Why Do Some People Learn Math So Fast
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- Опубліковано 28 лип 2024
- In this video I talk about why I think some people learn math so fast, in particular faster than other people. What do you all think?
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/ @themathsorcerer
Thank you:)
Maths is interesting WHEN you understand it.😆
Yeah
I dont understand it tho
In 9th I hate maths as my as i can but in 10 i got a sir who teaches superbly and i can understand thing .😁now I only want study maths .so please try to understand problems and not to try remembering it .😇as everyone say maths is super scoring subject than other.
Also 1thing try to love your teacher .If love your tr then you will love the subject .😊
so true
Who's the cute little birdie? Is he learning maths, too?
His name is Juan. He was making a lot of noise and so I decided to give him some attention so he would stop. He was ok for this video but tried to bite me during another one I was making lol.
The only maths that birdie knows are the number and size of treats coming to him.
Lol
@@TheMathSorcerer Wait Juan? Isnt that a horse?
doesn’t it have to do with higher IQ as well ?
Thinking deeply is more important than learning faster in mathematics.
@@aibutttickler Yeah, usually the people that think the deepest are the ones that learn the fastest, they are not mutually exclusive
A life theorem for learning math theorem
Exactly. Go and check how many professors or Field Medalists who are good at speed math. Very few. Yet they made profound contributions by deep analytical thinking.
I think has to do with something else but much harder to attain but can be achieved through deep thinking. I think it has to do with the now popular term "flow". There is a state of mind in which your mind is just on and things just seem easier to grasp even languages possibly you're perceptions are more sensitive and your imagination is active.
You mean try to understand with full concentration ?
Dropped out of high school in the 9th grade with only a very basic grasp of algebra. Ended up wanting to go to college after getting my GED. For a degree that required a lot of math. Lol So, at the age of 24 I made a real effort to learn all the math I needed. I now understand that it wasn't that I was 'dumb' or 'slow'. I had a teacher that was completely disinterested in teaching. I now hold a degree in Computational Neuroscience. Interested in getting a phd in mathematics because as it turns out, I love set theory and abstract algebra.
Never count yourself out. No matter how bad it gets.
Inspiring
Wow dude ♥ that's inspirational
same boat as u rn
I needed this comment so much ,thank you so much ❤️
I can relate to you so much! I dropped out of taking High School Maths because throughout my middle school I had friends who used to score better than me. Even my parents thought I was not made for maths. I had a very low self esteem and I thought numbers weren't my thing. I ended up taking Humanities. I am in college now, pursuing a Liberal Arts degree and I have suddenly developed an interest in Data Science, especially the statistics and programming part fascinate me alot. I still struggle with Calculus though, but I have started believing in the fact that with enough effort and practice, I can sail through this as well. Fortunately, I have been progressing well.
Sometimes I regret not doing maths before, I would have had a better grip then. But this one incident has given me enough wisdom to keep believing in myself no mater how hard a course is. Generally speaking, I also find myself applying this principle in my life :)
Trust me, its all in the mind !!
I’ve noticed that when I’m studying math I can’t remember the procedures to solve a problem until I know the concepts inside and out. It takes me longer than others because I have to spend time really getting deep into the fundamentals of the topic or else I won’t remember how to apply it.
Me too. I am a bit autistic tho. And resistant to rote learning. After all, why memorise procedures if you dont know how they work? That would be crazy...
this is actually kinda good though, because in the end understanding concepts and then being able to apply the understanding is so much better and more useful and will make maths easier at higher levels than just rote learning/memorising formulas without knowing why theyre there
same :(
This will favour you in the long run as a mathematician. But not particularly in school. The school is about learning stuff on the surface as quick as possible.
And there are some people here arguing that there is a link between intelligence and quick learning, and maybe that's true. But people who learns quick tend to have problem evolving their skills to the next level, while "less intelegent" people are quite the opposite
@@svensvensson6705 I learn methods quickly, but I forget them quickly as well. I can learn whatever we’re doing in class and apply it, but I forget it over the weekend or even overnight. I also have ADHD which can’t help.
Meanwhile the bird is thinking: "Oh yes δ, ε. Suppose δ > 0 such that 0 < |x − a| < δ implies that |f(x) − L| < ε."
Hehe
stop giving me ptsd
@@_mr_z_ LOL, even a bird can do it!
@@ghartas123 Ah, if even a bird can do it than it is time for me to pack my bags!
@@clipit4503 Lol, same.
i feel like a god when i understand a math topic until i forget it after a month
Me too fam 😂
Lol same
I am a slow learner but once the material sinks in, there's no stopping me.
:)
Me too...!!!
Same!!!
Same
You know this is a very common phenomenon…there are saying / proverbs. in many African cultures that speak of this “ fear not your brilliant competitors ; but the fool who is about to become wise “ … loosely translated from one native dialect
I always keep this quote in my mind when I want to progress in life.
"When you are the smartest in the group, you will never be more smarter. You should leave the group as soon as possible".
That's it.
If you want to be intelligent hang out with people that are more intelligent than you while studying.
@@randylejeune Harvard? MIT? Cambridge? Oxford? NASA? CERN? SpaceX?
@@randylejeune Lol ok then go land on mars if you're so smart good luck.
