Why hello there. I wanted to share some lessons that I’ve learned from my experience with math.
Hope you find them encouraging in some way. And without further ado…
It’s okay to not get it.
Math is hard. As you progress, the concepts get more abstract. You might not be able to make sense of things as quickly as you used to. And that’s okay.
Be persistent.
Just because you don’t get now, doesn’t mean you never will. Spend some time thinking about what you know, and see how it relates to what you’re learning.
Trust yourself. Trust that you can figure things out, and keep at it.
But take breaks too.
Persistence doesn’t mean stubborn. If you feel like you’re not getting anywhere, why not come back to it? Walk around, make yourself dinner. Sleep on it.
You might be pleasantly surprised when you come back to it.
You lose some…
And even after giving an honest effort, sometimes, we can’t figure it out. It happens.
Search around for the solution, and learn what you can from it. Maybe it’s a better understanding of the concept, or maybe you can pick up a new pattern or technique you can apply next time.
…and you win some.
It’s important to celebrate the wins you do have. Don’t dismiss your accomplishment by thinking the problem was just easy.
You solved it because you successfully used some insight or technique. Look at you, being all resourceful. Make a mental note of what worked for next time!
And lastly, enjoy the process.
As mathematicians, the process is especially important. We spend so much time proving results when we could just accept them as true. It’s not all about the end result for us - we want to see for ourselves how we get there.
Math isn’t an easy journey, but it is rewarding if you approach it with the right attitude. Thanks for reading!