Personal Narrative: How Algebra Changed My Life

When I was fourteen years old, I learned algebra. My algebra teacher wasn’t the best. My mind didn’t connect with the teachers’ lessons and textbooks too well, and math was one of my weakest subjects. I would walk into my algebra class every afternoon wanting to run right back out. This was the first time I began struggling with math at a high level of difficulty. All my life I had been used to getting 0Bs and at times even As in my math class, however, all of this changed once I got into algebra in my eight grade year in middle school. I felt like I was the only person in my class hanging by the tip of the nail when it came to passing the class, meanwhile, everyone else was getting all the lessons and assignments

. When it came to algebra I was the worst, but an angel from heaven, my science teacher, changed how I looked at math. I soon realized algebra was the best tool in my life because I could apply it to my other classes, it developed my brain, and made me more confident.

After 8th grade algebra I learned more than in any other of my previous math classes, thus, this helped me more with my other 8th grade classes because algebra was more than just math. Algebra

was made to make us think in a more logical way and that’s exactly what it made me do. I didn’t realize this until my science teacher explained to me that all along I was using algebra to solve his science problems he was teaching us in advance. The difference between using algebra in my algebra class and my science class was that the form in which it was used, in my algebra class I applied it with numbers, meanwhile, in my science class I applied it the concept of manipulating formulas that went along with the problems to take the next step forward into solving the problem. Afterwards, my science teacher continued explaining how algebra was a good tool to use in our life’s especially in the adult world where we must make house purchases and car notes which we must figure out how to balance to keep moving forward. This showed me that it was possible to apply one subject to many other subjects if it is used in the correct for. Like my science teacher said,” there’s a reason for everything, and there are never accidents, only chaos. All a person has to do Is maintain order in because chaos only grows,” my comfort in algebra grew. My brain became more than I would ever expect it to be.
This pattern of reasoning and rationalizing led me to believe that my brain could adapt to anything I put it to the test if I practice and never gave up. Algebra is to our brain like running is to our lungs, it strengths it. Literacy helped me understand things in our culture and technology. It helped me understand the different types of relationships people had. Similarly, in one of the literacy’s, math, which I struggled with the most became an asset because as I learned more about algebra throughout the end of my second and final semester it allowed me to express ideas and lay them out step- by step. Like my science teacher said, “you can’t move forward if you don’t risk something. When you put something at risk it’s because you don’t know what’s going on in the current situation.” In the end, I was hopeful enough to aim for the sky when it came to applying myself to difficult tasks that made my brain overflow with information. I think my aim, at least, is a good start. Something good can only come out from working out your brain.
Finally, I started to put more effort in my algebra class the last few weeks because I realized that algebra impacted my whole brain.

Thus, I started to get better grades on my homework assignments. I got B’s on my last few homework assignments. Although, I wasn’t getting A’s on my homework assignments I was happy that my grades improved dramatically. Now, I believed I could do anything I wanted to do. The way I saw it, algebra gave me motivation like no other school lesson before 8th grade. I am very happy that I did not quit and dropped that class for the regular 8th grade math class. My self-confidence was higher than ever when it came to academics. I discovered something about myself that I had never crossed my mind. I discovered that I was a person that gets stuff done when I’m

determined.
Believing in myself gave me the opportunity to do many things like join a new sports team. Whenever I start to have even the slightest amount of doubt I like to think back to my first algebra class. In the end, I knew that whatever I worked for is what I got.