That's what I did in my final year of university
Hurt my ego always being the dumbest in the room but I graduated with 4.0gpa
This video is wisdom. It doesn't come from a course or a book. It comes from lived life. I too am a slow learner and I've had hard time with math all my life. I've struggled with my "slow burn" because everybody seemed to be natural talents at math through all my school life. I always thought that I just really suck at math and such and that's it. So I quit high school/upper secondary school when I was around 19 yo. Didn't do any math until I was 28 as I went back to high school/upper sec. school to suck at it again. I felt so awkward being so old. Everybody was 16 to 18 yo. But this time I stayed - and gave my time to it - and slowly learned to be better at it.
Now I'm 35. I'll get my BSc this year. We mature with varied speeds. Some read poetry at 10, some learn to do calculus at 60. So it's not too late. Never give up. Great channel. Subscribed.
Nice story my friend! Yes everyone is different. Thanks for the sub👍
I am in a nearly identical situation, I constantly struggle with math but I just find it interesting and am in a place where I appreciate it for everything its given our society so I just keep trudging along; one foot in front of the other. I will hopefully graduate with my BS at 34....weird to write that out.
@@TheMathSorcerer
I personally have a theory. I think mathematics is, at essence, a set of analogies and metaphors. The more you're aware of those particular metaphors/analogies of those particular math subfield, the better and/or faster you would excel in it.
To be aware of those metaphors/analogies, you need to know more ' 'stuff' or deeper. There's basically two ways to that.
1st Method: You think of these analogies/metaphors through personal experience, which may include visiting new unknown places, putting yourself into novice situations that compels you to conjure up new ideas to get through it. Speaking of conjuring up things, Mathematics is an extremely creative field, to excel in it, you basically have to cook up things that's almost totally disjointed from everyday experience like nothingness, unity and infinity (0,1 and ∞).
2nd Method: You get these analogies/metaphors from others, which may include, reading books, listening to others, watching movies/tv shows, listening to music, get to know other cultures and their peculiarities, observing other animals while they do their everyday thing, etc.
@Mesum Hash What exactly?
You’re an inspiration! Thank you.
Time needed to process math concepts is the reason why I don't agree with the format of most education systems. 3-4 months per semester is not enough time to learn and master a whole math topic. I think that we should all learn at our own pace with quarterly check-ins and maybe a year cap.
Ya there is no way we can master it, it is unfortunate
Some people just learn faster than others. It’s to be expected when we know intelligence is normally distributed in the population.
Bro in France we need to learn a Math topic in 1 week max then we have to move on if we had 3-4 months for that everyone would get 100% at test
Education system selects for fast learning. What if someone has the potential for deep learning, but at a slower pace? YOU'RE OUT
@@vitality-salim7843 LMFAO what. Are you telling me that someone can learn Real analysis in one week? LMFAO
I understand the idea that people need different amount of time to understand concepts. However, I also think that the environment that one grows up in can make a real impact. Some people grow up in an environment where they are supported in their schoolwork. For example, my dad had taken a lot of math in undergrad and was a teacher and he taught me how to study and how to take something that is difficult and frustrating and see it from a different perspective make it into a puzzle, a game. That made learning math fun for me. On the other hand sometimes people grow up thinking that math is not for them, they are incapable, or it is not fun; that can be a huge hurdle. Some parents care about their child's studies but are unable to give them the guidance that they need. There are probably many more factors than these. However, the way in which each person learns could also have a huge influence.
Wow yes good point!! Well said👍👍
Determinism is a dirty work like socialism so I wouldn't bring that up to any educators.
To sum up: Right guidance at right time can make a substantial difference.
You couldn’t quite say it, could you. There’s nobody who can’t do math. There are just people who won’t make the effort.
It also really helps to have great mentorship. You mentioned your dad, with all his qualifications. High expectations, lots of support.
Our culture doesn’t support math, because it’s not fun, until you get good at it, which doesn’t happen without quality support and lots of effort. No immediate gratification and abysmal support. No wonder.
@@212ntruesdale Since no one is making the effort to refute you, nor do i care enough to do it myself I'll just say your view is very shallow, and isn't being fair to the variables.
Also, repetition is a key danger in math - bad habits come from repeating the wrong thing. Even when the first thought was correct. So the beginnings are absolutely critical!!
Worst thing a math teacher can do is punishing someone for a wrong answer and leaving the student helpless. When doing algebraic calculations, I (may be wrong) see that there are on one side rules that are of the identity type which of course follow from operator definitions and operand properties, on the other side there are examples, cases of an equality which are taken as already "known" things: 2+2=4, 2*2*2=(2*2)*2=(2+2)+(2+2)=8, 5*3=(5+5+5)=15=3*5=(3+3+3+3+3)=10+5 etc. - same number with different structures! And such, with no particular order, yet the upwriting suggests a logic, time-ordered cause-effect relation that are connected to apply identities which are in turn properties of an operation. The more we think about them, the dirtier and harder they become, especially when all is laying on paper. Math teachers who fail at syncing the attention of the student to the course of the solution, be that an expansion or isolation or simplification or conceptual switch (for example converting integers into fractions, factoring numbers, etc.) wrongly test for mechanistic walkthroughs on a particular algorithm rather than testong for understanding of the concepts. That kind of work literally eats time and is useless as a rock. However in an information theory sense and even in the learning sense these redundancies have deep meanings too, which are required to get one used to the "known" truths for which math exist as a compression and generalization. The problem is that most math teachers expect the student to try what they wouldn't try again for the n-th time as they already know the result. But in order for one to learn, encountering the same thing many times and also counterexamples are essential.
