College Experience Journal Entry #7

College Experience Reflective Journal Entries #23 and 24 Oct 11, 10

1. Something I enjoyed learning is how to knit.  I started learning it when I was in High School.  I had a bit of difficulty at first because I had learned how to crochet, which uses different hand movements.  The most helpful thing I did to learn this was to find step-by-step instructions with pictures of how to manipulate the yarn to do particular stitches.  I have a book that I learned the basics from, and I also utilized Youtube videos of basic techniques.  I would spend a few hours every now and then working on practicing knitting.  I had moments of frustration, especially when I was first learning, because the hand movements were so different from crochet.  I still have moments of frustration, usually when my gauge is off, or when I see something I'd like to make, but can't due to lack of yarn or lack of skills.  It's especially frustrating trying to make something that should be made on double-pointed needles, because I haven't gotten those figured out yet.  The rewards for learning how to knit are that I can make things like sweaters, hats, scarves, and blankets, and have things that I could've bought in stores.  It gives me a sense of pride because I can say "Yes, I made that." 1. The most challenging course I'm taking this semester is Elementary Algebra.  I have difficulty with Algebra in general because it is not a visual math, and I do not understand how I could apply what I learn in class to things outside the classroom.  Because I am mostly an innovating learner, I do not like the abstract factor of Algebra.  2. Some different ways I can work on learning this subject is thinking about the content creatively and metaphorically, studying with classmates who have different learning styles from my own, and by getting tutored.