What I wish I knew before becoming a Math Major! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rdFia6WExrLXqqM.html

Asking a math major to calculate a tip is like asking a computer science major what's wrong with your computer.

I am a math major too and I am weak at arithmetic too

wait, you're telling me my job isn't going to be solving arithmetic shouted at me by business majors?

You only need to love math to be a math major really. I believe it is true for all majors on the bachelor level. I am a very very slow thinker that can't do any quick calculation or quick logic problem. To me, it feels like my brain is doing nothing 75% of the time and to the others, I looked very dumb. Also, as an immigrant, it took me 7-8years to learn to speak english property, while it took my peers only 2-3 year to do so. For these reasons, I didn't finish high school and I was given an IQ test by the school. My score turned out to be 89. I also didn't like math that much for the majority of my life, and I only started studying math due to my interested in physics 2 years ago. Today, I am a second year physics major, and have read text on analysis, topology, and algebra on my own. Out of all these, I enjoy algebra the most, and I read a graduate text in algebra and do 3/4 of the exercise in general. I am so excited to learn Galois theory after finishing the module charpter.

Math major and this is 100% true, practice makes perfect

Once I hit trig or precalc (I'm currently in Differencial equations) math teachers started joking about how they couldn't do arithmetic when they accidentally messed up. They also that it's not the calc or trig that gets you, it's the arithmetic. Its carrying out a sign, it's a constant, it's all the little things. I think definitely, once you start seeing the bigger stuff, the smaller stuff gets you. I also agree with your list. I'm a math person and while I am definitely on the nerdy side, I am also extremely extroverted and a people's person. Not every math person is introverted

If nerdy means passionate and motivated for math, then I am a proud Nerd💁🏽‍♀️

I’m a statistical science major right now and let me tell you it’s not about how smart you are. It’s about how dedicated you are. My weakest subject in high school ( 20 years ago) was math. I feared it and had major test anxiety. It wasn’t because I wasn’t intelligent. It’s because I didn’t want to, at the time, dedicate myself to the rigorous work it requires to learn it. Yep, that’s it, I was intellectually lazy. Anybody can learn it. You do not have to be a sevant that dreams in equations to be good at it. So my advice is to prove something to yourself then, at the end, reap the financial benefits that result from a major in mathematics.

I love math but it definitely isnt my strong area. I chose to be a math major because I wanted to study what I love. Some classes leave me in tears but I still enjoy the process. My second reason for choosing math as my major is because I love languages and I think of math as the universal language.

Thanks bro.. I kinda fall into that group of people that you definitely wouldn't think would be a math major and it makes me feel a little discouraged..

People say to me i don't look like a math major. haha, that's so common..

How did I not find you earlier?! I relate to each point. I have one question though. Why did you put 'mathematics major and math major' in the title?

I was in the math club in college. All we did when we got together was do logic puzzles. Thinking and solving problems was just fun for us.

Computation mathematics never go away entirely, but towards the tail-end of your mathematics degree, you’ll focus primarily on conceptual math or proving mathematical statements

This was a good video! Math helped me understand how much I love working with students and encouraging them to pursue their dreams! Math helped me connect with students and hear their amazing life stories!

This video hits very close to home. I am the only math major of my main group of friends, so they definitely have tried using me as a human calculator before. Also, I have definitely had people who just assumed I was going into teaching because I major in math, and while I affirmed their suspicion, I told them that I only am because I am passionate in teaching math to people; otherwise, there are a plethora of other options I could consider due to the sheer amount of analytical thinking that math provides.

I was looking for the moth myths video!

Dear Bri, Much love and thanks to you buddy. I could relate to misconceptions and stereotypes involving the supposed merits of computational and arithmetic mental calculations. My new school, for instance, does NOT allow even a pocket calculator even until Differential Equations, this including multi-variable calculus. Note: I am not Einstein, but according to folklore he even had trouble counting pocket change. Tedious calculations or metal gymnastics for computation are sure impressive, but do not lead, necessarily, to intuition about pure mathematics and physics. I was forced to retake college algebra even though the other school where I took it was supposedly giving transferrable credit (both universities using mymathlab, ironically), simply because I couldn't perform well on the College Algebra placement exam upon transfer into the accepting institution (sometimes you have a bad day in tedious calculations, and no pocket calculator seemed unfair). It wasn't necessarily the difficulty of finding zeros, simplifying complex numbers, doing more advanced trig, nor doing basic systems of equations and factorization. It was the tedious long devision and other pencil and paper calculations that indeed are done in the REAL WORLD with a pocket calculator or spreadsheet that took up so much time that the real College Algebra testing that stood near the end of the test stayed out of reach somewhat... Interestingly enough, incoming freshmen can get prepped for 3 to 4 hours a day in order to RETAKE the test, but not transfers. They mostly bomb it the first time, because of the no calculator rule (gathered from my on campus interviewing), and get staff training to test out of it, therefore testing out of College Algebra and into Calc 1, my hearts desire...I got denied the opportunity, perhaps because of my age or being a transfer student. I asked for a study guide and was given vague instructions that indicated it is an easy test. "What's on it?" One of the students that worked at the admissions desk said he had taken it and done well. "UH, you know, y equals so and so. The like." "OKAY...." now, I have credits for trig, college algebra, and a clep exam credit for Survey of Calculus, yet am being counseled to retake College Algebra? The prejudice/misconceptions seem to exist. Have you encountered such nonsense in Academia? Problems finding study material specific to the exam? Perhaps it is just a higher standard. Taking the course [again] will only solidify my computational ability and fundamental understanding of the FTA and basic manipulation of algebraic expressions, which can't hurt, really. Have you benefitted from revisiting a College Algebra textbook? It is more fun to do so when you don't have to...