That is the most focused bird I have ever seen. Stay focused, birdie.
haha
I've always been bad at math and was always re-assigned to the lowest math groups in school during my younger years. Today I'm an engineer within computer science and technology with a mathematical background higher than anyone of my friends and family/relative members. Just like you said, it took time. It took a lot of time for me to learn certain subjects since i overthink stuff all the time, and one answer just gave me more questions... I kept trying tho, and in the end it paid off. Some things that affects us greatly is the environment, the teachers, and the time.
They really should do a learning website with AI so that each person could develop the skills at their own phase, and in their own way of learning; since each person learns differently, needs more/less time etc. And still get a grade.
Had the same experience in grade 8. Some “counsellor” who didn’t even know me recommended I get bumped to low level math, which was near impossible to get out of. Now at 42 teaching myself what was in a way stolen from me. Currently working up to calculus.
I also feel cheated. In 5th grade, they made us take a math placement test for middle school (grades 6-8) and I only missed FOUR questions from getting placed in the higher level math, yet when the time came to attend these average level math classes, I was wayyyyy ahead of pace compared to everyone else in these classes. In fact, like the nerdy kid that I was, I enjoyed doing so well that I asked for homework from the next level up in math and was able to do it without even really trying. Despite my efforts of A+'ing the class + next level math homework, I never once got bumped up to any AP math classes.
Now I'm attending university (or about to start anyway) majoring in Physics, needing to take up to Calc 3 + linear algebra and differential equations.
I am trying to play catch up now compared to my Uni colleagues that were taking advanced maths from the beginning. It's really a shame that they hold people down like that without allowing you to truly spread your wings and fly freely with your abilities. This kind of negative mindset that "only the smart kids can do it" is extremely detrimental to the success of the youth (and anyone really), it's just such a shame, this attitude needs to change.
I failed the test which we had to do in yr 10 and 11 ahahaha to see if we could do the maths still at my level. but I convinced them and tried so hard so that I could stay in that class and they let me. I ended up getting 100% on one of the tests and although not always that good I still did pretty well and am now doing a maths major. just so fkn annoying that you have to choose what to do when you are so young cause it limits your ability to export options if u don't know yet which I feel like most people don't
Happened to me as well.
Same here, I wanted to do applied level math but, they bumped me down all the way to essentials. It really messed me up.
I relate to this a lot. Sometimes I need months to understand something and that's sad because I have exams like every two months so I can't wrap my head around some topic and we are already having another exam.
But we don't have to give up ! Thanks Math Sorcerer
Yeah we don't give up well said!!
My view: most of math teachings in secondary math education are based on drilling math problems, by skimming the understanding of the underlying concepts. One of drawbacks out of it is the lack of cognitive ability skill to process math concepts at College level. Drilling math is a routine based computation skill, but digesting and understanding math concepts is more challenging, it requires more cognitive effort. The 2 must be developed at the same time to increase the pace of learning math in College.
Said more coherently than I could say it. This is EXACTLY what my problem is. I always had teachers who want to just drill and skim the concept. The way I’ve tried to explain it is it’s like not bothering to explain any of the characters to me and throwing me in the middle of a story. I can’t relate because I don’t know who the hell these people even are.
yep. I have experienced this. I'm teaching myself now, years after college and now that I'm learning at my own pace, I'm able to take my time and do things more rigourously. In school, I was always in survival mode, just trying to get problem sets done without spending more time on the why. I was just trying to learn the how fast enough to keep pace with the syllabus.
👍
Interesting, what I also think is a very big factor is the parenting. Some parents that know math expose their children to it as early as possible and if the kid shows some interest, he/she can get very much ahead of the rest. Plus things that you learn at a very young age become very natural. And when you realize youre good at something it becomes a positive feedback loop. In my case I started piano and drawing (my father is an architect) pretty young because my parents were interested in that so I was way ahead in these areas compared to other kids my age. The only reason for this was: I got exposed to it so early on in my life. I think inherent talent or something didnt really play a role. Just my thoughts what do you think?
I think that definitely plays a role yes. I guess if you look at a lot of these younger math prodigies their parents played a huge role in their lives with respect to this as well. It's their parents who help them learn, take them to competitions etc. Good point!!!!
I am just waiting for my research grands to allow me to do research in this area. It would be so fucking awesome (sorry language) to make your brain in adulthood plastic again...
Yeah, thats true, I'm in 9th grade and my dad just showed me everything from the further classes and explained me some things from college maths, so math ks a little bit boring in class
@@omidsedighi-mornani9166, isn’t it cool to listen to a material you’ve already learned before?
That’s not what the science says. If we want to be scientific about it, then IQ is the best predictor of math ability by far, and parenting accounts for very little of the variance in math ability between people.
Hey I can relate to this. Joined uni at 27, always wanted to be computer scientist but found math difficult in high-school. Dropped out of high-school and took like 5 more years to learn things at my own pace. At some point later in life math concepts simply clicked. At first it was like listening to a foreign language but now it seems like hearing English. You begin asking yourself at that moment, "Did peers at my age actually understood this at the level I am understanding it now?". I sometimes wonder how many people dropped out of high-school who later might have developed into talented mathematicians or engineers.
