I've always been good at math. (Well, except for Calculus, but there are reasons for that...)
But in my dream, I am totally at a loss about this new kind of math:
In my dream, I'm in a class remindful of the Special Program I endured back at college. The other students in the class are people that I kind of know from other classes, but not any good friends. I'm a younger version of myself -- maybe early 20's or so. The teacher/professor is a woman not much older and very sure of herself. (If it means anything, I should note that the prof is rather good-looking and wearing a dress that is more dressy than one would expect for classroom attire.)
She is introducing a new kind of mathematics but doesn't bother explaining what it's for. That is, what kind of problems this math will help solve. I'm pretty sure she gives it a name, but I don't recall what it is.
The session proceeds in a manner reminiscent, now that I think of it, of classes back at Drexel: here's the procedure for doing something that is in the curriculum for you to learn with no explanation of why or context relating to the real world. Follow the procedure and you will get a decent grade and move on to the next class.
She gives a list of what seems to be perfectly random words and semi-words. And next to each of them, there's a short "explanation" of that particular entry on the list. If you come across this element in your work, here's information about that element. None of these elements seems related to any of the other elements and I highly doubt I would ever come across any of them in any manner.
I think she hands out a list of these random elements and then gives a few "examples" of how to use the list: "If you come across this element, here's what to do about it." Or words to that effect.
I think I asked her for a real-world example of how this might be useful or even implemented. She gives me this look of "Geez, why do they put such morons in my class?" and then ignores me.
There is now a class exercise to show that the student has successfully understood what to do with the elements on the list she's handed out. And my classmates are busy working away at the assignment. Sometimes they're working alone and sometimes in a small group. It's obvious to me that everyone else in class is keyed in to what they're supposed to do. But I'm at a complete loss.
I ask one or two of my classmates for assistance, but he/she/they are so caught up in completing the assignment that they don't have time to help me.
There is a fellow off to the side who is, I guess, an assistant to the professor. He's a bit older than the students and he has a kindly face. I go over to him and ask him to give me one or two examples of how to use this list to solve an everyday problem. He smiles and says something along the lines of "Well, suppose you wanted to count bees. This is tricky as they move around a lot." (This may be an example I added after waking up, but the idea is captured in what he's saying.) He thinks about what he just said, and then says "No, that 's not really a very good example of how to use the list. Let me think of another example..."
While he's thinking, I'm catching bits of conversation from other students and my own recollections of what we're supposed to be learning. I scribble them down on a piece of paper with a very "broad-nibbed" pencil everything I'm hearing of remembering without any connection between one recollection and the next. I think I could decipher what I'm writing down later on, but I doubt if anyone else could make any sense out of it.
While he's trying to come up with another example, the teacher says that the class is ending and that we should turn in our assignment. I'm now bordering on panic. I now find that the one or two pieces of paper are the only thing(s) I could turn in -- but by doing so, I would lose any chance of figuring out what the assignment was all about. I also find that I'm holding on to maybe 10 or 15 pages of notebook paper -- including the one or two of which have the notes that I've scribbled out plus other pages of similar size and writing. So, do I turn in those pieces of paper (assuming I figure out which pieces of paper have my notes) just to show that I'm trying my best to keep up with the class OR do I keep my notes and try to figure out stuff after class is ended -- getting a Zero for today's assignment.
The other students are handing in their work as they leave and chatting comfortably about the experience they've just had. To them, it seems to be just another class about stuff they are supposed to learn. To me, it feels like a "make or break" moment in my education. If I fall behind with this class, it's quite possible I could never catch up.
I start walking towards the instructor, who's busy collecting papers from my fellow students. I hope to explain my situation to her and throw myself on her mercy. She looks over in my direction and gets a look of absolute distaste on her face. Naw, I don't think I'm going to get any mercy from her...
I was relieved to wake up.
