"Sir, I am from Bangladesh, a second-semester Computer Science Engineering student. I watch every video of yours. My whole life, I wanted to study something Biology and Chemistry related. I always ignored math until I got into university. But with dedication and hard work, I am improving in math. Last semester, I scored a 2.75 CGPA in math, the highest math score of my whole life. My midterms are over; this time I scored 21/30 and got good numbers in class tests as well. Just wanted to say I love your work.

I am a slow learner, I like to take my time and understand. I like to be insightful, not rush into things. As I acknowledge that not everybody has the luxury of learning slow, I consider that reflecting on what one has learned is useful. Patience is the key, nowadays where everything has to be instantaneous (love at first sight, learning 1000 programming languages in a week, meetings every day expecting progress in meetings, etc.) or it's not worth it, people need to regain that slower pace and their insightfulness. Just saying.

Math nearly destroyed me on the way to a Ph.D. in applied math. My problem, coming from small rural schools, was insufficient mathematics background to compete with the majority of students who had more extensive backgrounds, so I was always playing catchup.

I would guess the vast majority of people with a math aversion/phobia encountered a flying wall of bizarre abstraction coming at them in a math class -- and they had no idea as in, Why are we doing this? And so this basic question is not answered, brushed aside . . . and the resistance grows until a freak-out, a crisis is reached. The Why of math is very involved, but for me we should start by how did each piece of the math puzzle come to be in history? For example, why prove something? The history of proving might begin with Euclid and how he built geometry facts up from a basic set of axioms. This was groundbreaking, and was so monumental that Euclidean geometry is still taught in high school. Sort of. Again, I doubt many high school Geometry teachers will drive home the point of axiomatic proof being a cornerstone to Western civilization. The next thing missing is how it all interacts and hangs together. Again, math is so often just this flood of petty facts coming at you fast and furious. Just the simplest things like making sure people understand the difference between all the different families of numbers and how in history they came to be. Another example is how fractions are like a greased football fumbled all over the math field for many years in the K-12 math ghetto. The whole concept of ratios en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratio should be clear first. Then, the whole issue of rational numbers as an ingredient to real numbers. Then of course prime numbers. How many people understand adding and subtracting unlike denominator fractions -- really? Teaching how a programming language (e.g. Racket) does this on-the-fly means understanding primes, prime factors, LCD etc. For example, you can start by showing 2nd-graders two pies that have been sliced up into different numbers of slices, then ask how might we add or take away slices coming from each pie? Instead, we don't teach any sort of understanding or relevance, no, we condition kids like circus animals -- rote drills, "see this do that" mindlessness. I could go on, but seriously, overcoming a math phobia is a process of understanding why and seeing relevance -- both sorely lacking in the American K-12 math gulags. Also, don't be against hand-holding. Math shouldn't be a boot camp tough-guy environment at all. Summing: Show why, give history, make connections.

My fifth-grade teacher gave me an aversion to math so deep and intense that it lasted into my early 20s. I had to sneak up on it through the side door while learning electronics. I've long since reached the point of being comfortable with math that I use. That's algebra regularly and geometry occasionally, and trig once in a while. I'd love to learn calculus, but will have to make the time to pursue that. You have a great channel.

Math does not destroy you. What destroys you, is the anxiety generated by the way the topic is presented, and taught by modern scholars.

This is a great topic to talk about that never gets enough attention. Even great mathematicians seem to fall in and out of love with the subject due to its incredible difficulty at times. Ive heard people like Steven Strogatz, Grant Sanderson, and even Bertrand Russell say this exact thing. Knowing that others struggle really helps the math community moving forward, no matter the level you’re at. Great topic/video as always!

I was struggling on graphing trigonometric functions. Your video on the same made it easier for me.

I had a teacher about 9 years ago in high school who pushed my into taking AP Physics and with him being a total goofball, I genuinely enjoyed that class and it made me want to pursue engineering. Fast forward to Calc 2 and the professor I had for that was incredible and extremely thorough in the material. Then this video came out 2 days after I (most likely) failed my DE final. Haven't gotten the grade back yet but this was the largest reality check in my education so far. As much as I want to put the blame on the DE professor for legitimately being too smart to teach people who are new to the topic very thoroughly, I know that the result of the exam is on my shoulders. Regardless of how much material I reviewed, how many problems I went through, or review videos I watched, when the final exam was on my desk I blanked and only finished 2 of the 8 questions. This isn't the end of the road but it is extremely de-moralizing. You're videos have been extremely helpful so far, I'll be checking out anything for Calc 3 and reviewing the DE ones. Thank you for all the work you put into these videos.