All throughout middle school I did not understand algebra. first 3 years of high school, I did not understand algebra. Geometry came around, that came very naturally and I was surprised because I never thought I’d ever understand any form of math, but then algebra came back around and once again I sunk in class. I did not expect to graduate, thought I’d end up a stripper or drug user like my parents. It’s generational. By some miracle I got one last chance to fix my grades and my school gave me the opportunity to take all 4 years of math online in my very last semester senior year. Since it was online, I was able to cheat my way through it and did the absolute bare minimum on my SAT’s. I graduated. I went to college to be a kindergarten teacher, what ever job will require the least amount of math that I enjoy. 2 years of bad grades later I dropped out. I work for the next 5 years with no direction, I’m not a person to believe life has a purpose. Spontaneously, out of the blue, I get anxious about wasting my life away. I download khan academy just for fun, i chunk my way through algebra. I understand every. Single. Concept. It was so logical, everything clicked. I buy used math books from thrift stores, I teach myself various categories of math. I re-enroll in college, this time a Physics Major. This has happened in the span of a year. I watch every math video I can, including this one. I plan on being an Astro-physicist, try to get into NASA. What he says in the video, is true. It’s a time thing. It’s about mental maturity. Any and everyone can understand math.
I’m selfstudying math. Last year I failed highschool. I’m now trying to learn it myself so I make things easier when I return to highschool again. I still face thise walls but I do get the math the more I do the problems or read the formulars. I hope I can enter uni some day and maybe get into a STEM field even
I relate! My professors always tell us to start problem sets early so that we give ourselves enough time to process the problems.
good idea!!
This hit home. I've thought about this myself so much. Thank you for not making me feel alone.
You are not alone my friend👍
The sorcerer says, Be patient!!
i think honestly its just the environment,
one year i had a great teacher and great colleagues, and i got top scores in math
the next year i had a horrible abusive teacher, and i really suffered.
Ya it makes a huge difference
About the giving yourself time:
I have always wondered one thing: There are topics which after a long time start to make sense and feel natural, but here is the thing, I cannot really distinguish if the constant working with the problem made it natural or intuitive OR I am really starting to understand what I am doing. I feel this is not the same thing, at least in my experience. Anyone have same experience?
Sometimes being able/or not to explain something in easy language while still being quite accurate and logical helps me realize if I just got accustomed to solving a problem or if I actually indepth understand what I am doing...
It can take time to get an in depth understanding, and it comes in phases, over the weeks, months, years you slowly get better, pick up things you didn't know, and learn to think about old ideas in a different way. Math is a DEEP subject:) In time certain things become more and more natural, and you know when they are.
That depends on the kind of problem and what your notion of "understanding" is.
If you can score from anywhere on a basketball field does that count as understanding of the laws of motion?
You can conceptualize understanding so that any success signifies understanding, but also in a way that understanding is fundamentally impossible.
as von neumann said, “math isn’t something to understand, it’s something to get used to” or something along the lines of that. (you kinda get the point)
Thank you so much for pointing this out, I only realized this recently and it’s made me feel so much better about my mathematical skills, I had to find out the hard way but with you other people might not have to. Great video
I didn't watch the video yet, but my guess is
1) they practice more and do more problems
2) they've been exposed to math from a younger age
3) they find maths interesting
all of these factors help people learn math faster but the most significant one is the first one
When you have time, you are relaxed, so your mind works better but when you have time limit, you are unable to concentrate well making maths difficult because maths is not history.
Thank you! Needed to hear this.
100% agree! Not only r u correct, but it is important for people to hear! I revisit my math texts that I used getting my BS and MS in chemistry and the more I revisit them the more I chuckle at myself for struggling the first time around. Familiarity breeds expertise and comfort. Love yr channel dude!!
No one asked me for this long comment, and I don't think my view is any more important than anyone else's. This video's topic is something I've thought about extensively so I figured I'd share my thoughts and maybe my contribution has use. If long comments are annoying to you, please just scroll past...
Anyone can ultimately contribute mathematical research. Some people will be more prolific, and there may be areas which are inaccessible to those with but the most exceptional knowledge or ability. However it would appear to me that there are far more people with exceptional inborn ability than there are legendary results and field-changing ideas, and there are many who have contributed who did so more through creativity and the requisite knowledge, than through the sheer intensity of their ability. Some people are indeed born further ahead, sometimes much further ahead, in intellectual maturity. This can take many forms, be it social awareness, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, mathematical intuition, etc. Some people 'switch on' earlier, and others a bit later. Switching on earlier is certainly beneficial (seems unequivocal that the earlier one can begin learning the better) but it just can't be helped if it didn't happen that way and no one should dwell on it. While it would be unrealistic to ignore natural ability in certain contexts, I think commitment is much more deserving of attention when considering an individual's potential. Through commitment we might approach the 'ceiling' that might be set for us, though I think it's important too, to consider that the 'ceiling' can itself be moved, to some degree. No amount of anything could turn me into Euler, but it doesn't mean that I have nothing to give to mathematics, nor does it mean that I derive less enjoyment from it. As a footnote, we know of course, that ability is some combination of which genes are inherited, genetic mutations, neonatal development, experiences and environment (particularly under the age of two), and what a child is taught and what learning environment they are provided, as well as other things. Not only is it both nature and nurture, but each is far more complicated than "genes" and "parents", to be simplistic.
Well said. I really appreciated reading your thoughtful analysis.
Thank you for your insight! My learning journey feels less lonely, somewhat, after reading this..
@@wgllgw :)
I remember hearing Sal Khan talk about this and I agree.
I’m also having a similar time to what you described. I had to teach myself basic algebra at 21 and the pace initially felt like pulling honey through a straw before I hit the ground running and got straight As on all calc courses. Four years later I am struggling through junior mechanical engineering courses with peers in the 19-20 range who’re breezing through their courses. Might have to pull myself out and finish at community college before my gpa goes below a 2.0 but I’ll manage since I really like what I do. Thank you, sometimes these reminders are a breath of fresh air.
Hearing you overcome your struggles is very inspirational for someone like me who has always been bad at math. Thank you for your videos.
