yes, unless Americans are consistent and say "mathematic", which I don't think they do.
In reply to Denni:
Scottish country dancing. I really enjoy it, but I'm useless, and I never seem to to learn.
And my hand-writing is horrible.
Scottish country dancing. I really enjoy it, but I'm useless, and I never seem to to learn.
And my hand-writing is horrible.
In reply to Denni:
Anything to do with dancing - my vision of toe-curling, sweat-pouring, eye-watering hell would be having to dance in front of anybody (including myself).
Anything to do with dancing - my vision of toe-curling, sweat-pouring, eye-watering hell would be having to dance in front of anybody (including myself).
In reply to Denni:
Looking tidy.
No matter what I try to do, with my clothes, my hair, not stepping in dogshit etc. I just look a mess.
I think the problem with maths for a lot of people has to be (have been I hope) the teaching.
We seemed to have a disproportionally large number of teachers of both maths and physics, who were capable of making these two fascinating subjects completely boring.
Looking tidy.
No matter what I try to do, with my clothes, my hair, not stepping in dogshit etc. I just look a mess.
I think the problem with maths for a lot of people has to be (have been I hope) the teaching.
We seemed to have a disproportionally large number of teachers of both maths and physics, who were capable of making these two fascinating subjects completely boring.
In reply to Denni:
Any form of sports involving balls.
Simple arithmetic (which is odd because complex algebra is fine).
Any form of sports involving balls.
Simple arithmetic (which is odd because complex algebra is fine).
In reply to Denni:
Almost anything requiring decent hand to eye co-ordination, e.g. racquet sports, cricket/rounders, footy etc. Except, oddly, driving, which has itself over time improved my co-ordination on the other things.
Neil
Almost anything requiring decent hand to eye co-ordination, e.g. racquet sports, cricket/rounders, footy etc. Except, oddly, driving, which has itself over time improved my co-ordination on the other things.
Neil
In reply to Denni:
Football, specifically football, I am reasonably good at most ball sports, tennis, cricket, rugby, was part of a North of England championship winning team at Lacrosse, but always struggled with football. Made up for it a bit later in life by being fitter and faster than most of the people I played against, but was still pretty poor.
Football, specifically football, I am reasonably good at most ball sports, tennis, cricket, rugby, was part of a North of England championship winning team at Lacrosse, but always struggled with football. Made up for it a bit later in life by being fitter and faster than most of the people I played against, but was still pretty poor.
In reply to Denni:
French.
Which baffled my school and they insisted on keeping me in the top class for it resulting in perpetual humiliation by various sadistic French teachers.
French.
Which baffled my school and they insisted on keeping me in the top class for it resulting in perpetual humiliation by various sadistic French teachers.
In reply to Denni:
Squash (only tried once but even making allowances for being a beginner, I was awful).
Playing the guitar. Maybe I have not tried hard enough. I took piano lessons as a child, for several years, and reached some basic level of competence (Grade 3 - 4, nothing great, but I could read music and understood the basics).
With the guitar, I can make a few chord shapes, but I am clumsy at switching between them. I can pick out some basic tunes to "finger pick" but I can never make them flow smoothly. If I string together my two-minute "tunes from the American Civil War" medley without a mistake, it is a miracle.
I am even rubbish on bass.
Squash (only tried once but even making allowances for being a beginner, I was awful).
Playing the guitar. Maybe I have not tried hard enough. I took piano lessons as a child, for several years, and reached some basic level of competence (Grade 3 - 4, nothing great, but I could read music and understood the basics).
With the guitar, I can make a few chord shapes, but I am clumsy at switching between them. I can pick out some basic tunes to "finger pick" but I can never make them flow smoothly. If I string together my two-minute "tunes from the American Civil War" medley without a mistake, it is a miracle.
I am even rubbish on bass.
In reply to Denni:
Other people's rules. This approach tends to make life challenging, but I do like a challenge.
Other people's rules. This approach tends to make life challenging, but I do like a challenge.
In reply to Denni:
Swimming. I look like someone having a seizure in a bath when all I really want to do is be one of these people that can glide along length after length.
Swimming. I look like someone having a seizure in a bath when all I really want to do is be one of these people that can glide along length after length.
