Minnie’s Musings

I am still beetling my way through my data analysis course (after a brief hiatus while I started two new jobs and attempted to turn over a new leaf of the exercise front – both works in progress, needless to say).

I have now taken up my cudgel again and am working through the revision package for Exam No 1 and learn Python on a Jupyter notebook (grow up, learn to spell). Again, needless to say, my laptop ate my link to the revision program, hence leaping ahead to start in Python.

My computer likes to eat anything that is remotely useful. Anyone would think it still holds a grudge for when I spilt a cup of tea over the keyboard. Maybe it was two. Or three.

Anyway, it is clearly not familiar with the concept of forgiveness. Well that is its right. And it is my right to consider upgrading it to a newer, prettier model.

Anyway, as a Maths teacher one of my standard practices when faced with a student who responds to the question, “What don’t you understand?” With a n unhelpful “”Everything” is to go step by step through a method until we get to the sticking point which is usually rapidly resolved with a single tweak to the explanation. Then the student can fly off to Mathematical Elysiium.

This type of tiny hurdle comes up in learning new software or coding or whatever you want to do. If you don’t know how to get onto the platform, or understand what it does, or how to tell it to do something you want, all you need is some nice, time rich person to explain what to do and off you go.

So, my youngest came to the rescue the other day when I was trying to get rid of a bright green screen in my online class. For which I am infinitely grateful.

But it is so much better for the soul to pop and see a husband of friend who can walk you through it (grumbling about techie foibles and the current state of the nation) without flicking your hand off the mouse and snapping at you because you haven’t yet absorbed such obvious information as dual screen functions by osmosis.

I now have a Python friendly IDE (no, don’t know what it means either) and a useful online idiot guide to support my ongoing learning. I am blessed to have friends with spouses who know things.

One day I will be a spouse who knows things. In the meantime I shall content myself with being a spouse who folds the laundry properly.