Post by Charlie on Jan 30, 2005 19:51:18 GMT -5
Hello everyone
I'm 38 and I hail from the UK. I only heard the term dyscalculia late last year, I had no idea that it existed before then. I believe I've suffered from some form of it since...well since I can remember.
I can remember the burning humiliation of being the last in my class at primary to finally master the art of telling the time, for me it had been a nightmare for I just couldn't understand how quarter to two was the same as one forty five, I couldn't see it on the clock, working out the hands was horrific.
I excelled in English, my reading was perfect, I was frequently chosen for reading out loud at school events, little class plays etc. I was very good at poetry.
Maths at high school was horrendous, I wasn't allowed to sit the maths O Level, I think I was kicked out of maths in second year. I did sit arithmetic but failed, miserably.
I slipped through the net, plain and simple but this was the early 80's.
With no maths qualifications there were jobs I wanted to do but could never apply for, even if maths wasn't required but entrance tests were to be expected I still couldn't apply because I would have failed the numerical side. I can't do anything but the most basic division, forget fractions and percentages (the absolute worst of the lot) I can add and subtract alright but keep it simple please!!
Once in my old job my boss asked me to count a pallet that had books on it. I broke into a cold sweat because I couldn't figure out how to do that. To me it was impossible because not all of the books were in view, anybody else would have worked out to count the top row and then multiply that by how many rows there were. I couldn't do that. I was completely mortified.
I went for an interview for the inland revenue once, I was doing okay up until we were asked to work out a percentage and I didn't know how to do that, even on a calculator. Why I went for the job I don't know, perhaps it was because I had grown in confidence since I did a college course and the basic accounts tutor brought out the best in me, once I learned the formula I did really well. I lost that new found confidence quickly though.
I would love to train to be a health and saftey inspector working for the HSE but I know this is only a dream.
In my next life I'm coming back as a mathematician no doubts about it.
Anyway I also have problems with distance, speed, measuring, I can't read a map if my life depended on it. I had thought about joining the police force but imagine someone like me being asked to confirm which direction they were going???
Er South on the Westbound carriageway....no perhaps it's West on the Southbound. Oh heck I don't know.
I think I'd be fired pretty quickly.
Keeping a sense of humour is paramount I think and knowing I'm not alone is a huge bonus.
I haven't been diagnosed with anything yet incidentally, I'm still wondering how to go about that or even if it's worth my while at this age.
Well that's my intro and I look forward to meeting you all, thank you for reading this. ;D
I'm 38 and I hail from the UK. I only heard the term dyscalculia late last year, I had no idea that it existed before then. I believe I've suffered from some form of it since...well since I can remember.
I can remember the burning humiliation of being the last in my class at primary to finally master the art of telling the time, for me it had been a nightmare for I just couldn't understand how quarter to two was the same as one forty five, I couldn't see it on the clock, working out the hands was horrific.
I excelled in English, my reading was perfect, I was frequently chosen for reading out loud at school events, little class plays etc. I was very good at poetry.
Maths at high school was horrendous, I wasn't allowed to sit the maths O Level, I think I was kicked out of maths in second year. I did sit arithmetic but failed, miserably.
I slipped through the net, plain and simple but this was the early 80's.
With no maths qualifications there were jobs I wanted to do but could never apply for, even if maths wasn't required but entrance tests were to be expected I still couldn't apply because I would have failed the numerical side. I can't do anything but the most basic division, forget fractions and percentages (the absolute worst of the lot) I can add and subtract alright but keep it simple please!!
Once in my old job my boss asked me to count a pallet that had books on it. I broke into a cold sweat because I couldn't figure out how to do that. To me it was impossible because not all of the books were in view, anybody else would have worked out to count the top row and then multiply that by how many rows there were. I couldn't do that. I was completely mortified.
I went for an interview for the inland revenue once, I was doing okay up until we were asked to work out a percentage and I didn't know how to do that, even on a calculator. Why I went for the job I don't know, perhaps it was because I had grown in confidence since I did a college course and the basic accounts tutor brought out the best in me, once I learned the formula I did really well. I lost that new found confidence quickly though.
I would love to train to be a health and saftey inspector working for the HSE but I know this is only a dream.
In my next life I'm coming back as a mathematician no doubts about it.
Anyway I also have problems with distance, speed, measuring, I can't read a map if my life depended on it. I had thought about joining the police force but imagine someone like me being asked to confirm which direction they were going???
Er South on the Westbound carriageway....no perhaps it's West on the Southbound. Oh heck I don't know.
I think I'd be fired pretty quickly.
Keeping a sense of humour is paramount I think and knowing I'm not alone is a huge bonus.
I haven't been diagnosed with anything yet incidentally, I'm still wondering how to go about that or even if it's worth my while at this age.
Well that's my intro and I look forward to meeting you all, thank you for reading this. ;D