In reply to Denni:
Music and people-skills spring to mind. I can, with a bit of work achieve at least mediocre performance/results in most things I try but those two mystify me.
Accurately judging my own competence/ability is probably another shortcoming I can't work around.
jk
Music and people-skills spring to mind. I can, with a bit of work achieve at least mediocre performance/results in most things I try but those two mystify me.
Accurately judging my own competence/ability is probably another shortcoming I can't work around.
jk
In reply to Denni:
i am useless at order, in any form.
Can only just manage to keep the forks and knives in seperate compartment in the kitchen drawer.
i am useless at order, in any form.
Can only just manage to keep the forks and knives in seperate compartment in the kitchen drawer.
In reply to Denni:
Music.
Ball games, absolutely no hand eye co-ordination that's why they wouldn't let me fly helicopters - the bastards.
Being a team player.
French.
Music.
Ball games, absolutely no hand eye co-ordination that's why they wouldn't let me fly helicopters - the bastards.
Being a team player.
French.
In reply to Denni:
aye i'm another one for maths, and social skills
and music is a foreign language, playing that is
oh yes and dance, can't do it, don't get why people watch it
aye i'm another one for maths, and social skills
and music is a foreign language, playing that is
oh yes and dance, can't do it, don't get why people watch it
In reply to Denni:
Ball games and racket sports and generally anything that requires you to throw, catch or hit things. I have no hand-eye coordination whatsoever!
Ball games and racket sports and generally anything that requires you to throw, catch or hit things. I have no hand-eye coordination whatsoever!
In reply to Denni:
Swimming, water-skiing, loading the dishwasher (according to my missus), working with people I dislike, dancing, diving off a diving board (in fact diving in head first full stop). I'm sure I will think of many other things soon.
Swimming, water-skiing, loading the dishwasher (according to my missus), working with people I dislike, dancing, diving off a diving board (in fact diving in head first full stop). I'm sure I will think of many other things soon.
In reply to Denni:
Computer games.
Absolutely abysmal at them.
And communicating with people.
Once a shy boy ,always a shy boy.
Computer games.
Absolutely abysmal at them.
And communicating with people.
Once a shy boy ,always a shy boy.
In reply to Denni: French, was forced to take it for first two years of secondary school and by the end of that I couldn't string one single sentence together in French.
oddly enough now I am much older I would love to speak a 2nd language but being Scottish its probably best to try and master English first .
oddly enough now I am much older I would love to speak a 2nd language but being Scottish its probably best to try and master English first .
In reply to Denni:
Hitting a ball with a cricket bat! Or any sort of bat/club/racket for that matter.
Hitting a ball with a cricket bat! Or any sort of bat/club/racket for that matter.
In reply to buzby:
I did French at school ,also for 2 years ,and was told to carry on with it by the teacher, but I didn't really fancy it.
Strangely ,could manage to communicate with the French woman at the job I was doing recently.
When asked If I would like a cup of tea ,in her passable English , I replied
Ah ,oui. Avec lait ,et un sucre .sil vous plait.
She was impressed ,as she'd rightly thought I was dense.
Bon ? Eh ?
Pffffffff.
I did French at school ,also for 2 years ,and was told to carry on with it by the teacher, but I didn't really fancy it.
Strangely ,could manage to communicate with the French woman at the job I was doing recently.
When asked If I would like a cup of tea ,in her passable English , I replied
Ah ,oui. Avec lait ,et un sucre .sil vous plait.
She was impressed ,as she'd rightly thought I was dense.
Bon ? Eh ?
Pffffffff.
In reply to Denni:
Making money. Every time I've been on the threshold I walk away. Bonkers.
At least 5 of my protégés have made fortunes, I'm hoping they'll bail me out as I enter my dotage.
Making money. Every time I've been on the threshold I walk away. Bonkers.
At least 5 of my protégés have made fortunes, I'm hoping they'll bail me out as I enter my dotage.
In reply to Denni:
I'm crap at emotional interplay and expression. Apparently my happy, excited, sad, scared, empathic, interested and other emotional faces all look exactly the same.
I'm crap at emotional interplay and expression. Apparently my happy, excited, sad, scared, empathic, interested and other emotional faces all look exactly the same.
In reply to Denni: Ironing, mind you it took me a good few years to perfect being really crap at it, the missus won't let me near the ironing board now.
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