- #1
redbluepurple
- 11
- 0
Hey you guys.
I thought I sucked at math for ages. I remember in algebra class staying up till the wee hours of the morning and still not understanding that substitution concept. I'm still not sure if I should blame my teacher for not explaining the concept at all and generally being a dick, or myself for not 'getting' deductive thinking.
I then took calculus at community college and regularly received among the top 3 grades in my class. When I enrolled in university, I was able to ace the rest of the calculus sequence with apparently little effort. I passed advanced calculus and differential equations for engineers in my sophomore year without going to class or doing the homework. I hit a wall after I took some time off, transferred to a different university, and flunked a differential equations class.
I've been feeling badly about myself ever since. It's not that I'm lazy - I really enjoy math and I'm definitely willing to put in the work. Unfortunately, I've been too distracted with extracurriculars to put the time in. I can't help but wonder how much this has to do with my lack of ability, and how much has to do with other stuff which I can't control. I meet a lot of really talented people in my upper level classes, and while I know that I'm not so bad, it's still... discouraging. I need all the 'natural advantage' I can get! It seems that 'good enough' is very good indeed.
At this point, I'm trying to figure out whether it's worth it to put the time in and finish a degree, or just go to technical school for some sort of computer science diploma instead. Finding the time and energy to study will continue to be a problem, unfortunately, and I've become hugely rusty since taking so much time off. Am I making a mistake? I need a second, and third, and fourth opinion. Pep talks are always appreciated, but, first and foremost, please be honest with me.
I thought I sucked at math for ages. I remember in algebra class staying up till the wee hours of the morning and still not understanding that substitution concept. I'm still not sure if I should blame my teacher for not explaining the concept at all and generally being a dick, or myself for not 'getting' deductive thinking.
I then took calculus at community college and regularly received among the top 3 grades in my class. When I enrolled in university, I was able to ace the rest of the calculus sequence with apparently little effort. I passed advanced calculus and differential equations for engineers in my sophomore year without going to class or doing the homework. I hit a wall after I took some time off, transferred to a different university, and flunked a differential equations class.
I've been feeling badly about myself ever since. It's not that I'm lazy - I really enjoy math and I'm definitely willing to put in the work. Unfortunately, I've been too distracted with extracurriculars to put the time in. I can't help but wonder how much this has to do with my lack of ability, and how much has to do with other stuff which I can't control. I meet a lot of really talented people in my upper level classes, and while I know that I'm not so bad, it's still... discouraging. I need all the 'natural advantage' I can get! It seems that 'good enough' is very good indeed.
At this point, I'm trying to figure out whether it's worth it to put the time in and finish a degree, or just go to technical school for some sort of computer science diploma instead. Finding the time and energy to study will continue to be a problem, unfortunately, and I've become hugely rusty since taking so much time off. Am I making a mistake? I need a second, and third, and fourth opinion. Pep talks are always appreciated, but, first and foremost, please be honest with me.
Last edited by a moderator: