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Subject:Math vs. writing (was Hello from Oz) From:Sally Marquigny <SALLYM -at- MSMAILHQ -dot- NETIMAGE -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 9 Nov 1994 08:57:00 PST
Mike LaTorra said:
When I was younger I wanted
to be a scientist (and still read avidly in that area), but as I went
through school, it soon became obvious that I was beating my head against
a wall in higher mathematics, while I breezed through writing, grammar,
foreign languages, and the like. So even though I would have liked to
pursue a career in science, I knew that I could not go very far in it
without very strong mathematical skills. Therefore, I chose to become
a technical writer.
Has anyone else on this list had a similar kind of experience?
------------------
In fact, my experience was almost opposite. Throughout school I aced the
math and science classes. But I sweated over every writing assignment
because there's no cut-and-dried correct answer when you're writing, so I
never knew if I'd done it "right" until it was graded. So I saw math &
science as something I could do easily--and kept up with them through
college for no other reason--but found the real challenge in the
"subjective" subjects, which I pursued with zeal. I was encouraged by my
parents (an engineer & a chemist) to use my analytical abilities, even to
take up *computers* (gasp! how boring! ;), but I resisted. They were never
disappointed in my career choices, but we all got a good laugh when I ended
up in computers anyway by the roundabout route. So here I am, in both
worlds at once, and quite happy to be using both sides of my brain on a
daily basis.
Perhaps, Mike, your choice was a wiser decision than you allow in that you
can use the analytical skills you have without the daily pain of "beating
[your] head against a wall"! And be honest with yourself: don't you get a
certain amount of satisfaction wielding that red pen? ;)
Sally Marquigny Network Imaging Systems
sallym -at- msmailhq -dot- netimage -dot- com Herndon, VA
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans.
--Betty Talmadge (b. 1924) [*not* John Lennon!]
American meat broker