3:52 My dad was an engineer, pocket protector and all! He used mechanical pencils.... put pen for his crossword puzzles 😂😂

How I do it: I write formulas in a small notebook, adding new formulas, ... I look them up when I need them. Same with these special values (trigonometry, ...) I write them in tabular form (0, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 degrees for sin, cos, tan,...). Drawing or sketching helps to memorize. (trig circle!) Use my notebook when doing exercises. Keep it organized by subject. (set theory, trig, integrals, differentials, algebra, geometry, ...).

I'm very particular on how I do my work, if the paper isn't college rule or graph-paper, doing any math feels 10x harder for some reason. It's weird to explain. My favorite pencil to use is my uni Kuru-Toga Elite pencil. Also for self-study, I love your book recommendations. I just started self-studying Calculus and I am using Serge Lang's "A First Course in Calculus" and Thomas' Calculus, I really enjoy the way Lang explains topic and I go to Thomas' for more intense examples. However, I'm currently getting my butt kicked by the Related Rates section(s) so it's a bit draining, having trouble recognizing what parts correspond to each part of the problem😭 Anyways, I completely agree with what you said here, I got into math recently and having all those small things add up is really nice. Are they necessary? Not really, but who cares as long as you are continuing your hobbies

That one math teacher in 6th grade made a gaint leap in my history of mathematics. Because the teacher was patient. She explained me the even the simplest things. Now in in 7th am learning calculus all because of that one theacher.

I am a blank page, pen, and white out person. I love your channel. You give me a sense of belonging again; can’t thank you enough for sharing your passion for the simple yet meaningful things! Desks and math book or pencil smelling, unique books & mathematicians, I’m here for it all, new levels of life are being unlocked ❤

You are definitely spot on with this video Math Sorcerer! I hated Linear Algebra because of a bad experience about the way the subject was presented when I took the class. Then I discovered Dr. Gilbert Strang's Linear Algebra videos on KZfaq. His videos totally changed my perception about the subject. I studied and took notes from Dr. Strang's Linear Algebra videos as if I was an actual student at MIT. I even did the supplemental exercises presented on videos by the TA's. Because of Dr. Strang, Linear Algebra is currently my favorite branch of mathematics. As a matter of fact, I just received a copy of Dr Strang's Linear Algebra textbook in the mail today. And it smells wonderful!

Math, and exact/natural sciences in general, were always something I'd say I almost resented because they were the reason I had to repeat two years of high school, or the reason I just got stuck behind everyone else--humanities and social sciences were always my forte as a strong reader from very a young age and because they way I got taught these natural sciences didn't make sense to me, like, what would I ever use it for? What even is the purpose of it? It was all just repetition without understanding. But encountering your channel has definitely changed for the better my view on Math, at least, you share books and recommendations and simply speak on Math with such a (realistic) joy, that I found myself acquiring ePubs on Mathematical education and downloading PDFs on text/workbooks on Math and share in on that excitement; I'm only really revisiting high school algebra right now because I've forgotten a lot of it, but I hope I can eventually move on to Calculus and other stuff, so thank you.

I absolutely sucked at math back in high school, but I have a really close friend who is extremely good at math and solving sets, cryptography, programming, ect. She shares her math problems with me and even though I have no idea what she’s solving, I’m still extremely interested in math. Excited to learn on 2024!

This is so true. Make it as comfortable as possible and you can learn everything

My sixth grade math teacher picked on me a bunch and told me I was destined to fail in life because of my poor math knowledge. I gave up on trying to learn math after hearing that and failed almost every math class at least once throughout middle and high school. I'm in my early 20s now and finally finding my love in math, nearly obsessed with it! Math is still hard for me, but actually understanding the math and getting problems right feels like the most fulfilling thing in the world. Your videos were a huge help in making me realize that math is something ANYONE can learn, with patience of course. Thank you for all you do!

