Closer To You

𝟏𝟒. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

One month later

X is t squared and y is t cubed, and the question wants me to find the second derivative.

If we differentiate, dx over dt would equal 2t. And dy over dt would equal 3t squared.

The chain rule would go with this question, so I can find out that dy over dx is equal to 3t squared over 2t. Since one t can be cancelled, this is 3t over 2.

From that, I can use the chain rule again to find the second derivative. This would be 1.5 over 2t, which would simplify to 3 over 4t

3/4t would be the answer.

The answer...she got it.

I smile widely.

Amina got it.

I let out a breathy laugh and skim my eyes over her working out again.

Correct.

I laugh again, and if one heard me, they would think I'm crazy. But I don't care. I'm happy.

This job is so rewarding.

It's been two weeks since I've officially started my tutoring role. The first week, the girl I got paired with was called Amina. She's a really sweet girl, and I've seen her around the school before, but I've never talked to her. She's intelligent and quick to pick up things, but, I quickly realised in our session, that she doubts herself. She lacks confidence and starts freaking out when answering questions. This leads to her making silly blunders, and that's how she ends up getting low marks on her tests.

In the first session, I told her to just go with her gut when answering a question. It's a shame to lose marks because of self-doubt, so hopefully, she will follow that advice.

And like Mrs Carter said, we did end up exchanging contact details. Now, whenever she struggles with a problem, she takes a picture and sends it to me so we can work through it together. Like right now. It doesn't need to be just in our face to face sessions that I can help her, so over the past two weeks we have been keeping in contact through text messages.

Amina is in one of the other math classes, so I don't see her when I have maths. Our school is massive anyway, so it's completely normal not to know who half the school is or to cross paths with any of them.

This week, I also had a session with the second student I would be tutoring. Her name is Sara, and she was also really nice. I think she gets easily distracted, though, because there were a few times I caught her zoning out, and I had to grab her attention.

We've also been keeping in contact, but not as much as I have with Amina. But, obviously, it's been two weeks since I've known Amina and only one week since I've known Sara.

Unlike Amina, I actually do share a class with Sara—psychology! So, in school, outside of tutoring, we have been exchanging hellos when we see each other in class.

I feel good, alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah). Even though I've only been doing it for two weeks, I feel like I'm making a difference. I feel like I'm doing good for someone else, so good should follow me in my own life as well, Insha'Allah (God-willing).