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What's the hardest thing about having Dyscalculia?
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| mintyogurt |
Posted on July 27 2009 03:31 AM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 69
Joined: 2009-07-25
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TwistedxKiss wrote:
Today, it's having my accomplishments undermined.. I am starting at University of Michigan in the Fall, I got in despite my dyscalculia, and whenever my academic past comes up or how much improvement I made the year before I applied (I raised my gpa a full grade point from a 2.5 to a 3.5 in two semesters) people act like I am somehow not on the same level as the typical Michigan student. HELLO, I AM PROBABLY A BETTER STUDENT THAN YOU BECAUSE I DID IT DESPITE AN OBSTACLE YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO THINK ABOUT! It's disgusting because I am so proud that I pulled it off, and they're acting like the manner in which I managed it somehow isn't good enough. Ridiculous.
Ahhh yes. "Having accomplishments undermined." Yes, that was a phrase I was looking for the other day when writing someone.
I spent a lot of time in school feeling exactly as you just described, and I have two degrees so I've been in school a long time! lol
I know it seems bitter, and I don't ever mean to get a chip on my shoulder about it; it's not in my character to hold grudges ... But sometimes it gets so overwhelming! You know you worked so hard and have accomplished things anyone should be proud of, you doubly so, yet, some goof off sleeps through class and shows up wasted and gets a high five from the teacher. Or another student with exactly the same grade is considered better only because they became known as the 4.0 student their first semester. In this case, it's not just about math but your overall perceived performance, and as a student, you are in some respects identified with your academic performance. You can't say anything though because the other good student deserves notice, too, and that slacker in the back who jokes with the professor might have issues of his own you don't know about, but, it's hard to deal with alone. Which is how you sometimes feel. |
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| ag85 |
Posted on August 01 2009 10:35 PM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 3
Joined: 2009-08-01
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thespazzgirl wrote:
The hardest part for me has always been saying "I don't know" when a teacher asks me how I did something. I've said "I don't know" how much that it's become my least favorite word ever. I'm so tired of saying that, and I'm tired of teachers and my parents getting that frustrated look on their face because they don't know how else to help me.
So true, this was also the hardest part for me! It's like, "I got it right! What more do you want out of me? They don't seem to understand that I couldn't tell them how I did something when I got it correct. I don't even know how I did it. |
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| SoConfused |
Posted on August 10 2009 02:31 PM
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Member
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 6
Joined: 2009-08-09
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There's so much in this thread alone I can totally relate to! This place is fantastic!
My current 'hardest thing' (though its close-run) is underwater navigation.
Two years ago I did a PADI scbus-diving course, and I've totally fallen in love with it. This year I did my second course: Advanced Open Water. I was so excited. Then: a manditory underwater navigation module. Not so bad on it's own, but underwater navigation not only involves estimating distance (which I can't do in open air, let alone open water with the refractive difference) but also ounting kick cycles *and* timing yourself. Simultaneously.
It was like a living hell, dreading that Dive day. Counting kick cycles was awful. It's one cycle for each time you've used both of you legs to fin forwards. Left, right (one), left right (two), left right (three). I kept counting wrong; either out of sequence or not on every other but on everyone, then I started gettin frustrated, and forgetting to look at my Dive computer (nightmares on their own for Dyscalculics - loads of little numbers on a slightly-bigger-than-normal watch!!) to see how long it had taken.
Then we had to use this to navigate a square - 30 metres (which needed to be worked out - underwater - so I couldnt even ask for help) by 30 metres - and finish in the same point.
I tried my best and managed to find my instructor (who floated at the start point) by a combination of guessing and sheer dumb-luck (And using that 10m of visibility to find him and swim towards him for the last bit!!).
I love diving, and this isn't going to put me off - nor is the fact taht so much is number based - like our dive tables - which are uber important (stops us dying!!). I just have to really, really plan to do a dive - to know my maximum bottom time and make sure I never go over - unless my buddy is going to do all the maths as agreed beforehand.
Out of interest - any other dyscalculic divers out there?!
