Torturing The Data Bank

I did Chemistry up to A-Level. I'm not sure why I did it because I really didn't like it that much. One of the things you learn about in Chemistry is the Periodic Table. I had to learn the first 20 elements of the Table, and be able to state their proton, electron and neutron content. I was able to do that with relative ease... remembering other sequences (like elements in order of increasing or decreasing reactivity) was a bit more of a challenge.

I was always a bit bitter, though, about having to learn these things. The reason is simple- the Periodic Table is the Periodic Table. It will remain fixed until scientists find another element to push into it. Why then do I need to be bothered to memorize the elements? I'm pretty sure that if I need to get some information on an element I'll be able to find a copy of the Table somewhere! Why go through the stress of having to memorize it?

I understand that the point of learning would be somewhat defeated if we weren't forced to remember some stuff without assistance. But why can't we pick our battles more appropriately? Every time I have a math exam I have to try to remember scores of equations which will never change. And in my estimation, the important thing is not so much the equations themselves but rather the application of said equations. You could send me to an exam with the longest equation list in the world; if I don't understand how to apply them then they serve little purpose.

Perhaps that explains why I have a certain inclination toward programming languages. I did very little computer science in school but I enjoyed it immensely, because it forced me to take my knowledge and mold it into something that works. Sure there was stuff to memorize, but it didn't feel as... stressful...

I wonder if I'm in the wrong field.