# I finished basic trig, wooo-HOOOO!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 5, 2005, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-finished-basic-trig-wooo-hoooo/329708 "2005-11-05T23:03:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-finished-basic-trig-wooo-hoooo/329708/1 "2005-11-05T23:03:29Z")
Over the past year and a half, I’ve been teaching myself basic math in between grad school assignments. About a month and a half ago, I began trigonometry for the first time in 20 years. The whole trig section spanned three chapters, basic trig, trigonometric analysis, and applications in trigonometry. Tonight, I finally finished applications by deciphering simple and dampened harmonic motion. It was pretty tough going, because I don’t like trig nearly as much as I like algebra. Still, I think it helped me develop my algebra chops, and I know I’ll be seeing it again once I hit calculus. Also, it’s cool knowing what latitude and longitude _really_ are, and how surveying works. Anyway, the pain period is temporarily over!! A few more chapters in algebra and I’ll be ready for calc. but _I’m_ not a nerd . . . 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-finished-basic-trig-wooo-hoooo/329708/2 "2005-11-06T00:23:23Z")
UR # 5^0 ^ is power of ---
**Author:** ![DoperChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@DoperChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoperChic)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-finished-basic-trig-wooo-hoooo/329708/3 "2005-11-06T05:12:09Z")
> [@Linty Fresh](#): > > but _I’m_ not a nerd . . . 😃 You, sir, are definitely not a nerd. I have always wanted to teach myself something that complicated and just never got around to it. I sit here literally in awe. 🙂 DoperChic - Math Geek Extrordinaire ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-finished-basic-trig-wooo-hoooo/329708/4 "2005-11-06T05:52:29Z")
Translation: You Are # 1 ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-finished-basic-trig-wooo-hoooo/329708/5 "2005-11-06T06:00:51Z")
> [@Harmonious Discord](#): > > Translation: You Are # 1 Oh, I got it! I got through basic algebra before I started basic trig. Thanks for the compliment. And thank _you_, **DoperChic**. You know, though, it’s really not that bad once you start studying it on your own. I pulled straight C’s all the way through high school math, and only got a B- in college calc because I promised the prof I wouldn’t bug him with dumb questions, even during office hours. Once I bought the book and sat down with it, though, it all became clear. Some things can’t be taught as easily as others, I guess. One thing I never realized about math, though: It’s addictive. Between that and this MB, my wife is starting to wonder–although she can take comfort in the fact that I put way to much effort into this stuff to ever have the time to sleep around . . .