math, the bane of my existence

I hate math. Always have, since elementary school. It always took the most effort and was the longest to work on. I could do everything else easily but I would run from math. Imagine my horror when I got to college and realized I would have to take some kind of college level math course to get out of the place with a degree. Fine, I would pick a major that requires little to no math at all. Social Work. I thought I was free at last. But apparently social work wants to become a more evidence-based, empirical profession with research and numbers. Fine, I can handle one math class. Besides its required in the university core anyway.

Fast forward to summer 09. I'm a year (2 semesters) away from getting my degree and there is nowhere to run from math. It's now or never. It was pure hell getting into this elementary statistics class at a local community college ( I tried 3 different ones!) and I had to deal with placement tests, rude, incompetent, forgetful staff and transcripts at the registrars office. BUT, I finally got in an online class with the help of GOD, because God only knows what I would have done/said to those people had I had to drive an hour to make them put me in that class.

So I'm doing my first, hopefully last college level math course of my life. Last night, I had a nightmare that I failed with a D, just shy of the C grade I need for it to count towards my degree. I woke up with a sense of dread but decided that was not going to happen to me. So tonight after almost 2 hours of studying for the midterm, I feel I have a much better grip on the material. I'm actually sitting at an A average so far with all the homework and assignments I've done. I plan on keeping it that way. My boyfriend gave me some good encouragement earlier, he said "If you can conquer math, you can conquer anything."
I believe him.