| Qiana Silver |
| Date 2.4.03 |
| Personal Experience Essay |
| �������������������������������������������� Conquering the Math Beast����������������������� |
| �� For� ten� years� I've� been� giving� in� to� my�� fear� of� algebraic� expressions.� A� year� after� dropping� out� of� high� school,� I� attempted� the� GED� and� failed� the� math� portion.� The� math� beast� has� whispered� defeat� in� my� ear� ever� since. |
| I� never� had� the� time� for� GED� classes;� being� a� single� parent� leaves� little� room� for� much� els� besides� work,� which� is� an� obligation.� Sick� of� my� living� situation,� I� decided� to� move� back� to� Virginia� eager� to� make� the� necessary� changes.� I� purchased� a� very� inexpensive,� official� GED� math� work� book� and� studied� it� every� chance� I� could,� determined� that� this� time� I'd� get� it. |
| "You'll never remember it all!" �The beast wouldwhisper.� I'd ignore its taunts, but I knew that sooner or later I'd have to deal with it. |
| On the morning of October 19th, 2002 I stood in a long line with at least twenty others, waiting in anticipation to be ushered into Warwick High School's freezing cafeteria where the GED test was given.� My� trusted� note� book� eased� my� mind� with� it's� solutions� and� formulas� written� in� my� curvy� script.� I� said� a� silent� prayer� for� everyone� there� to� pass� the� exam� with� flying� colors� as� I� skimmed� through� the� notes.� Then� the� line� began� to� move.� We� filed� into� the� meat locker� dinning�hall� and� received� our� first� set� of� instructions.� The� test �host - a� short,� middle� aged� Black� man - explained� to� us� that� the� temperature� of� the� room� was� beyond� their� control� due� to� some� repairs� that� were� happening�� a� few� halls� over.� He� then� had� us� show� him� proof� that� we� all� belonged� there,� and� once� that� was� established,� we� could� take� our� seats.� Mine� was� assigned� in� an� area� of� the� large� room� that� was� directly� under� an� air� duct. |
| Once� the� room� settled� down,� the� host� informed� us� that� we� could� use� the� provided� calculators� for� the� first� part� of� the� math� exam� only,� and� that� we� had� forty-five� minutes� to� complete� that� section.� I� was� really� hoping� that� math� would� at� least� be� the� second� subject� so� that� I� could� study� my� notes� a� little� more.� The� beast� heard� my� thoughts� and� started� his� taunt, "How� many� times� have� you� learned� this� stuff?" �I� hushed� the� beast� as� it� cackled� at� me.� In� the� end,� I� used� the� calculator� a� grand� total� of� three� times. |
| Part two of the math� section� was� much� more� complicated.� Fractions� leered� at� me� from� the�� test� booklet.� X� and� Y� attached� themselves� to� negative� numbers,� addition� turned� into� subtraction, and� vice� versa.� The� formulas� I'd� studied� for� perimeter� and� distance� eluded� my� memory;� the� beast� laughed� in� the� empty� brain� cells� that� once� contained� them.� I� bit� my� lip� and� pressed� on� through� the� mathematic� assault -� mostly� to� stop� my� teeth� from� chattering� under� the� cold� air� blowing� on� my� head.� After� an� hour� and� a� half,� the� host� called� for� a� halt� to� all� pencils.� The whole room� breathed� a� sigh� of� relief. |
| "Well,� the� worst� is over," I� thought� to� myself� as� I� sat� in� my� car� eating� one� of� the� sandwiches� I'd� packed� for� lunch.� When� I� finished� the� sandwich�� I� called� my� mother� to� check� on� my� kids� and� tell� her� how� they� sprang� the� hard� part� on� us� first.� She� gave� me� a� little� pep� talk� and� confirmed� that� I� was� indeed� through� the� storm,� and� that� the� rest� of� the� test� was� going� to� be� a� breeze.� She� was� right,� of� course.� By� the� end� of� the� break,�� I� started� to� feel� a� little� silly� for� worrying� so� much.� With� that,� I� returned� to� the� icebox� caf� and� sat� in� my� cold� chair,� ready� to� ace� the� rest� of� the� test. |
| Less� than� a� month� later,� I� received� a� large� envelope� in� the� mail.� When� I� opened� it� and� saw� my� name� on� the� document,� spelled� correctly,� I� could� hardly� contain� myself.� Everybody� I� knew� got� a� phone� call� from� me� with�� my� good� news.� They� all� congratulated� me� and� said� they� knew� I� could� do� it.� I� promised� them� all� a� copy� of� the� paper� trophy� and� thanked� them� for� believing� in� me.� My� children,� however,� are� the� ones� who� really� made� me� feel� special,� with� their� little� dance� of� joy� and� matching� song.� It� was good� to� see� that� they� understood� how� important� this� was� for� all� of� us, and� how� essential� it� is� to� life. |
| ��������������� Getting my GED was one of the best things I' ve done in my life; it has given me a level of confidence I didn't have before.� I' m� not� ashamed� about� not� graduating� from� high school� anymore� because� I' ve� discovered� something� about� myself� through� this� challenge:� that� I� really� can� do� anything� I� set� out� to� do.� I� gave� that� test� my� best� shot� and� I� succeeded.� I� also� learned� that� I� enjoyed� the� challenge;� it� made� me� want� to� do� more.� So,� at� age� twenty-seven� with� four� children,� I' ve� become� a� college� student.� |
| ��� ������������And as for the math beast... he lives no more. |