OMG, you didn't just do that again...Over the past couple years I put a lot of faith in your "mathematics-know yourself" life wisdom videos. Really good stuff actually. You got this modern day Archimedes/Marcus Aurelius thing goin' on...I love it. And then comes that pivotal life changing moment, right when I'm about to transcend myself into the bright light of your inspirational message, when, out of nowhere, you blissfully plant your face deep into the textbook inhaling that distinctive aroma that gives you some king of satisfying glow and, I suspect, a need for a cigarette. And, that fast, my trance is broken. And so I journey on to another more recent Math Sorcerer video, If Math Destroyed You. And damn it, there it is again, just 3 mins into a beautiful message, and you're sniffin' pencils...what is up with the bibliosmia thing? I kid with you Math Sorcerer, you are the best! Jesus will definitely give you a big hug for your contributions to humanity. Thank you.

While Math Sorcerer is very intelligent, I get what he means. Even though currently Math Sorcerer knows more mathematics than you may, you could surpass him quickly or eventually depending on your grasping of concepts and applying formulas, and having an intuitive mind. This doesn't mean we all will, but that isn't the point. The point is you may be smarter than you think, and applying yourself is the only way to really know. Don't give up when it becomes difficult. That's when you're really learning. Even if you don't succeed at all levels of mathematics this doesn't mean you're not intelligent either. Not grasping a concept presented by someone doesn't mean you cannot grasp it later. How something is presented can drastically effect learning experiences. Not everyone learns the same, and not everyone catches on to concepts the same.

That's true we had a teacher that we really loved and she left our class to teach upper classes and when the knew teacher came we didn't like her teaching style at first but then we got used to it. And these are some really great tips for loving math when I was in primary school I hated math it was such a struggle I could barely even memorize the times table only the nine because it has a special pattern but now I'm obsessed with math I even signed up for classes to study math on a different level from school. So basically if you don't love math now who knows you might love it a few years later. Great video you motivate me a lot. ❤✨️

I look a first year calculus course at McMaster University. Everything I know about calculus from high school was covered in the first 3 days of university, after that....by Christmas we had to have 200 theorems and 100 proofs memorize. Realizing many were failing, they started tutorials for us. They were great, but too little too late. There was another section that a lot of first year students sat in on; they were sitting in the aisles and the prof would occasionally play his violin. They said he was brilliant. Unfortunately, that class with Dr. Stewart (yes, the Dr. Stewart), conflicted with another class I was taking. My dreams of medical school squashing before the end of my first year of university!

I have Lang's "Algebra," 3rd edition. I purchased it primarily out of curiosity as a secondary resource, since I had already learned the material. There is a lot of value to be found. The coverage of the abc conjecture is quite good, although perhaps a bit more brief than I would have liked. The late chapter on homology theory and Grothendieck spectral sequences was, as I recall, quite excellent. Just a very pleasurable treatment in general. A good book - and mileage may vary, depending on what you bring to the table - is always worth more than you paid for it. I agree with most of what you suggested. I too use quality laser paper (28 lb.) and erasable ink pens. I would add a full-spectrum desk lamp to the suggested accessories; it makes working late easier, I have found.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO! I was in advanced math classes in middle school and did fairly well. When I got to algebra as a freshman, I just "didn't get it." My freshman algebra teacher was the high school football coach. In all honesty, he was a better coach than teacher. He called on me to solve a problem and I was lost. Rather than help me, he said, "Okay class, we are going to sit here and wait for him to get this problem right." This was with 15 minutes to go in the class. It was the longest, most stressful, most embaressing 15 minutes of my life. Right before the bell rang, he announced, "Okay, we will pick this up tomorrow. If Rich comes in with the answer, we will move forward. If he doesn't, we will continue to wait and pause on the class until he gets it right." I've had some sort of "hang-up" about math ever since. I went on to college, but needed to get a tutor to get through my math classes. I got a B.S. degree in computer information systems from a top engineering university and I've gone on to have a successful career working for multiple Fortune 50 companies. Math makes sense to me when programming. Trying to solve equations out of a math book is still a problem. I'm in my 50s and have thought about trying to go back and learn math from the beginning to try to overcome this hang up. Not sure where to start, but the book you mentioned in this video might be a good place to begin. Thank you.

100%!!! GET A GOOD DESK! My lord I've been doing my mathematics on a 2ft square desk and it definitely isn't the best. I've been making use out of my lap for writing in my composition book. Still works, definitely not comfortable.

