Holly Cochran

Ms. D. Ann
English 2
13 July 2014
My Positive Parabola with Math
While in grade school I maintained a B average in my math classes because I could
understand the concepts and could apply them to problems correctly. I was one of the
smartest kids in my homeroom class and I really thrived on that. My mom would always
praise me because the equations were difficult for her to solve. I excel in finding solutions
for various math problems.
For both my seventh and eighth grade year, I was assigned to a Pre-Algebra class.
During that time, I experienced these painful stomach aches that required medical
attention. I remember laying in bed with my mom one morning after staying home from
school for the second day in a row thinking about my accumulating work and how much
stress this was putting on me. The stress made my stomach hurt worse which was a
vicious cycle that never seemed to end.
Because of my health issues, I was not able to take Algebra 1 as an eighth grader
like a few other students did and it bothered me. Finally, a physician prescribed
treatments to restore my health, but within those years, I had missed relevant reviews
and lessons. Consequently, I missed a great quantity of my classes. In those two years I
felt I was drifting along and did not understand the concepts in depth. I was too shy to
ask the teacher for help after class or raise my hand for much needed guidance because I
was too proud to ask for help and did not want to call attention myself. Having so many
absences made me fall behind in Pre-Algebra. Even though I did pass, I felt as if I was
not confident enough in my abilities to go into Algebra 1.
The summer before my freshman year, I received my schedule to sign up for the
classes I needed to take in the mail. I remember my mom telling me that I should take
honors classes in math. I wanted the honors classes, but I felt as if I was not cut out for
them because I wasn't good at math in junior high school so I disregarded it and checked
the regular Algebra class. That year I was placed in Algebra 1 class for my freshman
math. While attending attending my Algebra 1 class, I did not encounter any difficulty
solving problems using formulas and graphing them accurately. When I did homework, I
remember graphing the equations always making sure my lines were perfect. For the
first time since elementary school, I truly enjoyed math.
After school one day, my teacher asked me, Have you considered taking honors
classes? It threw me off guard and I responded with a no. She told me how extraordinary
my grades were and hearing that restored my confidence in math. For the remainder of
the year, I considered signing up for honors classes for next year. I wanted to take Honors
Geometry and Honors Algebra 2 so I could take Calculus in high school. My teacher said
it may be difficult, but I knew it was something I wanted to do.
I took Honor's Geometry and Honors Algebra 2 during my sophomore year and
loved it. I could easily keep each subject separate and had little to no problem with
Honors Algebra 2. My favorite chapter was graphing conic sections. Honors Geometry
was tougher because it was more abstract than Algebra. My biggest concerns were
polygons and proofs. I loved everything else including Trigonometry. My grades in both
classes never went below a B-.
Doubling up my classes, I am now on the same level as the kids who took Algebra 1
in eighth grade. My mom is proud of me for taking two honors math courses at once and
so am I. If I had not had my health setback, I do not think I would have found my passion
for math.