The Reality of My Finite Nature: Part 2

Here's a review of part 1.

I really feel like garbage. I ran out of time on my physics midterm and got a terrible grade. So much for bringing up my GPA. I had high hopes that physics was going to be my highest mark. It got me thinking about what will my average have to be to bring up my GPA to even consider applying for grad studies:

Current GPA: 76%
Classes Completed: 42
Needed GPA: 80%
Classes to Complete: 21
Total Classes: 63

(42/63)*76 + (21/63)x = 80
(2/3)*76 + (1/3)x = 80
3[(2/3)*76 + (1/3)x = 80]
2*76 +x=240
152 + x =240
x = 88

That's right folks, 88% average over 21 classes for 3rd & 4th year honours math classes, some second year physics, some first year chemistry and biology classes. I realized I may have blinded some of you with my mad algebra skills* but you don't need to be a mathemagican** to know that is a tad on the improbable side.

Why do I feel like I'm being punished for choices I made in my late teens and early twenties? I made a conscience effort to settle for doing "okay" so I could have a social life. Forty of those classes where completed before age 22. At the time, I needed at least 70% in my major (secondary math education) and 65% in my minor (secondary English education). I had well above that. Now I have 23 classes of the 40 that do not count towards my degree but do count towards my GPA.

I was getting help on an assignment this afternoon when the prof said "An intelligent person like yourself...". He was impressed*** that I figured out how to do a question that he did not teach in class and it isn't covered in the textbook. He was convinced he had covered it and went as far as looking through all of my notes to make sure. It made me feel a little better but compliments from profs do not bring up one's GPA.

People in my life, be prepared to see me even less for the next two months.

* I did the math in my head in the shower, that is why it is mad skills.
** Nickname a student gave me. I was also referred to as a mathlete. He was much more interested in math-related nicknames than the actually math.
*** Yeah but it took me two hours. Well it mostly took me two hours because I was watching hockey and then Sport Centre. C'mon, it was Trade Deadline '08. My boy Cristobal Huet was traded so how could a girl concentrate fully on linear algebra? It will be a future blog rant, trust.