Hi, I’m Carol Nichols, Software Architect and Hammer of Justice at Think Through Math! Since I started in October 2012, I’ve worked on projects such as sharding our database and integrating with Clever. I love my job and getting to work with an incredible team to make software that helps kids learn math!

To introduce ourselves, Jim has suggested that each of us post a bit about how we use math in our everyday lives. After a day of working in the virtual world of software, I enjoy going home and working on the concrete, physical aspects of my house. I try to do a lot of repairs and improvements myself, “try” being the important word!

I especially enjoy building my own furniture. I get to make exactly what I need, and if I use solid wood, it’s usually better quality and lasts longer. But making furniture does take time and thought.

You may have heard the saying “Measure twice, cut once”, meaning you should spend more time checking your measurements that are easy to change before cutting your materials since you can’t undo a cut. In my house, the saying is “Calculate three times, measure twice, cut once”! I have done some math in my head to figure out how big a piece of wood needed to be, checked my math (but made the same mistake when checking), measured twice, cut once, and then found out that my math was incorrect. This shelf in my house still doesn’t have sides on it; I haven’t gone to get a replacement for the wood that I cut too short yet.

Since that incident, I check my assumptions and calculations with a friend and I use a calculator to make sure my mental math was right. Getting the math right helps me to buy exactly the amount of materials I need and saves me from making multiple trips to the hardware store. Math is important!