Pursuing Mathematics: Is It for Me? - Orson Adams

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around a high school senior, Orson Adams, who is contemplating pursuing a career in mathematics. He expresses concerns about his mathematical abilities, financial constraints, and the late development of his interest in the subject. Participants provide various perspectives on his situation, including encouragement and alternative fields of study.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Orson expresses self-doubt about his potential in mathematics and questions whether he should pursue it given his background and financial situation.
  • Some participants encourage him to work hard and try his best, suggesting that effort is key to success.
  • One participant notes that concerns about his background should not hinder his performance in mathematics and suggests taking university classes to gauge his interest.
  • Another participant mentions the availability of scholarships for students from low-income families, sharing a personal anecdote about a friend who successfully funded his education through scholarships.
  • Orson indicates a strong interest in problem-solving and expresses appreciation for the history and philosophy of mathematics, leading to suggestions about studying those fields instead.
  • Orson also mentions an interest in computer science, particularly due to its emphasis on lateral thinking.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of hard work and the potential for success in mathematics, but there is no consensus on whether Orson should pursue mathematics specifically or consider alternative fields like history, philosophy, or computer science.

Contextual Notes

Orson's concerns about his mathematical background and financial situation are significant factors in the discussion, and the responses reflect a range of perspectives on how to navigate these challenges.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering a career in mathematics or related fields, especially those facing financial constraints or late interest in the subject.

threetheoreom
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Hi all,

I need help...

This Is my circumstance..
I am a senior in high school and I not your best math student...but i am not bad at math I just feel i have not accomplished as much as i should have. Anyway i would like to study higher mathematics in and I am wondering if I should..

This Where i am at in my studies.. a work on problems quite often and i mean not homework ..math that i haven't done i school, I read a lot of math history ( read: rainbow of math and such) i am working on a paper about counting and human logic, also I'm interested in algebra probability and logic ( for the little that i know). I believe mathematics is a entity that has to be found just as the (now) mystics of the physical universe.

My problem is sometimes i doubt myself about having a researcher career in mathematics, because i feel i wouldn't be adding any to the field and secondly my parents are poor so i have to work and attend school, also because i have started to enjoy math at this late age and haven't any relative mathematical ancestry, you know math background.:frown:

Please Answer this pertinent Question

Should I study Mathematics, what are my chances in this field, if i shouldn't what would be a nice related field?

I'm confused.

thank you all

Orson Adams
 
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work hard, try your best, you can't go wrong
 
ice109 said:
work hard, try your best, you can't go wrong

thanks for you reply ice109
 
None of your concerns will really preclude you from doing well at math. Take math classes at the university, and if you do well and enjoy them keep at it. Just keep in mind that at most universities there's a big difference between lower division math classes (which are geared primarily towards engineers and scientists) and upper division math classes (which are geared primarily towards mathematicians). If you decide later on in your undergrad career that math isn't really to your liking, then you'll be well prepared to switch to just about any scientific or techincal program.
 
About the financial problem, if your parents are poor, then you don't necessarily need to work while attending college. There is a variety of scholarships that are probably available to you. My best friend from college came from a poor family. In late high school he applied to every scholarship he could find. Ultimately, he ended up making a couple thousand dollars a semester just to go to school. You might want to look into this.
 
If you're interested in the history and philosophy of mathematics you could always study history and philosophy...

What are your other interests?
 
oedipa maas said:
If you're interested in the history and philosophy of mathematics you could always study history and philosophy...

What are your other interests?

Well to be frank I'm incredibily focused on problem solving, but math history and logic increases my appreciation for the science.

I find computer science quite interesting, mustly because of the lateral thinking,
thats it for now

Thanks everyone for your ideas.
 

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