I've lost my edge. Help!

[newfangle]

Hi CFC,
Sorry, I haven't been around much. School has been busy as of late.

So, I am in my 4th year studying mathematics. I've finished most of the 'hard' stuff, and now I'm just left with options and leftover math courses that are theoretically beneath me.

Now, I went through my first 3 years really easily. I'm not particularly brilliant, but I put a decent amount of work in and came out with a 3.87 gpa.

Now, this year has been crap. I choke on tests. I miss questions. I can't think straight anymore. What's wrong with me!? I get 9 hours of sleep a night, and I'm pretty much in perfect fitness and health.


What could it be? Acute onset adult mental ******ation?
Help!

 

[Atlas14]

Do you have a lot of distractions in your life this year, more than previous years?

 

[Irish Caesar]

I'm guessing you just want to do something that makes money...

 

[Fugitive Sisyphus]

Study(obviously)

And exercise. I find that I think better after a good workout. The short break in thinking about problems often helps for some reason. Also I think the increased blood flow helps too.


*interesting - I just gave very similiar advice in the depression thread

 

[warpus]

I was in the dept. of Math myself.. I found it quite dry and that often contributed to "lazy terms", where I wouldn't really do much work.

Could that be it?

 

[sysyphus]

Some female company perhaps?

 

[Fifty]

newfangle, it's time we told you a little something about your past. Some of this may be a shock to you, and some of this may seem vaguely familiar to you, like an echo on the edge of a dream. Just know that we are doing everything we can to try and develop a reversal procedure...

Have you ever seen the movie or read the book Flowers for Algernon? It's about a ******ed man named Charlie, who undergoes and operation that turns him into a genius, yet only briefly. Due to some error in the procedure, Charlie degenerates slowly back into ******ation, and eventually dies.

newfangle, there is no book or movie called "Flowers for Algernon". We implanted the idea that such a movie existed into you during the operation, so that you may channel any memories of it into this nonexistent movie. Yes, newfangle, YOU are Charlie.

A few years ago, you were a mentally ******ed socialist that worked in a toothpaste factory in Saskatchewan. You had no friends or family to speak of, and thus you were a perfect candidate for this new procedure. We took you in, performed the brain surgery, then implanted some new memories so that your ****** past would not haunt you. You were made to believe that you were a sharp student since childhood, and that you were drifting away from socialist beliefs. To help motivate you to utilize your genius, we impressed upon you a desire to operate under a pseudo-Randian self-interested framework. We moved you to Calgary, and enrolled you in the uni. You chose to study mathematics.

Alas, it seems that the one thing that we bitterly wished would not happen is coming to fruition. You are returning, at an increasing pace, to your past mental ability. I'm so sorry. We never meant for this to happen. If you wish, we can erase the memory of your period of genius, or you can hold on to it as you slip back to near mindlessness. The choice is yours.



Sincerely,

Dr. Fifty Fiftyson
Chief Research Surgeon
Institute for Cognitive Enhancement

 

[Shylock]

newfangle, it's time we told you a little something about your past. Some of this may be a shock to you, and some of this may seem vaguely familiar to you, like an echo on the edge of a dream. Just know that we are doing everything we can to try and develop a reversal procedure...

Have you ever seen the movie or read the book Flowers for Algernon? It's about a ******ed man named Charlie, who undergoes and operation that turns him into a genius, yet only briefly. Due to some error in the procedure, Charlie degenerates slowly back into ******ation, and eventually dies.

newfangle, there is no book or movie called "Flowers for Algernon". We implanted the idea that such a movie existed into you during the operation, so that you may channel any memories of it into this nonexistent movie. Yes, newfangle, YOU are Charlie.

A few years ago, you were a mentally ******ed socialist that worked in a toothpaste factory in Saskatchewan. You had no friends or family to speak of, and thus you were a perfect candidate for this new procedure. We took you in, performed the brain surgery, then implanted some new memories so that your ****** past would not haunt you. You were made to believe that you were a sharp student since childhood, and that you were drifting away from socialist beliefs. To help motivate you to utilize your genius, we impressed upon you a desire to operate under a pseudo-Randian self-interested framework. We moved you to Calgary, and enrolled you in the uni. You chose to study mathematics.

Alas, it seems that the one thing that we bitterly wished would not happen is coming to fruition. You are returning, at an increasing pace, to your past mental ability. I'm so sorry. We never meant for this to happen. If you wish, we can erase the memory of your period of genius, or you can hold on to it as you slip back to near mindlessness. The choice is yours.



Sincerely,

Dr. Fifty Fiftyson
Chief Research Surgeon
Institute for Cognitive Enhancement

That wins the thread.

 

[newfangle]

Do you have a lot of distractions in your life this year, more than previous years?

Not particularly.

I'm guessing you just want to do something that makes money...

Quite the opposite. The thought of a career is much worse than school.

Study(obviously)

And exercise. I find that I think better after a good workout. The short break in thinking about problems often helps for some reason. Also I think the increased blood flow helps too.


*interesting - I just gave very similiar advice in the depression thread

I couldn't really study any more than I do. It's a curve of diminishing returns. Anything more than about an hour is a complete waste for me. It's something deeper I fear.

As for exercise, I workout/run/bike more than 12 hours a week. I completed my first marathon this summer. That part of my life is perfection.

I was in the dept. of Math myself.. I found it quite dry and that often contributed to "lazy terms", where I wouldn't really do much work.

Could that be it?

That's a possibility. Maybe its the fluresecent lights all day.

