I’m terrible with numbers ;____; (BACK 2 KINDERGARTEN)

Do you find that whenever you’re trying to write down a phone number or just trying to repeat numbers (counting cheque numbers, counting inventory etc) to another person, you tend to sometimes jumble up the order of the numbers, or hesitate to write down the next number?

For example, if someone said, “Please take out box number seven-five-two-two-zero-one”, you might be writing this number midway, but get somewhat stalled in your thought processes and write something like “7-5-2-~”? I know this sounds pretty elementary, where counting from zero or one to ten would be basically the only math you learn in kindergarten, but sometimes when I’m taking down messages of phone numbers or invoice numbers at my work place, I still find myself having to ask them to repeat then numbers, or if it’s a voice mail, I usually replay it two, three, or even four times.

It really depends on the speed of them saying the numbers and me writing the number right after each one is said, rather than listening to the full number than writing it after. At moderate speeds of speech, which I really don’t have a “syllables spoken per minute” range, I’m alright, but if they even tend to speed it up, I sometimes get thrown off and have the embarrassment of asking them to repeat.

Another thing that throws me off if they generally are talking very, very slowly, like with a thick Louisianan accent, and then when they come to saying some numbers, they spit them out like rapid machine gun fire.

Don't even ask me about counting in other languages. My taking French was just ...ugh. Most of the grammar was okay, but when it came to do anything with numbers, even the time, my mind always seemed to hesitate what number was which. Same thing with my Japanese listening comprehension. If the tape speaks about what some people did during the day, I'm fine, but when it comes to them asking what time is it or at what time they want to do something, then my comprehension starts to fall apart; I focus to much on identifying the number and then missing out on the crucial information before and after the number.

How well can you guys receive spoken numbers given to you? Do you have to ask them to often repeat the number (not so much for correctness, but for actually understanding the order the numbers are in)? I usually have a desk pad and pen ready whenever I pick up the phone at work to jot them down.

What's really funny (ironic?) about this is I'm an accounting major

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Same! With the numbers in a different language, if I forget what they say in...perhaps 8, then I have to start from a counter spot, say 5, then work my way up. This is pretty bad.

As well with the phone numbers, I know the numbers if I'm typing them into a keypad, but it takes me longer to come up and remember it if I'm just writing them out from memory.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I find myself now breaking up numbers in the thousands and up into groups of ten, much like how many North Americans would say "nineteen-ninty-six" for 1996, rather than the one-thousand-nine-hundred-ninty-six. This helps if I'm relaying cheque numbers and amounts to co-workers, but doesn't help too much in me receiving information for numbers.

How ya doing, buddy?