~ SoC |
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| FeatherQuill |
Posted on August 10 2009 03:04 PM
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Member
Location: UK, South Yorkshire
Posts: 127
Joined: 2009-05-02
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At 16 I have yet to live my life, the problem is you see getting to where I want to be.
I would love! LOVE! to go on and be successful in A-level especially English, then continue my English to university level and then go for a career in Journalism. That would be wonderful. Too bad I have to yet makes it to the first stepping stone.
Currently my school holds my future fate. Having (I assume) failed GCSE math I would have to retake it next year. But the school is picky and choosy about who they let in without the required English and maths, last year 3 students without their math GCSE were accepted. And even if I do make it in, I'll be kicked out if I fail again.
During maths classes I adopted a terrible habit, that only one person knows about due to my own mistake. Other than that I would often sit in classes puzzled and in 45 minute lessons would only get through 4 questions on average. And this is without talking to people! It just gives you an utter sense of failure. I seemed to be the worst in my class at multiplication, it makes me feel embarrassed that I don't know my timetables |
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| justfoundout |
Posted on August 10 2009 03:58 PM
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Member
Location: Texas USA
Posts: 6102
Joined: 2008-05-25
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8/10/09
So sorry, Featherquill,
You write as a much older person would write. I'm sure you'll be a wonderful Journalist. It's a shame that such a huge chunk of your effort has to be expended on the math. Also, I've experienced the same 'sitting there in math class, with my brain on 'scan', but actually learning very little.'. Instead of actually learning at least one small thing, there's is such an overload of information that nothing gets 'learned' at all. - jus' |
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| reverend blamo |
Posted on August 10 2009 06:12 PM
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Member
Location: Island of Misfit Toys
Posts: 620
Joined: 2007-10-25
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I free dive, no air, thus no navagation needed. However I had to learn navagation to pilot my boat...also somewhat important esp. when the fog rolls in ((fog moves in quickly here in the Northeast US but you probably don't have much there in the UK ... )
My biggest hurdle was reveresing course, something important if want to end up with in a 100 miles of where you started.
I need GPS more than I should but that won't do much good UNDERwater will it?
"I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello |
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| elena532 |
Posted on August 11 2009 02:58 PM
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Member
Location: Derry, N.ireland UK
Posts: 196
Joined: 2009-05-02
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the hardest thing???
thrting to be diagnosed with in in Ireland.... lol now seroiusly,
(i dont know if anyone esle said this, im not reading all 3 pages)
but, my brothers.
decaln- training to be lawyer
domonic- training and nearly finished to start being a clinical phramist and scientfic writer
john- very very sucessful masters degree in civil and enviromental engineering
patrick- being a father and opened his own bakery and cake decoration bussiness. he has dyslexia and rays syndrom so im expercally proud of him. aswell as my other brothers.
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but im not going to get a job like that, so my mum can say about me.
like, i do feel like ive let ehr down. she said she does not mind, but me reading her body laungue tells me diffently.
also even if i dont have dyscalcuila saying im waiting to be tested, i still cant do smilpe maths. sometimes i crack up in maths class, mostly beacuse the teachers falut...
oh oh.... rant coming....
i came into class. slightly crest fallen becausee i was moved away from my friend even though i did not talk to her in maths lessons. so i came in...
let me explain. i have fear of lifts, but not clostrophobic. but i hate being the oddone out in open areas/spaces.
so i just came in and the teacher pulled my desk RIGHT up the frount of the room at the black bored.... like gggrrrrr.. i said, why are you doing that miss! i wasnt talking yesterday in class or all week! and she said nothing and i should think more beacuse my problem was i could not think like normal people and should stop fooloing around!!!!!!!!!!!
i was raging. most people in my class no me and my mood wehen some one does something i honestly dont deserve.... i sat though and waited and waited. then i moved my desk an inch every time her back was turned. then finally in 30mins i was back at my area of the class room. then i pulled back up and told to stay put.
then she asked me questions i dont knwo and sad stop being the class clown. the only lesson im the class cown is irish and art....
so i told her some things.... but how i did not get deterntion was beond me. now im not pulled out in frounto of the class....