I think to be a math major you need to be a special type of smart, I have some friends in honours science ( mostly doing bio) and they are smart people, but when I see them doing a more difficult math question (they take math for the sciences) it is clear that they can’t think abstractly or don’t have that problem solving ability you need to do math. I think it’s a matter of they are textbook people who can do everything by the book.

Myths I get hit with for majoring in Math : 1) "let's hit Vegas! u count cards!" (I don't) 2) "doin taxes must be fun for u!" (it's not) 3)"ur prolly not artsy" (I draw & play guitar) 4) "quik! 653÷297 Go!" (I'm not Rainman) 5) "U can prolly hack into anything." (I can hack into absolutely nothing.) 6)"is there a pattern in π?" (π = 2•ln(i)/i) 7) "u was hi-sκοοl nerd" (I was BIG stoner) 8) "really? well, you're responsible now." (I have unprotected sex with chics half my age, I drink juice after the expiration date, I've been hopelessly addicted to opioids since 2006 but it's ok because I work out a lot, I get good grades, my house is paid off, and I'm only 40years old. Is that responsible? 🤷🏻‍♂️ Define "responsible.")

My opinions based on this video and similar topics: - When you are good, or decent enough, at something, even if that something is hard to most people, you think there are harder things to do. I think the only really hard stuff is the stuff that most people struggle with, which is usually math related stuff. - Having said that, it is always a badge of honor for graduates to say: "my major required a lot of math" (specially, computer science majors). In my mind, I think probably math wasn't their strongest part, but they still passed their math requirements. Seeing that math is required for all sciences, all non-math majors usually brag about how much math they took. - Also, why do engineers complain about math so much? What the heck did they expect to use to build stuff? black magic and sacrifices to Cthulhu? - In my opinion, math and physics are the hardest majors, because very few people are really good at it. Yes, you can say brain surgery is extremely hard but at the college level, the stuff a future brain surgeon is learning compared to a student of one of those majors is probably just a tiny bit easier. - Also, a lot of people seem to be good at math (which kind of contradicts my first point). I am sure everyone has seeing a person who was always good at math in their lifetime. But math, like any other field, has many areas of study. They might be good at trig, calc, etc, but struggle with other topics like numerical analysis, abstract algebra, etc. Just because you like Biology doesn't mean you want to be a biologist, same goes for those math savvy people you have met. - The extremely-good-at-math ones that do go into math or physics, might have a hard time but not nightmarish time like students who are not so good at math but just decent. And you are just in awe at how clever they are, or just secretly hate them and tell yourself that they are being lazy because they chose a major they are inherently good at and probably suck at anything else, hahaha, just kidding. - Anyone else has trouble with physics but not so much with math? Usually, it is the other way around but I wanted to see if there are people like me out there. I can't seem to find these people, hehe. Anyone, these are just my thoughts. Feel free to correct me and share your ideas :)

70% of the econ deparment at my school were math undergrads

A lot of what you said reflects the way I felt about being a CS major.

After watching this video, I am reminded of videos describing the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, and specifically, the type INTP. There is a definite overlap between INTPs and mathematicians. Math students, too, at least some of them.

Even though all math majors aren't "geniuses" they has to be decently intelligent to be able to pass a bachelor. Of course there are other difficult majors, but I guess that fells under personal preference.

New subscriber here, loved the videos. I fell into the trap thinking that math is just calculation, the reason I majored in it. But then discrete math came and I was so wrong. Abstract algebra just made it worst. But still I do not regret majoring in it! One of the best decisions I have ever made!

Great video and thanks for the info.

I always found literature more difficult than math

Mostly....

11 times 11 times 123 -11 go...

Engineering major here and I suck at doing simple athematic or whatever in my head. In my head I can see how to do derivatives/integrals and other calc based stuff and that's about it.

Great video

Yes. This list is similar for engineering because i noticed most engineering majors were introverted, but not all of them. And yet people said I wasnt thr "engineering or math kind of personality. I think its my tendency to extroversion.

In my family at least, the people with math degrees are basically always the worst at arithmetic

He forgot the most important stereotype: math majors don't have a personality.

4:36 When i hear that, my instinct is to ask "define the word 'nerd'"

math majors have to be very good at mental math lol

do you teach in College HS MS ?

hey dude , i am trying to get into maths degree so that i can get a technical or 'quant' degree to switch into core computer science field. So my question is how much free time will i get so that i can practice my programming?

okay, proof it.

Ya it's good

Have you ever kissed a girl? I've been working in the math industry for about 35 years at this point, I'm getting close to retirement and I'm looking forward to kissing a girl for the first time at some point.

I was studying a Maths major until my life changed directions, and I may take it up again for personal interest at home since I'm in my mid-50s. I have met some very intelligent maths majors and some really dumb professors who only know maths yet nothing about life and living. If one cannot use their maths skill across a broader spectrum in their life other than math, to me it is a waste. One professor from UNSW talks about his disbelief in the concept of infinity and i can ring circles around this guy.....his arguments to me are so lame and dumb. Also, try to talk with a maths major about the spiritual realm and they freeze. Like they have zero experience regarding life and living under a rock, yet then you find out they are mega-religious......how dumb can one get. Contradictions are taught in logic yet they don't extrapolate into their own lives with their beliefs or how they live. As much as I love maths, there is much more out there, and expect everyone to learn and experience widely.

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U think maths is easy because you are a maths major. Maths is pretty hard for most of the people.

I’m considering a math major and people always think I’m “the math wiz”. However, I have trouble multiplying out of the times table and can’t really subtract numbers in my head. People think math people are somehow human calculators.

Of you're a math major probably want to keep it a secret.