Thank you sir for making this much needed video. I am using your videos as a reference for learning mathematics in data science. Every advice of yours is something that will help me improve. 🙏

Infinite series and derivatives made me love math. I had an excellent calculus teacher. Later on, I learned to love proofs (at least the ones I actually understood). Now I tend to love playing around with tightening or loosening certain constraints and seeing what happens. I had to stop at the bachelor's degree level because it started getting really tough and really abstract at that point, and I had to think about my finances as well. Grad school just wasn't going to work for me. I ended up going into accounting for a job, and I do math as a hobby now, more often than I thought I would. Math didn't really destroy me because I never had enough talent to get destroyed, and I kind of knew what I could and couldn't do as I progressed. Now, the CPA exam - THAT destroyed me. Completely and utterly, where I had to give up in shame. It's really tough to have passion for accounting after you've seen what the math world has to offer, at least in my opinion. But it is much easier to get a job in accounting than it is to get a job doing mathematical research at a university. I've always thought that math is kind of like sports. Fun to do, but sure not an easy way to make a living. Unless you're one of the BEST. I'm 42 years old. I can tell there's no way I'll ever be one of the BEST. But at least I can have a good time.

Unsure if this is your natural self? But, I do enjoy that you're a thinker. You seem to have a genuine curiosity with philosophy and understanding the cause to effect. I love to replay experiences in my head over and over until I understand the why. I have been doing the same with mathematics, and applying it to memorizing the problem solving techniques. By doing this I've also been able to more efficiently solve problems I've been presented (ones I've learned) So, now when I become presented to a problem I know how to skip steps to more effectively solve. While still knowing the full solution if needed. Even with problems new to me I'll try my best to apply what I already know into the problem to see where it takes me. Some times it works well, but some require higher concept understanding, which is where the new to you part becomes a new experience to learn. I've always had this immense imagination, but not until recently I've been able to understand I can just expand it without having to feel repressed by those around me. I'm more intelligent than I give myself credit for, and those who give me credit for. (Begins stroking ego to 10,000) Kidding, but really. You're all a lot more intelligent than you may believe or those believe. Believe in you.

I’m more of a software guy. I could replace mathematics with software and this video would be still be spot on.

This was a great video! In grade 9, I had a wonderful teacher who really took the time to teach students as well as have a bit of humour about the ups and downs of learning maths. It was in this class that I started getting 100% on exams and feeling the most confident in my academics in general. In following year I was moved classes to one with "smarter students" -- classes were streamed so that students were surrounded by students of similar abilities, but the entire year of students would cover the same content in assignments and exams regardless of their streamed classes. I got a new teacher (one who ended up teaching me for the rest of my schooling, unfortunately) who did not bring students along the same journey as my previous teacher had. He had little humour for the ups and downs of learning, and after my first semester I remember him explicitly telling me "You don't have the right brain for mathematics" (this became a reoccurring criticism) . There was more going on in my life at the time, but from grade 10 onwards, I lost all confidence in maths and stumbled through my final years to graduate my maths classes. In university, I continued to struggle with my maths. It is only now, toward the end of my degree where I have finally started to allow space for the ups and downs of maths again. I sit with it and don't fear the struggle or failures. It's unfortunate how a poorly teacher or, rather, the discouraging words of an adult to a child, can affect ones perception of themselves and their abilities.

I was whooped by undiagnosed dyslexia with time tests of simple problems in third grade. All I knew was that the tests changed between the time I took the tests and the time they were graded. It also got me bounced out of the gifted program right into the dummy class where I would get beat up after school if I got "A"s. In sixth grade, we were bussed to an experimental school across town where we beta-tested the Plato Learning System on the Illiac at the university through terminals in our school that were connected by cable to the big computer. We also learned "new" New Math from the guy who had invented New Math. That was really a lot of fun. They seemed to be teaching us calculous concepts without actually going through the calculations. For seventh grade, we had moved to central Ohio where they had apparently never even heard of New Math. I felt like I was working with McGuffey readers. My homeroom teacher, a very old math teacher, said she didn't believe eighth graders should be learning algebra so she wouldn't sign off on our schedule choices if we chose that. A few of the kids successfully challenged it, but I didn't have any idea how to do that. I was put into a pre-algebra math class where I was completely bored to death, re-learning everything I had learned in fourth-grade math. In ninth-grade algebra, we had all the "dummies" and delinquents from my eighth-grade class and a teacher who was hopelessly unable to control the class. My friend who sat next to me somehow pulled an "A" out of that class but I have no idea how. I just loved geometry. By this time I was considering myself "bad at math" but geometry was fun! The next year, 11th-grade algebra 2, was taught by a teacher who had her favorites who would shout out answers and jump up to do problems at the board. I was stumped. How did they know what answers to shout out? "What are the factors of six?" "Three and two!" Why not two and three? Six and one? Negative two and negative three? They all felt like valid answers to me. How did they "just know" which answers to shout out? Algebra felt like pointless number games to me. I could cross-multiply, cancel like terms, multiply the whole thing by some number or another, swap the terms… with no rhyme or reason that I could discern. On the tests, I would work out each problem in four different ways and choose the one with the most reasonable answer. She reminded us that any of us who were having trouble could in early in the morning and she would help us. So I went in early and asked her about what was stumping me the most, how do they know which factors are needed? I told her I didn't understand factoring. She told me that was nonsense, that I couldn't have come this far without understanding factoring, I should stop wasting her time, and she sent me away. I failed the class. In college, I took a remedial algebra class but that was proving too difficult so they offered the same class as two separate classes. That was still too difficult for me so I ended up completing the remedial credit after taking four remedial algebra classes. In the trig class that followed our TA was an Iranian grad student who just seemed to be angry at the class and seemed to resent it whenever students would ask questions. I dropped that class. Now that I'm retired, I'm looking back at some lost skills I would like to reacquire. I recently recovered my touch typing that I lost over Christmas break in high school. Now I just need to practice to increase my typing speed. I've been collecting calculators over the years because I'm still superficially interested in math. Number Theory fascinates me. I can watch a video about the properties of zero or one for hours. A few years ago I tried Kahn Academy and that was still a bit too intense and mysterious to me. I was OK at the start, but I quickly became lost. I saw your previous video is about Beginning Algebra and I'm thinking of trying again, though I never really understood what practical use it could be.