You are very welcome!
things that helps me a lot in learning maths is to seeing nature in mathematical way and taking an interesting problem in head and try to solve while sleeping.
I believe it is about passion. I used to suck at science and math but as soon as I started appreciating and getting more interested I started learning faster. I think people who are smarter have more of a passion for the subject and topic and no one is born smart or with a brain 200x larger then everyone else’s. (I hope you see English is not one of my passions from my grammar)
This is inspiring. Truly appreciate it.
I think previous exposure to mathematical thought is also essential. It is difficult to get a lot out of a formal math textbook without knowing the language, having experience with proofs, and being able to conceptualize math in your head.
Thanks for encouraging students like us who demotivate themselves of not being able to put up a simple sum on calculus !!
Because the most important thing is to give ourselves time to understand them better!!
This was a really interesting video. I was always one of those kids that just "got" math concepts really easily, never had to study for it (how do you even study for math?). It wasn't until I took up an interest in programming and found I was a "natural" at that as well that I started to realize why I always did so well. For whatever reason, I've just always naturally "thought like a programmer", and solved problems in a very straightforward, logical, but also adaptable, way.
All the learners are different. How amazing is that our brains (left & right) function differently. I'm thankful for my parents put me on music education. Playing piano helped me with the logical thinking and also artistic, creative mind! As a math tutor, I love to encourage students to love math learning by discovering their weakness and strength in learning! Love this topic of your video! 😉
Thank you so much for this video. I’m struggling learning line integrals over vector fields and I have a final this week and it’s making me feel really dumb. So thanks! I appreciate this!
Thanks for this video! Only in my old years I came to the same thoughts! Math really needs time and revising a previous material on the deeper level of understanding.
I notice this about non-mathematical things too. When you read or study something, even if you drop it and don't remember much of it, it permanently becomes part of you in some unconscious way.
Speaking from experience, it’s more about whether or not you’re thinking about the subject in the right way. This is how you develop the “feel” for it.
this 'needing time' is also why its so so important to attend lectures; if you just read the book you'll read it quickly without understanding it fully/ storing the information in your mind
Oh I know, lectures help sooo much!!
Take a bow, Math Sorceror! This video allayed my hang-ups and anxieties that I had developed when I compared myself to others in the graduate level courses I took all those years ago. (I allowed myself to sink into pits of despair when some of my fellow math majors seemed to magically grasp all sorts of concepts that I found very difficult. Much to my regret, I bailed on the Ph.D. program I was in.) Well, having said that, I'm off to view your "10 Best Study Habits For All Math Students." I'm determined to reteach myself certain topics that will help rekindle the zeal I felt when I originally began to tackle my dissertation. Thanks so much!
As one of the people who got it faster, All I did was ask the teacher over and over again for examples, explanations and tips. After 10-15 examples, if you analyzed commonalities between problems and any intricacies that can change the output you will understand it.
I can totally relate with this. There were high achievers in my class who understood math quite easily while I couldnt wrap my around it. Now I begin to realize why. It is because I question everything. I have a hard time believing concepts at face value. This can be tiring, frustrating and a huge waste of time when I start learning new subjects. But the ability to question is powerful at higher levels. The "why" can be frustrating and others just ask you to move one but "why" builds strong fundamentals and helps you see the bigger picture. I am still struggling to balance productivity and deep thinking (questioning what i learn) but I believe in "why" and in "slow and steady".
The why is extremely relatable. The biggest reason I find is that when i'm doing a complex problem I don't look for the obvious because I can't believe the concept at face value. I also always need to find a use case in what I'm learning.
You are so positive. I’m older-40’s and never really learned math. I hate math. I never got my BA because I couldn’t and didn’t TRY at math. Your channel is inspiring-makes me want to try and understand what math is- besides just numbers. Thank you.
Thanks for the awesome words, totally agree!
:)
I remember when I was in 9th grade, that was the time I started to actually understand math lessons. Before that, I was just copying cuz I'm too bored to listen but in 9th grade, there was a circumstance that literally forced me to understand, listen and just take it all in. Our math teacher was a terror, she was so strict, I literally tremble when I'm in her class, no joke. And to make it much worse, we had a sitting arrangement wherein I was the unlucky one who didn't have a partner in my table. All of them were all happy while I was panicked. 'What am I gonma do?' 'Who's gonna help me?' The tables were so far apart and our teacher's eyes were so sharp. So I had no choice but to force myself to understand and study twice as hard, which I never did before. Looking back at it now, I should really thank my terror teacher. There's really a certain situation that will push your brain and actually use it.
Briefly speaking, I like to think of myself as exuberant at maths: everyone thinks so within my class! I'm in set 1 for everything and I am currently in year 10! I speak several languages and was born in a country where maths was learnt at a fast and efficient pace. Ever since I was 3 years old I understood what basic addition and subtraction was in which they were questions such as: 5+19 and 24-19 etc. My personal record within algebra ( both basic and higher tier) was 120 questions within 58 seconds in which I got every single question correct. I remember the people around me and my class in general being like "how are u so smart", "how did u finish so quick" the people next to me were similar and also started questioning how my hand could right at such a quick and efficient pace. After taking this into consideration, it could also be that because some people were taught maths at a younger age and have practiced over time they progressively had gotten better at the subject. It's the same with every other subject: whether it's science or history in order to achieve high marks and have a faster mentality rate etc u can then connotate it to a phrase which may sound familiar to u, "Practice makes perfect"
That was so empowering! Growing up I hated math because it lowered my self esteem leading me to study it only to get 'just' passed, so I chose medical as a profession, but now the interest of math has risen because of physics, I FINALLY realised that its not about the pace, but about the depth.
