An Open Letter To Students Who Suck At Math Or Science | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

An Open Letter To Students Who Suck At Math Or Science

It's not you; it's just not what you're good at.

3494
An Open Letter To Students Who Suck At Math Or Science
Education News

Dear college student who I presume sucks terribly at math and/or science,

Don't worry, you're not alone. It may seem like you're alone when you're sitting in a lecture hall of over 300 students and almost everyone seems to understand orgo but you, or everyone but you can solve the math problem on the board in less than a minute, but trust me, you're not the only one.

I know you had thoughts of going to medical school and becoming an anesthesiologist, and in middle school and high school you probably got 100s on every single math and science test, but then college came around and something went wrong. I'm going, to be frank here so don't take it personally. Clearly, you can't solve a calculus problem for your life (and if you can, it'd probably take you like three hours to do it). And that's okay because everyone understands different things differently.

Take it from yours truly who is one of the many people who'd take three hours to solve the aforementioned calculus problem. Maybe you don't understand basic college-level chemistry, but maybe you're a beast when it comes to writing essays and reading books. Maybe you know a ton about art; maybe you have a knack for marketing; maybe philosophy is what you'd be truly happy getting a degree in.

Likewise, always remember that one of your skills can be someone else's weakness. Some people who say they're great at understanding science courses also say that it takes them weeks and months to finish one book. Some people may be great, young, computer scientists, but they could be miserable in a history class. Doesn't that make you feel better now? Good, it should. And in case there was ever a doubt in your mind about your intelligence because you couldn't understand a semester of Java, not being good at math or science doesn't mean you aren't smart.

Now, I'm no quitter, but I do know when I'm only interested in my work and not passionate about it. And in all honesty, I feel like that distinction is truly the key to knowing for sure—not how many math problems you can solve in 10 minutes; not how many bug-free programs you write in a day. And despite what some may think, picking a non-STEM major is NOT taking 'the easy way out'—every college class is challenging in its own way.

And so my friend, you shouldn't let your weaknesses define your successes. As a super inspirational quote from Pinterest once read, "when you think you're being rejected from something good, you're be re-directed to something better."

Here's to being human.

Sincerely,

A fellow college student who sucks at math and science

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

1586
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

1051
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 20 Thoughts College Students Have During Finals

The ultimate list and gif guide to a college student's brain during finals.

260
winter

Thanksgiving break is over and Christmas is just around the corner and that means, for most college students, one hellish thing — finals week. It's the one time of year in which the library becomes over populated and mental breakdowns are most frequent. There is no way to avoid it or a cure for the pain that it brings. All we can do is hunker down with our books, order some Dominos, and pray that it will all be over soon. Luckily, we are not alone in this suffering. To prove it, here are just a few of the many deranged thoughts that go through a college student's mind during finals week.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

1672
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments