Since I have so much time in solitary confinement, I might as well focus on something positive and work on bettering myself for the future. There’s no teacher for solitary at the moment, so I’ll have to educate myself as much as I can, with a little help from a friend 🙂 I’ve started with a math and science book, tackling a page a day, and I’m also reading self-help books.

Today, I began working on the first page of the math book. I figured I should start at the beginning rather than jump straight to fractions, which is where I left off before the teacher stopped coming. As I worked through the first page, I encountered distributive properties. I was asked to rewrite an expression using distributive properties, so I found a video on an educational app. From what I understood, the instructor rewrote numbers in another expression, like 86 x 63, which can also be written as 86 x (60 + 3). You can continue to break down the expression, but in the end, it equals the same amount when multiplied.

The thing is, I didn’t fully understand how he rewrote or came up with the different expressions, and I want to know how to do it myself. I want to understand it completely, not just halfway, so I’ll keep working on it. Once I figure it out, I’ll write about it. For now, I’m being honest about my struggle with this math problem.

The rest of the page was easier—greatest common factor, least common multiple, long division, and word problems on multiplication and division. I completed those with no problem, thanks to what I learned from the teacher when he was here. I believe these are important for understanding fractions and building a solid foundation in math. If I got something wrong, I went back and corrected my mistakes. Math is a challenge for me, but I’m working on it.

Science was easier. I read a page about humidity and condensation, learning that when temperatures drop from high altitudes to cooler ones, water molecules condense on dust particles, forming clouds. Humidity is just moisture in the air. It was interesting, not boring at all, and I answered the questions easily.

I’ve also started watching videos on finances and accounting. I’m far from an expert, but it’s a start. I’ve learned that accrual accounting gives you more insight into what your money is doing, and a balance sheet must be balanced—if not, something’s wrong. I got that from a bookkeeping book, and while it’s a lot to take in, I find it interesting and necessary.

There’s still so much to learn, but I’ll keep reading and trying to educate myself. This is something I have to do to grow, mature, and prepare for a better future. I want to develop into a better person and find success.