Brain freeze

By IvyLeague? - 15/01/2013 02:52 - United States - Buffalo

Today, I was babysitting, and a little girl asked for help with her homework. I cheerfully began an explanation, only to freeze mid-sentence. I could not for the life of me remember how to do long-division. I'm about to graduate from Cornell University, and her little brother had to correct me. FML
I agree, your life sucks 34 879
You deserved it 10 340
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Top comments

TehGinga94 21

Nobody above middle school can remember. You're not alone.

441 11
SApprentice 34

It's hard to remember information when you have had no reason to review it for years. Don't feel bad, OP. It happens to all of us.

137 2

Comments

onorexveritas 23

at least her brother was there to help so she didn't learn it the wrong way

2 1
perdix 29

$300,000 worth of Ivy League education and you're not smarter than a third-grader? I hope you get a calculator for graduation!

16 5
poccocurantes 7

Don't be too hard on OP. It's called primacy recency. We tend to remember the first and last things more than those in-between. For instance, OP is probably really good at tying shoes and quadratic equations, English, history, basic math, not so much.

4 8
Sandsh8rk 36

Don't worry about it man. I never even understood long division, I never needed to.

0 7
poccocurantes 7

If you are graduating from Cornell, I'm sure you can hire an accountant to handle all that math stuff.

5 1
myurlbriii 9

Cornell? I think you'll be alright. Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?

0 3
BlackBlazeCobra 16

Don't feel so bad, no one can remember long division after like 6th grade. It's pretty damn useless since we're taught to use calculators as we move up grades.

4 0
wsdarrah 14

Don't sweat it OP. :) I used to love long division until I started using calculators. I had to take a math placement test before I got into high school, and although I was above proficient in Algebra, I failed with a 11% because I couldn't use a calculator. /: It happens to us all. :)

1 2
kumonsucks 7

Quick lesson! 6/29 So start off with one number at a time. How many 6's can go into 2?. None! So put a zero at the top of the two (pretend the invisible like v---) So drop the 2 to one sentence below along with the 9. So how many 6's can go into 29? 4 times! So wright.a 4 at the top. You should have 04. Now how much is left over? 5! So the answer is 4 R 5

4 0
BigSexy123 11

Yeah, but that's the thing: you're still DOING math. Some people completely abandon the class when they go to university. I'm not going to argue the merits of whether that is a smart decision or not, but it makes it easier to forget math-related practices. Also, forgetting things is easy.

5 0
DanielleinDC 33

Unless your degree is in math, I wouldn't sweat it too much. Most skills are a use-it-or-lose it thing, and if you haven't been using long division in college, it's understandable that you forget. The kids you're sitting are probably just learning the stuff, so it's fresher in their minds.

2 0
opalescent 5

Even if your degree is in math, you don't study long division. (I have to re-teach it to myself every time I do it, though, on the plus side, since I understand it, I can do long division in whatever base system I want.) I'm thinking the people who need long division the most are elementary education majors...

1 0