Back to School

Lately I have almost felt like I am back to school. I have always been interested in discussing and looking at what my kids are studying in school. Now with Janny back in university I have been doing that a lot. It is quite a few years since I studied the calculus, linear algebra and physics she is taking, so I have been reactivating some regions of brain cells that have not been used for a while. I sometimes work through questions she is doing on her assignments to see if I get the same answer as her. I have surprised myself how much I do remember of this once I get into it.

Many students do not see the practical application of the mathematics they study in high school or university. My background is electrical engineering. Math is the language of science and engineering. In my career I have had to apply mathematics to solve real problems. For example to derive partial differential equations and determine optimum settings for control systems to stabilize the operation of generating units. So I have been able to appreciate math in its real world application and not just some theoretical exercise.

My other two kids' areas of history and geography are also great interests of mine. It is funny how all three ended up in subject areas that are my main interests without me influencing them in what to study. But I am glad they did, because it has given me some more opportunities for learning in areas I enjoy.