Visiting Math Class

Cathy Sterling recalls taking a math course as an NC State student and the difficulties associated with taking a math class for engineers.

Interview on 2010-11-02 00:00:00 -0400

Transcript

00:00:00.000 This sounds just terrible to say but I just didn't pay my professors that much attention. [Laughs]
00:00:05.396 I remember being in a math class
00:00:09.295 and the professor wasn't a really great professor,
00:00:14.697 he wasn't, and I didn't get math.
00:00:17.637 Math was really hard for me.
00:00:19.499 This was the math--. At that time none of the courses had been changed to account for liberal arts students.
00:00:25.439 They were what engineering got, what architects got, so they were tough,
00:00:31.010 and I just kind of visited, you know, looked in and smiled. I think I was the only girl in that section.
00:00:38.791 But when it came to the test I remember bursting into tears and the professor was just mortified.
00:00:46.666 He said, "Miss Sterling, why are you crying?"
00:00:49.255 and I said, "Because I can't bullshit my way through it." [Laughs]
00:00:53.726 Which I could in English or these other things. I could write wonderful things that said nothing;
00:00:59.455 couldn't do it in math. Took it in summer school and made an A because I had it every single day for three hours a day.