I spent another morning staring blankly at equations and methods that make the more arcane aspects of alchemy seem pedestrian and decided to call it a day after I successfully got an answer to a sample problem.  Mind y0u, it wasn’t the right answer, but I was very proud that my wrong answer was one of the wrong answers listed in the text.  After moments like these I sometimes second guess a math-inclined career so I struck up an AIM conversation with someone else who was in my position a few years ago that I hadn’t talked to lately.

Me: Did you ever have those times where you ran into a roadblock and got mad?
Him: Yes, but you learn to work through them.  You have moments of inspiration where suddenly you realize you’re an idiot.
Me: So how did you deal with constantly running into those puzzleboxes?
Him: After I took the 3rd exam the 3rd time and failed I decided to go to law school.
Me: Really?
Him: Best decision I’ve ever made.

Well, that’s encouraging.