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Thank you man, this gives me hope
One of the most interesting aspects of a high IQ is the fact that it -supposedly- cuts the learning curve. Therefore people learning math (and many other subjects...) at different rates may simply be explained by different IQs. Once a Yale physics professor who worked with Ed Witten (I know he's a physicist, but he won the Fields medal so...) said what follows: > Of course, Witten's intelligence is off the charts, but still, with the due proportion, it illustrates one key difference about learning between the average Joe and a person with a high IQ: years and years of training vs one week! That being said, most people with average IQs can still learn math (a new language/chess/physics... or anything!) at a high level anyway, even in their adulthood, it just takes a long time and a strong commitment.
...perhaps.
Very nice comment!! Yeah I had a friend in grad school who was just brilliant, I mean so smart!! I eventually felt I caught up to him but when I first met him I felt he ran circles around me:)
Years of training also make you a better teacher. Especially with complex subjects like math that can block you until you figured that one specific nuance or insight, this could have played a role.
When you are not in maths or physics you might never notice what enormous differences there are in intelligence. Everyone still in a maths course after the first semester is well above average, but the difference between the smartest in our year and me felt much greater than the difference between me and the slowest in highschool.
IQ may be more of a description than an explanation.The question still remains as to what hereditary/environmental factors are influencing problem-solving ability. IQ is just a standardised test score which we should be careful about treating as reductive.
I am grateful for watching this video. Because I think I am a very stupid person because I need a long time to understand mathematics
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This is quite encouraging and an interesting idea. Reminds me that, my math sucked big time when I was little and learned it using my native language, a language that is not quite “logical” in my view. Later, I excelled in advanced finance math, learning it using English, a language that I find more “logical” and “abstract”.
I have never ever in my life met anyone who learned math fast, and I have a mechanical engineering degree. People don't learn at a faster pace, they just knew the material before you or had a broader understanding then you.
Yeah same here. I have a master degree in applied math and nobody in the class understood anything what we were learning. Most of people just memorized theorems or methods but couldn't be creative in any way. If you ask someone to explain to you something, you will figure out pretty fast that he or she doesn't understand.
I am quite a slow learner and this was hard for me because i have pretty much always refused to memorize something that i didn't fully understand. I did the barely minimum to pass but i was really depressed to not be able to have more time to really learn. I love math but hate the way it is teached. Now i have finished my studies so i can learn it on my own with no pressure. Einstein said something like "exams take the fun out of studying", which is sadly true...
If only there was a way to explaing how they knew the material before...
@@Flackon Luck out in random exposure during adolescence.
I also find that how well a person understands the fundamentals will greatly reduce the time required to learn new concepts. For example I flunked calc 2 in high school, because my understanding of algebra and trig was very poor. I got a job as a math tutor and really gained a deep understanding for the fundamentals, I haven’t hit a wall since. Sure I still struggle with some concepts but I have been able to learn them in depth with enough time. I notice this same issue when I am tutoring, a lot of people who struggle in a certain course haven’t given enough time to understand the fundamentals. I think anyone who hasn’t is doomed to hit a wall and have to go back to the basics and actually learn them, instead of taking a course, passing it, but forgetting a lot of vital concepts.
I'm preparing for Korean sat and I had math anxiety issue
And I agree with you
When I was kid my mother abused me to study hard
And I had low self esteem at highschool
I seriously consider to drop out of highschool because I'm not a person who is special
So I didn't studied at all...
After graduation I played video games all day long and used internet
I started to study again because I want to go to college and be semiconductor designer in America
I felt math anxiety much at first
And I still have some of it
But now I know if I don't stop asking questions and being curious about math problems I'll get answers "eventually"
Ps. I like your parrot! How he can stand still without flying away?
Thank you for posting this! Also.. The comment section is so positive and inspiring! I'm gonna listen to the video and read the comments every time I feel bad about my skills. :D
This is the motivation I need, thank you
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I loved learning learning stuff as a kid and things came pretty easy all the way through high-school. I took calculus 2, organic chemistry, and advanced physics in 12th grade. I got AP credit for statistics and didn't even take a statistics class in high-school. My freshman year of college as an electrical engineering student wasn't too bad. Calculus 3, Diff-Eq, and Engineering physics 1 and 2 were fun. Linear Systems and circuit theory weren't that bad. Then I slammed up against electronics 2, electrical instrumentation lab, electromagnetic theory, control systems and microcontrollers all in one semester and it broke me. The stress drove away all the joy for learning I used to have. I graduated in electrical engineering, but it ended up taking me 6 years to do it. 15 years later am I finally getting back to my old way of learning. That fcking engineering program gave me serious post-traumatic-stress-disorder.
Learning fast in mathematics begins when you really understand the significance of it and learn how to love it. 😁
This guy is practical and truthful in his explanation. Information from going through the experience and taking away the fantasies about math. Great, thank you
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This video really resonated with me. I am 35 years old and getting ready to go back to school to study math. From a very young age I convinced myself I was not smart enough to do math. I struggled to memorize my times tables even though I could quickly to the mental addition to arrive at the answer. In 8th grade, I too was pulled out of algebra class and put into per-algebra. From there I was totally convinced so I took all the low level math classes in high school. In college I made my way through the calculus series as I wanted to be an engineer. I still was convinced I was too dumb as I could not keep up with my peers. I eventually dropped out at 23. Flash forward to now, and after a lot of self reflection, I am ready to go back. I have started rereading my old textbooks and realized "Hey I do understand this!" I just learned better study habits. I also have a child on the way and want to set a good example for her and to provide a better life for her. That and your videos have really helped me gain confidence to go back and study math.