so dyscalcuila put me in taht situation. 
also some other things i cant remember
Don't annoy me, I am running out of places to hid the bodies |
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| justfoundout |
Posted on August 11 2009 08:29 PM
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Member
Location: Texas USA
Posts: 6102
Joined: 2008-05-25
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8/11/09
I'm so sorry, elena532. I can just imagine how awful that made you feel. I had a teacher in college that treated me in a similar way,... not by physically moving my desk, but by doing other things to make me look foolish. I survived that semester in her class, but it was very difficult. A few years later, when I got my MLD diagnosis, I bought a very nice plastic folder, with brads on both sides to hold everything, and I took her a copy of my LD diagnosis and report. I politely presented it to her in her Office. She seemed a little bewildered, but I told her that I just wanted her to have a copy. So she smiled and accepted it. - jus' |
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| elena532 |
Posted on August 12 2009 12:04 PM
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Member
Location: Derry, N.ireland UK
Posts: 196
Joined: 2009-05-02
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awh, thanks. no one messes with elena!
i get a new math teacher this year.
im glad your teacher accepted it
Don't annoy me, I am running out of places to hid the bodies |
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| Tina |
Posted on August 15 2009 01:09 AM
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Member
Location: US
Posts: 104
Joined: 2005-06-09
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jacquiw wrote:
Yep I agree with all of you.Its so frustrating when you tell someone you can't follow directions or work something out only to have them decide to 'explain' it to you like a 2 year old and you pretend to get it to save face but still don't. Its like my mind is having a panic attack and just shuts down and won't let anything in. Also I don't feel its a disability just a disorder but I still hate feeling stupid.
This is really hard. I tend to get so nervous learning new things due to bad work experiences and I freeze up unable to even process one simple thing .... I think this is what Myrna Orenstein calls "chasm" in her book "Smart But Stuck"... if I'm not wrong. It's when it feels like nothing moves in your head and I think it's caused by past negative learning experiences combined with the LD... I need to read her book again to explain it better.... Anyway, so in many instances it's not that one can't necessarily follow the directions because of dyscalculia, it's that brain freeze causing the trouble. I think therapy could help coping with this...
It's just challenging to find a good therapist who specializes in adults with LD's... most seem geared towards kids.
Edited by Tina on August 15 2009 04:39 AM
"I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it." ~ Jonathan Winters |
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| Kathy |
Posted on August 15 2009 01:28 AM
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Member
Location: Bribie Island Queensland Australia
Posts: 407
Joined: 2005-04-03
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Hey Tina,
One of the ladies who works with me and is a retired teacher told me that the other day she stood at a counter to buy her lunch and had a complete brain freeze, Lyn said she couldn't work out her change and had to ask the girl to repeat herself about how much the item was, in the end she just shoved money in the girls hand knowing she had too much but couldn't work it out. She said to me "At last Kath I have had a glimpse on what you have every day - so frustrating and embarassing.
Its nice to know I receive empathy now not just sympathy.
Cheers
kathy
Albert Einstein said: "Many of the things you can count, don't count. Many of the things you can't count, really count!." |
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| Tina |
Posted on August 15 2009 04:26 AM
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Member
Location: US
Posts: 104
Joined: 2005-06-09
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Kathy, so sweet of her to mention her "little episode" and so true....
"I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it." ~ Jonathan Winters |
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| moonagedaydream |
Posted on August 24 2009 05:57 AM
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Member
Location: Canada
Posts: 14
Joined: 2009-08-23
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The hardest part of having dyscalculia is when people assume that you are a blithering idiot because you can't do simple math, even if you have proven yourself to be otherwise intelligent. |
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| elena532 |
Posted on August 24 2009 08:59 AM
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Member
Location: Derry, N.ireland UK
Posts: 196
Joined: 2009-05-02
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moonagedaydream wrote:
The hardest part of having dyscalculia is when people assume that you are a blithering idiot because you can't do simple math, even if you have proven yourself to be otherwise intelligent.
i agree
Don't annoy me, I am running out of places to hid the bodies |
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