Hello Liza*

Well, there are no pressing issues to be discussed or physics problems to be solved, I'm just feeling a little down today. My friend Lora, another girl in the program, and I were talking about some stuff before, and we both ended up feeling...well...dumb. I mean, we both ask lots of questions, cause we aren't necessarily the fastest learners. But sometimes it feels like engineering is really for the guys, they get it so fast and they seem to know it as if it were running through their veins. It's so frustrating to have to ask a million questions and know that the people behind you (GUYS) are making fun of you for not knowing how to calculate torque. I don't know why I am bothering you with this, it's pretty trivial. I just needed to vent to someone who is somewhat removed from my situation.

Thanks for listening,

Caz

"Mortals are equal; their mask differs"- Voltaire

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Hi Caz

I know just how you feel (honest). I felt that way lots of times in school and still feel that way sometimes. No matter how good you are at math/engineering/science there is always someone in your class/department who seems to get things faster and thinks everything is obvious. BUT -- the truth is math/science is hard; everything isn't obvious and you shouldn't be mad at yourself for having to work to understand things; I spend lots of time being confused and trying to translate things into my own `language' for looking at them ... Your feelings are NOT trivial. We all have them and they are very powerful and recur. But by talking about it, it's possible to move on and keep on thinking about the science that interests us -- like all the projects you keep telling me about.

Liza

(* All names of participants have been changed to ensure confidentiality)

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