That's actually true. People need different times to absorb information. My family often compared my younger sister and I. I was the faster learner and the high-achiever of the two of us. With regards to education, she needed more time and support to progress whereas I... was constantly left alone. I didn't even exaggerate it. They just left me with a textbook while she gets a full-on tutor (yes, I am jealous but it's all in the past now).
However, I think genuine interest is more of a factor as well. I used to be so disinterested in math that my marks were extremely low back then. But, once I got introduced to the multiplication table and a new way to approach a problem, I had so much fun that my grades actually spiked an all-time high there. I actually do better in specific math subjects - basic algebra, analytic geometry and trigonometry - because I like solving them. Liking math kinda helps too.
Not only in Maths, the time factor applies to all fields of study in my experience. It's more so in case of Maths because of the abstract representation of the subject as compared to other subjects such as Physics.
Many-a-times I have passed subjects with good grades but when I look back I haven't really understood them. And the only reason was that I didn't spend enough time with those subjects.
Another great hurdle in understanding in any subject apart from time, in my opinion, is finding a book that resonates with your way of comprehending and understanding things. Once I get a good enough resource, time is the only barrier to get a good grasp on that subject.
Very good video. An honest observation. Quite brave of you to talk about your own difficulties.
I just love listening to your channel since I discovered it
special guest in today's vid, nice :D. also uniform continuity is killing me right now but it seems like everyone in the class is grasping it immediately :/
Awww yeah I'm assuming you checked out my advanced calc vids but yeah it's tough!!
I'm currently a first year undergraduate physics student and I can now do things I never learned in high school, they just come naturally to me, but back then I had no idea, so much so that I eventually just switched off. I didn't even have an idea about what we were learning. I also think attitude plays an integral role because when I decided I wanted to study physics I also wanted to learn maths, and suddenly I became one of top students regarding maths
Well said, i was also learning calc 1 and came across limit epsilon-delta proof. I tried to read it for many times and ask about my teacher what does this mean. but after countless tries and the assist of my teacher, i still cannot understand what does it means. However at that time i already understand how to work the proof so i proceeded to next chapter without knowing that does it means. Untill when i continued to learn again after a long break but now i decided rather then continued to the next chapter, i decided to learn the pre-calc (which one of them is inequality). Then i finally understood that it wasn't talking about value but rather it was talking about distance and it does explain the less sign and the absolute value sign.
i was in all the remedial classes in mathematics, yet today I still have an insatiable appetite for mathematics
When I took calculus, I was frustrated by how many convergence tests there were, so I spent a month or two trying to invent my own super-test. I was circling ideas that were really similar to Cauchy sequences, but never quite got there.
The effect of this was that when I got to analysis, I unintentionally intimidated many of my classmates because I had already pre-processed a lot of the material and was more putting names and structure to things I had already thought about than learning from scratch like everyone else. If I hadn't have jumped into my super-test project,I don't know if I would have been noticably more successful.
I know my classes have always learned best when I've been to get them asking the questions that led into the next section. This is also why I like teaching Quantitative Reasoning and similar classes because they basically force the questions to go before the material.
Im going through the same experience . It takes time to process Physics and Math. It is a matter of keep trying more and more. Today we have technology to help like this channel We didnt have all that last century. It is motivating to study sciences nowadays.
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Comes down to where you learn. I am an accounting/infosystems major and took math first semester before COVID. I had a great time because the prof was to the point and I had people to work together with in the class. I made friends and we would always hang out at the library and teach each other. I did the same with my other classes and excelled. Now COVID came along and everything is eLearning. Not only are my profs more challenging but I also have to deal with the fact that my day consists of staring at a tablet screen all day long. I lost most interest and just "get by" enough to keep my GPA where I want it. I study for my Math exams 3 days in advanced and feel very secluded since eLearning doesn't encourage meeting new friends. I just can't learn at home and being at a cool Uni in Chicago was what got me exited in the first place. Environment really does have an affect, for math or any other course.
I am no mathematician but have taught science at all levels and subjects in high school. All my classes, especially physics required my always helping students connect pretty basic algebra skills to each topic. Something I notice was the way bringing arithmetic in focus helped. Using empty spaces such as drawn boxes or a missing book on a bookshelf for unknown variable values and filling in the spaces gave the combined tactile and symbolic practice needed. With a handout on their desks and following my modeling on the board helped a lot of students get over the variable trauma.
Agreed. I'd add that people tend to regard math as some kind of monolith. Being a badass at differential equations and linear algebra didn't prepare me for combinatorics. Being good at calculus doesn't mean you won't feel lost in analysis. Most students don't really get a chance to look under the hood until they take a bridge/proofs class, and even then you find yourself revisiting topics you thought you mastered (technically) only to find them as or more challenging to comprehend from coming from a rigorous direction. Getting an early start helps tremendously.
well said, nice comment, agree 100%
The keys are passion and determination. I see a lot of math that is not explained very well. Completely understanding has become my passion. Sweating the details is hard in the short run, but makes things easier if you’re in it for the long haul.
Agree with you about giving yourself time. You can’t cram for math like you can ‘facts’. It just takes time, like you say, which a lot of people either don’t have, or don’t want to spend. It also seems like a subject that lends itself to solo study.
