How I faced my fears and learned to be good at math

Re:How I faced my fears and learned to be good at math by vinbreau on Wednesday November 13, 2013 @06:25PM (#6729397)

I was an art major in a mostly engineering school. I always had trouble with math but loved learning it. I also hit a wall in college like you. The first day of class the teacher asked how many engineering students there were in the class. Just about everyone raised their hand. This was her sign that she could teach fast. I knew I was screwed immediately. I wish she had asked how many art students there were so we could go slower.

I remember the math stopped making sense. The teacher would do exactly as you described, saying things like "...it obviously follows that...", etc. A girl who sat next to me would try to explain but was no less clear than the teacher. All the engineering students just got it.

My grades started high and then rapidly fell each week until I hit a string of zeros for a month. I was too proud to ask for a drop but eventually did but only after skipping a month of classes. The teacher was kind enough to understand that I was trying but my effort was for naught. She gave me the drop.

I've never pursued math any further, having felt defeated.

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Re:How I faced my fears and learned to be good at math by doorhammer on Wednesday November 13, 2013 @08:54PM (#6730030)

I think that's part of what the author is trying to approach in the article. I could be wrong, but the engineering students were probably immersed in math way more than you were, so concepts that seemed natural to them were only because they'd banged their head against it more often.

I run into this a lot when people talk to me about programming and I get something faster than they do. I've spent a lot of time reading book after book, listening to podcasts, learning new languages, and studying new concepts, so it can be really easy for me to fit new information or ideas into some context and get them. I don't think that I'm necessarily smarter for it. I think I've just had a passion for it, so I never get tired of reading the articles and absorbing the material.

Now I'm personally running into the place where there are a lot of things I've wanted to learn for awhile, but my weak background in math hinders me (machine learning, more advanced algorithm analysis, signal processing, machine vision, etc).

I'm working my way through a calc book. I don't think I could have done it in your position, either though. I'd have psyched myself out. I've got to learn it on my on, with my own rhythm.

Kind of rambly, but you should find something related to what you like and maybe jump back in. Just find a learning mechanism that's suited to your background :)

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