This waiting is killing me. I’m waiting to get my final test results for college algebra. I just want a “C” so I can go on to the next math class which is statistics. Math has never been easy for me. I’ve always had to work very hard to get through algebra. As a matter of fact I have been tortured with this algebra class for 22 years. The first few years I took it I didn’t get it at all. Then I made a few feeble attempts just to try again. The last couple of years I decided I needed to do this just to prove to myself that I could do it. First I took the pre-algebra class for no credit. Then I took the Intermediate pre-algebra class for no credit. Then I took college algebra. I sort of understood it. When it was time to take the final, I froze. I experienced test anxiety. My heart was racing; I could feel my heart thumping in my throat. I was sweaty, I couldn’t think. I had memory loss. I had a complete shutdown. After 4 hours of working on the final, I finally turned it in and I got a grade of 43 on it. I received a “D” in that class. I was so depressed about that for such a long time. I was having side effects from medication and it was messing with my mind. It reminded me of my grade school days when I would flunk a math test and feel like the stupidest person in the world.
I laid low for awhile. I finally adjusted to the medication, and I registered again and got a better tutor. I worked very hard day and night to get through college algebra again with a better grade. I had an “A “ average at the end of the course, I go to take the final which I studied for really hard and then I took the test fairly confident that I would do well. It was the same exact test. I knew how to do most of it. There were a couple of problems that I tried to do but I know I messed up. I reluctantly turned in my test. Then I go home and wait….. And I’m still waiting. I check the web page every hour to see if the instructor has graded the test yet. I sit with baited breath (what does that mean anyway?). Well here it is –I "Asked Jeeves"… Posted by James Briggs on January 18, 2003 at 17:51:35:
In Reply to: Re: Bated breath posted by R. Berg on January 18, 2003 at 17:36:24:
:: Would like to know The meaning of the phrase Waiting with baited breath??
: It's "bated breath." It means waiting while holding your breath; compare the popular saying "Don't hold your breath," used when the wait for something is expected to be long and, more likely, the thing may never come. "Bate" means "to lessen the force of; moderate" and is related to "abate" (American Heritage Dictionary).
This use of 'bated' is about the only example left in the English language; 'abate' is much more common. Both words come from the Old French "abatre", to "beat down" or "fell".
...If I get less than a 70 on the final it doesn’t matter what I got the rest of term, I still get a “D”and I have to take it over again. Waiting, waiting, waiting…still nothing. I guess it’s time to abate.