My math issue was my junior year of high school. Prior, I mastered Algebra very well. Got straight A's in Algebra 1 and 2. Did well in Geometry. I get into Pre-Calc and the teacher was not mean or strict, but he almost was not strict enough. Didn't give us enough example problems or homework. I remember being just totally lost when learning trig. And like with anything in Math, everything builds on itself. So yeah, I somehow got a B in Pre-Calc, but I was absolutely clueless on Trig. So when I took Calc my senior year...it was awful! My basic understanding of trig concepts were so weak and lacking that it took away from my calculus experience. Unfortunately, when I tried to take it again in college I still struggled. Now that I'm 30, more mature, and have been working in a middle school for 2 years, my appreciation and love for Math has grown. I have been working on tweaking my trig skills so that when I do go back, I'll be ready to finally appreciate Calculus!

I agree. Having the confidence I can solve a problem by myself with a good pencil on good paper using my own mind give me kind of confidence in myself that I can't get anywhere else. I've got bad memories, that damaged my relationship with math, but I am building good memories now to overcome the bad.

I was in special education because of Asperger’s and ADHD and I hated math and if I didn’t understand something they would get upset with me so that could be why I dislike math

I can not fathom liking math for even a moment. It causes me physical pain to look at a math problem; how is that something that can ever be enjoyed?

My Abstract Algebra Prof was too gung-ho about running out 50% or more of his Grad Students. He held too much power and tenure to be dislodged. I finally gave up. Your comment on Environment really hit home!

Hi Math Sorcerer I wanted to say that I appreciate your videos and I’m wanting to self study and refresh my mathematics. I recently graduated college with a geology degree and I want to go to grad school and learn planetary geology but I know I’ll need to refresh my calculus and statistics. Anyways it’s just awesome to find a channel like this where I can plan and see books that I think could help me and I wanted to say thanks 🙏

I've been watching you for these past 3 months and this video is personally the best that you've made so far. Thank you sir. I graduated with a hurremdous mark from highschool last year and I'm going back to adult highschool to retake few courses. Including Math...

I had (then undiagnosed) ADHD. I was hyper curious. I was one of those kids that asked questions about **everything** that interested me. It irritated people. Including maths teachers. I got replies like, 'you don't need to know that', 'it just does', 'you'll learn that later' etc, so often that it slowly ground me down until I stopped caring about maths. Note, ordinary people didn't have access to the internet in the 80s so I couldn't just go and find out for myself. Maths was my only 'C'. Every other subject was 'A's & 'B's. I was in top sets for everything...except maths. I was in set 3. (of 5). Now i'm in my 50s and i'm trying to give maths a second chance. I'm not sure how. The only thing I can say for sure is; I'm curious about maths again. Eddie Woo, Black Pen Red Pen, Nancy Pi, Mr H Tutoring, Tablet Class Math, Ellie Sleightholm and your good self are helping. I think I need to find a structure though. I don't think watching videos is enough. Halp? :)

I was so terrified of math class in school that I was literally shaking before every class.

there is a really interesting concept called 'mathematics identity' in some of the educational research. the concept captures how people see themselves in relation to mathematics and how other people see them. it makes a lot of sense. our experiences shape all of the identities that we invest in. some people develop and perform strong math identities. others develop identities where they do not see themselves as a 'math person.' as i understand it, these math identities can shift and change depending on the experiences a person has.

