1/5 = 0.2
3/5 = 0.6
3/8 = 0.375
5/8 = 0.625
3/2 = 1.5
5/4 = 1.25
6/5 = 1.2
7/4 = 1.75
I’m memorizing like crazy – being able to comfortably switch back and forth between fractions and decimals is critical to the time and speed to completing certain types of math questions. Calculators not permitted. It’s either you know it from memory or you have to do long division (in the case of fraction-to-decimal conversions). I have to say, retention of information is not nearly as good as it was. Three years ago, I could memorize and recite five textbooks to you like it’s going out of style. Now it takes twice, maybe triple the effort. It’s true what they say – if you don’t use it, you lose it. I think certain parts of our brain become dormant when left unused. It slows down and then dies or something, so we must tend to these parts and ramp them back up now and again. If you’re anything like me, you’d fear a shallow, sleeping, stagnant, deteriorating mind. Continuous learning is key. It doesn’t matter how you do it, as long as you’re learning and putting your mind to work.