Some female company perhaps?

What makes you think I'm straight your presumptuous Torontonian?

I actually have had more female company recently than in a long time.

newfangle, it's time we told you a little something about your past. Some of this may be a shock to you, and some of this may seem vaguely familiar to you, like an echo on the edge of a dream. Just know that we are doing everything we can to try and develop a reversal procedure...

Have you ever seen the movie or read the book Flowers for Algernon? It's about a ******ed man named Charlie, who undergoes and operation that turns him into a genius, yet only briefly. Due to some error in the procedure, Charlie degenerates slowly back into ******ation, and eventually dies.

newfangle, there is no book or movie called "Flowers for Algernon". We implanted the idea that such a movie existed into you during the operation, so that you may channel any memories of it into this nonexistent movie. Yes, newfangle, YOU are Charlie.

A few years ago, you were a mentally ******ed socialist that worked in a toothpaste factory in Saskatchewan. You had no friends or family to speak of, and thus you were a perfect candidate for this new procedure. We took you in, performed the brain surgery, then implanted some new memories so that your ****** past would not haunt you. You were made to believe that you were a sharp student since childhood, and that you were drifting away from socialist beliefs. To help motivate you to utilize your genius, we impressed upon you a desire to operate under a pseudo-Randian self-interested framework. We moved you to Calgary, and enrolled you in the uni. You chose to study mathematics.

Alas, it seems that the one thing that we bitterly wished would not happen is coming to fruition. You are returning, at an increasing pace, to your past mental ability. I'm so sorry. We never meant for this to happen. If you wish, we can erase the memory of your period of genius, or you can hold on to it as you slip back to near mindlessness. The choice is yours.



Sincerely,

Dr. Fifty Fiftyson
Chief Research Surgeon
Institute for Cognitive Enhancement

I feel better. Thanks!

I think I'm just burnt out. I have worked the past 2 summers in the math department and taken spring/summer courses. I need a long break. Perhaps 4 months in an Italian village this next summer, making pasta for a small kitchen run by a sweet old nonna.

 

[Narz]

Hi CFC,
Sorry, I haven't been around much. School has been busy as of late.

So, I am in my 4th year studying mathematics. I've finished most of the 'hard' stuff, and now I'm just left with options and leftover math courses that are theoretically beneath me.

Now, I went through my first 3 years really easily. I'm not particularly brilliant, but I put a decent amount of work in and came out with a 3.87 gpa.

Now, this year has been crap. I choke on tests. I miss questions. I can't think straight anymore. What's wrong with me!? I get 9 hours of sleep a night, and I'm pretty much in perfect fitness and health.


What could it be? Acute onset adult mental ******ation?
Help!

I think you need to climb a mountain and sit on top for awhile and meditate. Perhaps you are having a early mid life crisis and are not sure that mathmatics is really what you want to be doing (not to say you don't like/love it but you may be having second thoughts).

Just my two cents. I could be wrong.

Note : start with a smaller mountain.

 

[Irish Caesar]

I've finished most of the 'hard' stuff, and now I'm just left with options and leftover math courses that are theoretically beneath me.

Probably not very motivating...

 

[Perfection]

I'm just left with options and leftover math courses that are theoretically beneath me.

Well, if you're anything like me everytime I learn new math I forget old math and completely garbage up anything that involves it.

 

[puglover]

newfangle, it's time we told you a little something about your past. Some of this may be a shock to you, and some of this may seem vaguely familiar to you, like an echo on the edge of a dream. Just know that we are doing everything we can to try and develop a reversal procedure...

Have you ever seen the movie or read the book Flowers for Algernon? It's about a ******ed man named Charlie, who undergoes and operation that turns him into a genius, yet only briefly. Due to some error in the procedure, Charlie degenerates slowly back into ******ation, and eventually dies.

newfangle, there is no book or movie called "Flowers for Algernon". We implanted the idea that such a movie existed into you during the operation, so that you may channel any memories of it into this nonexistent movie. Yes, newfangle, YOU are Charlie.

A few years ago, you were a mentally ******ed socialist that worked in a toothpaste factory in Saskatchewan. You had no friends or family to speak of, and thus you were a perfect candidate for this new procedure. We took you in, performed the brain surgery, then implanted some new memories so that your ****** past would not haunt you. You were made to believe that you were a sharp student since childhood, and that you were drifting away from socialist beliefs. To help motivate you to utilize your genius, we impressed upon you a desire to operate under a pseudo-Randian self-interested framework. We moved you to Calgary, and enrolled you in the uni. You chose to study mathematics.

Alas, it seems that the one thing that we bitterly wished would not happen is coming to fruition. You are returning, at an increasing pace, to your past mental ability. I'm so sorry. We never meant for this to happen. If you wish, we can erase the memory of your period of genius, or you can hold on to it as you slip back to near mindlessness. The choice is yours.



Sincerely,

Dr. Fifty Fiftyson
Chief Research Surgeon
Institute for Cognitive Enhancement

Have you ever considered writing short stories, Fifty?

 

[Perfection]

Have you ever considered writing short stories, Fifty?

He already has!
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=4609655&postcount=11

 

[skadistic]

Sounds like you're bored and unchallenged.

 

[Gelion]

I think you need a break.

Either take a break from all the math (your subconscious might have a problem with all the work, even through you don't feel it)
Or... something else....
You didn't really say that much about whats going on in your life so that problem can be a result of anything really.

 

[aneeshm]

Meditation .