Preparing for Bank Exams from India. Just because of low scoring especially in Arithmetic word problems i still couldn't clear this exam (need to be very fast in this Exam). Now im practicing from The Book "How to solve Word Problem Algebra" feeling good... I know i am very slow in understanding this but positive part is im pretty fast in calculation. But this is useful only when i understand the problem and then solve it using logics 😂. Hope i will be faster in Arithmetic too.

"Analytic Geometry" and Calculus by Fredrick E Miller survived several moves and at least two bouts of homelessness. It's that good a book. I kept "Fractals" by Hans Lauwerier survived my collection even longer.

Really inspiring video. I make sure the books and courses inspire me.. they have to explain things step by step and get slowly progressively harder.

What made me good in math? Necessity. I kept my grades As due to scholarships. IF you make straight A's I guarantee you will get a free Bachelor's degree. But you have to work hard to keep up that standard. Summer school are exempt from scholarships but I won two scholarships to cover those costs for summers. Other than that it's hard work and considerable daily hours of studying. I worked a job as well. Since math was always my weakness, I took that alone so I could focus on that and nothing else. My Master's degree was about $22,000. I worked and went to school so that was no hardship. I won a few contests by writing papers that went toward my tuition and books for a Master's degree. So my AA and BS were free, and grad was $22,000 total. As for math lectures I understood almost none of it. I recorded the classes and just had to figure it out between the text and recorded lectures.

I had a teacher 30 years ago who got his PhD in math education. His thesis was that the number one determinant of whether or not a high school teacher will learn calculus how well they like their teacher. Just saying...

I have to say, I love Dot-Grid paper. The usefulness of graph paper without the visual clutter. Made by Rhodia...and now Molskine.

Thank you sir❤

I disliked Maths in highschool flunked multiple tests. I remember I even put myself into Physics class and I was thinking "what am I even doing" the teachers curriculum was good but the Teachers experience not helping, they would yell and it felt like they thought I was dumb because I failed maths but passed everything else. I had a Math Teacher who would yell and kick me out of the class for basic explanations. Maybe this is just how the Australian public education system operates, they hire Teachers based on passing University but have no social or communication skills. Not all of them were like this but my highschool was just a disaster. Anyways years on I got interested in game development and realized I needed Maths again and all of the sudden I have a passion to learn and succeed at Maths when previously my entire life I doubted myself because of the negativity surrounding it when I was growing up.

Thank you so much for making these kind of videos! Really really helpful. I wish that uni discussed the sort of mental side of studying maths/physics a little more. I recently graduated, but it's definitely left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth, but at the same time I also want to continue learning maths/physics, alongside programming. Your videos really help to encourage and reassure me!

I thought I was dead, and time stood still, I’m certain time stood still where everything froze, I was scared Another and very impactful moment in finding the inner child which was never lost within me at the age of 26, in a blink of a second, I was in a void, a darkness where nothing was present, after screaming and not being heard by many who were nearby in the next room, a light brighter than any illuminating understanding which regardless how hard we try to define, will always be limited, but that brightness appeared from a place of nothing, and guided me back to not feeling so alone after that moment Ever since then, the faith within me that was born, which is easily explained not with the solving of equations, but by embracing the peace of hope that good is ultimately found regardless of the darkness one cannot comprehend If the light with a bright blue embrace, appeared from a place of nothing, then the darkness was only a glimpse of sight, I was not alone. And regardless if I even comprehend fully with a solution of what happened, I’m free in embracing not the answer to the unexplained, but the reassurance of the light that comes from within and brightens up the path which is shown and revealed beyond comprehension, but illuminates and contradicts ever solving problems, that were never created to be solved, rather created to find peace

Great video! As a suggestion, could you make a video on HOW to study mathematics and physics? You've made many great videos on what to study, but a video on how to study would be great too! Timetables, way of solving, things like that

I do blame them for my problems. I never asked the teacher to present me problems to solve! This is some BULLLL SSHoot you're right I blame people too much.

