Anthropology Times

Letters to My Tutor…

My dearest Simone,

I’ve continued to ponder some of the cross-cultural difficulties that I’ve experienced in Southern California, but I’m afraid the work of the school semester has swallowed me up whole.

I have been pleased that my ability to do math has almost returned to “normal.” I never had any flashy math talents, but I was consistently good at it. When I was younger, I mistakenly gave too much credence to the importance of flashy math skills. I believe a number of young math and physical sciences students make this same mistake. While some amount of natural ability may be important to maintaining interest, doing the work is mostly just consistency and putting in the time.

I don’t enjoy chemistry in the same way that I enjoy math and physics, but I have been thinking of this semester of chemistry as good practice at putting in the time… reading and working problems. My study skills are slowly improving.

More culture talk next time.

Yours ever,

S.