So many people are hyper social, want to always be in a group. Math is hard, and if you’re in a group, the tendency is to let someone else do the work. But then you’re not really learning, just memorizing.
In short, lots of people can’t learn math because they just aren’t interested enough (no passion or determination).
Totally agree. Thanks for this clip
You are welcome!
Question was: Why some people have easier time learning math? Your answer: It is just that some people need more time. But the fact that some people need more time to learn math is the reason for our curiosity. You just answered a question with another question. We see that some people need less time and we ask ourselves why do others need more time. Nevertheless I believe that every individual has the same potential for math (or other things). Every math problem is a combination of smaller problems each of which requires a specific skill to solve. At the time of solving this problem some individuals have the fortune to posses an exact combination of skills to solve the whole problem meanwhile others don't - they simply did not encounter problems that would develop the set of skills they now need. Another aspect is psychology - perseverence, inner motivation and self-esteem are important among others. And lastly time. If you do not practice and by doing so invest time, you will accomplish nothing. More productive time you invest, better the skill.
I think you're onto something here. I had a similar experience to that indian kid, but with the english language (I'm portuguese). When I was about 7 an english lady gave me some basic english lessons (colors, alphabet, etc) and about a year later my parents gave me an english course with cartoons and exercises. I couldn't understand them (everything was in english, with no translations) but I still loved watching those cartoons all the time. Over time I caught many words from the context and stuff like that. I also watched lots of Warner Brothers cartoons, and those had subtitles, but I think they also helped my brain assimilate the english language.
Fast forward to the 5th grade and onwards, which is when we start learning english at school here, many of my colleagues had trouble in english classes, while I always had really good grades with very little effort. I just paid some attention in classes, I hardly ever studied for exams. Our grades are from 1 to 5, and I had 4s in english. And the only reason why I didn't have 5s, was because I often skipped homework, I was always talking and playing around in classes, etc.
Meanwhile I was average/struggling in every other class. Especially in Portuguese classes, ironically.
At the same time I think this also made it quite easy for me to learn other languages. I seem to learn them quite easily, and I have no issues with pronunciation whatsoever.
One important thought is, that no one needs to be excellent to be excellent.
Any topic is so big, just time and interest alone makes you an expert on an island.
ohhh that was encouraging, thank you 🙏
Glad it was helpful!
Dear Sir, Thank you very much for your kind advice. It really helps.
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I kind of have another perspective of seeing it, which also includes time. The way I see it is you can be considered very good at something with more experience you have, and you can get that with more time you put in. So for example, my introduction to programming class was actually the very first time I've tried any kind of programming. There were of course many others like me. Now, I did really well in that class that many of my classmates thought I was a natural, but I disagree. The thing is I was putting probably 27 hours a week into learning the materials. When I asked how much hours of work my classmates were putting into their studies. It sounded like they were only putting in about 6 hours a week on average. So by the end of the semester, which would be about week 18. I would have about 486 hours of experience whereas my classmates would have about 108 hours of experience. We started on the same day and ended on the same day, but because I've put more time in between I ended with more experience. I guess I also had the advantage of really enjoying the class as well. :)
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Your cockatiel is so cute! I couldn't stop looking at him. You should include him in the videos more often :D (I love birds!)
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I didn't like math until I got older, but as a freshman in high school I was in algebra 2. I was in a class with juniors and seniors. They did not like me, They called me a nerd and such things. My math teacher was this amazing lady whom taught courses at college as well as high school. She held always called on me to answer and I would get teased. I hated math because I hated being teased. but I was good at it. step 30 years later and im back in school, refreshing my algebra 2 and I LOVE IT! I forgot how much I loved it. Now that I am back in class, preparing for my 1st year of college, I fear my speed may not be up to par with younger students. So I practice alot. I make sure to redo my work later to see if I can get better at it. But there is so much information and my brain is trying to map everything in my mind. I aim to get faster. Thank you!
So true. I understood so many things in maths after revisiting it months later.
I'm someone who suck at math on my primary school. On the start of my highschool year, we had algebra and that got me almost mad, I really had no idea what the teacher is writing, I feel dyslexic, my grades are going low and low. Eventually during the the third grading, our topic is about slope-intercept form and that's the start of my "enlightenment" I can now follow what the teacher is writing, I start engaging and asking questions. From then on I started to love math. Personally, I think that students should find a certain topic that is easy for them to build as their foundation of understanding. Then get along with the similar topics and then carry on to other if they feel they really understand it.
This may be really hard in a class setting because everyone moves in a different phase and some may even feel shy asking questions. But atleast you can also approach someone knowledgeable if you really want to learn.
my sister has always been great at math, my dad said this was because she viewed math as a puzzle, which it is, rather than work.
I think a lot of it is your motivation to learn which often comes from an understanding of why something like mathematics is useful in the first place. I remember when I was younger I didn’t truly understand what it meant to learn something on a deep enough level that you could apply it outside of the cookie cutter problems you’d see on a test or homework. Going back over some of the math I did in school make so much most sense now than it ever did before. Studying on your own is also a good thing since I think a school environment can hinder you in some ways.
OH that is the cutest birdie! what a lovely study buddy! Thanks so much for sharing this, I am one of those folks that learn math so slowly.
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This video really resonated with me. I didn’t pursue a graduate program until later in life. Like you said in the video, when I revisited topics I learned earlier, I understood the material better. Math is available to anyone willing to invest their time and energy into learning.
I am privileged that I subscribed to your video.
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Thank you for this.
Agree. Some of us think deeply about simple things. That takes time. But it sure does open new doors of understanding-and is a lot more fun!!