If anything attempted to destroy me it has been the madness of life itself. Math and physics have been my route to sane resurrection.

Watching your video motivated me to pick up the pencil again about a year ago... While i havent found my way back to academia yet, the 3/4 months i spent relearning my skills at the beginning of the year, helped remind me of how it is that I learn. Now im a mechanic and soon i'll be something more.

In some cases though it actually is others say if you were physically blocked no matter how much you tried

Just did both Real Analysis and PDEs this semester (cs/math double major). I finished my last exam yesterday and I'm absolutely destroyed by math

thx! really needed this one

Best explanation ever! Thank you!

Thanks for saying that about getting good pencils etc. I teach high school math, my first year. It’s winter break now and my plan is to put pencils and paper on each table when we return in January

Dear math sorcerer!Thank you for this great video😍and your valuable response♥️

I lost interest in math on getting an algebra book, which replaced cleverness with manipulation rules. It came back a few years later when I took up programming and all that work disappeared again.

Genuinely considering dropping out of trade school after three months because I can't seem to even do the basic math I did in high-school.

I pass pre-calculus & trig 85% in college this semester. Next semester Calculus 1

There’s definitely some weirdness around the whole hiv/aides thing.

I lost my interest in math after awful teachers when it was my passion. Decades later, in grad school in an unrelated field, I took calc 1 and it was pure pleasure. I bought some basic analysis books (if you have suggestions I welcome them, I like Shilov) and have been reading on my own. Need to do some calc 2 practice problems on my own (suggestions welcome) but it’s doable. Math interestingly helps me a lot with my writing!

Its called 'Learned Helplessness'

My desk is an issue, at 2'x4' it just gets cluttered up and I don't have the room to spread out and feel open and uncramped. On the topic of pencils, Muskgrave Pencil Company, Shelbyville TN. Tennessee Rounds made from the finest Tennessee Red Cedar and by far the smoothest writing graphite cores I have ever written with. And the natural smell of the cedar is divine! ✏️

True Sir maths almost spoilt my initial years of career howsoever my love for maths remains intact.I am looking for starting alover

My 8th grade math teacher got me off the math train. Horrendous experience. My high school trig teacher got me back on the train. Fantastic teacher who helped me understand my wrong processes. That’s all it was - wrong processes. No more than that.

I also had a really bad math experience in 10th grade but when I got to college, not doing math wasn’t an option. I started with college algebra, then precal and trig, stats (which was a struggle but I passed because I got an A in the final), and Calculus 1 & 2 which I had to take each more than once. But I never quit. I love math now. It’s still a struggle but I do it now for fun, BECAUSE it’s hard. Also…100% agree on the writing utensils. I have favorite notebooks, pens and pencils.

math is my comfort from all the harsh realities of life like : lousy career, bills , little to no income, gambling debts, lousy boss, lousy neighbor, over achieving wife, detached kids, super quiet but financially demanding home, bully friends, groupie coworkers, lousy traffic, broken car, hungry dog that doesnt like my food, ... so on

An underlying premise of this channel seems to be that math competency (beyond arithmetic) is a requirement of modern living and that failure to master higher mathematics represents failure in a broad sense akin to a moral deficiency. This proposition is given the lie daily by people who accomplish extraordinary things in the absence of a proper math education.

Hi math sorcerer, I really enjoy your video and am also a math major myself with a second major in a different subject. I have a question for you. Feel free to scroll down to the question as the background is kinda long. Some background: I had always been interested in mathematics and I did lots of extracurriculars surrounding that subject in high school. I was even able to take a real analysis course at my state’s flagship school and beat most of the class at the end of that summer. When I got to college, I embraced all the math classes, including upper divs, I could take and did well in them. I was even thinking about going to grad school and doing high-level research. During my second year, I came to a realization that maybe I need a backup plan, so I took on a second major so that I can have a skill that will allow me to go into industry. This was somewhat problematic because I was spending more time off of mathematics. And now I just finished my degree as a third year. This semester, I took 2 math courses and didn’t do as well as I wanted to in them. Spending too much time out of mathematics may have caused me to get mathematically out of shape and lose interest. Grad school may now be out of the picture due to my loss of interest, and I realize that I just might not be as good as I once thought. That is okay, however, as I can become a hobbyist in math and still enjoy it. Like I can self study and do problems on my own. My question: how can I transition from a undergrad student to someone who self-studies, and how do I get over the sense of guilt for not being able to quite make it in math? I feel like I abandoned what was once my passion and feel trashy for it.

I love how you mention Engineers only using pens because I just grew this strange habit in engineering school, but man do they suck when you make a mistake, and I make a mistake almost every word I write Stylus and a laptop is the most amazing tool invented for writing for me. I wasnt allowed to use it last semester unfortunately but i know i will next semester

In college, I had math and physics that required so much scratch paper I resorted to using the back of anything to work out problems. Posters, cardboard boxes, signs, envelops- anything I could get for free.

I am in class 11th and I am 15 year old , can you please suggest me a book that give me all basic knowledge of physics and math

I think the key to learning math (or really any subject for that matter) is to have an application for it. I learned vector math in college, but had forgotten it for 20 years, that is until I was trying to do my own engineering, calculating the forces in the members of an open-web steel truss. At least I knew it was a thing, but I had to go back and relearn the specifics. Recently I thought how cool it would be to be able to say I understood tensor calculus, but I haven't pursued it because I know I'll never have an application for it. If I was a physicist it'd probably be a different story, but not for me at age 64.

I quit college from CS Degree because it wasn't for me but I decided to continue in mathematics by going back to college because my father was a mathematics student and love solving problems and theory but he had to drop out because of his financial issue. But he told me to continue mathematics, it will open whole new world and everyone needs problem solvers.

Hi, I've been following you for a while now and I love your content. My only question is this: do you have any recommendations on practice material for maths?

If you don't have a problem doing math the math you are doing isn't hard enough. No pain, no gain!

my issue with math ? The virtual logic of math is often applied to the non virtual logic of math . I alway disconnect when that happen . Mathologer video about 1+2+3...=-1/12 really helped me understand . Like often the issue ? There is no math for the problem but many non mathematician will make lesser educated believe there is math . There might be but a mathematician is rarely requested because they know the mathematician will verify everything before even getting out his calculator . Its fairly rare for mathematician to reach the ok . Let me get out my calculator unless mathematician do not verify . Now a days ? Its getting very hard to find a mathematician skip verification .

The strange thing is that I also prefer no lines on the paper. It's almost as if the lines distract me slightly! Getting a but meta-physical now but that's what I have found. Also love a gel pen.

Well jetstream pens are just awesome

Thanks!

😊

this exact thing happened to me. I was good at math up until I had a bad teacher then it all fell apart. I also have great writing utensils from fountain pens to blackwing pencils to erasable pens and GREAT paper, I still havent picked math back up because there are better things to do wih my time but theres an ember there

South Park taught me to blame all my problems on Kathleen Kennedy.

I had a very bad psychology professor when I was in LSUE. He would do pop quizzes at a moment's notice and reak strict on grading. He destroyed me and my dreams. I also had a very bad math teacher as well.

I feel really guilty for doing very bad on my calculus 2 final recently, failing to notice or recognize simple skills I already had practiced many times before and freezing up on several questions. I mightve been arrogant with my math skills or it mightve been because i couldnt sleep the night before the final(only got 4 hours of sleep), but i just did very very poorly. I had a 98-99% throughout the whole class until this point so i feel like my ego has been very damaged for a very dumb reason. I havent gotten the grade back yet but my ego with math has been kinda destroyed. Im a stats and data science major. What do you recommend for doing better? I certainly love learning math, but Im so disappointed in myself and im just stuck in this cycle of self pity and denial im finding hard to escape.

I've tried so hard to be better at math. I've read all the popular math books. The most promising thing so far has been The Great Courses, it's not cheap but you get a textbook and lectures. I managed to get through an entire math course by professor tanton, which has given me the courage to start the great courses more academic math courses.

Oh man, I always use pen - I didn't realise it was an engineering thing. I just find pencils messy and smudge easily. I guess mechanical pencils are better, but give me a fine-tip pen any day!

For this video you deserve a big ❤

I hated high school trigonometry, failed it twice, and to this day no one can tell me how it is relevant to non-STEM working life!!!

Thank you so much sir.

Excellent

you know, math would be alot more appealing if it wasn't shoved down our throughts for no pratical outcome short term.

When you feel tired or bored or realize that something abnormal is going on in your brain just have a rest or else your brain keeps malfunctioning, sometimes freezing or it may experience difficulty in assimilating new concepts.

I am a guy who struggles On it, It makes me so stress and exhausted (math), It takes a lot of thinking and comprehension to Understand math, especially having a good memory It will be easy to understand math, especially having Lack of math skills because of Stress and Burnt Out