Overcoming Math Struggles: A Personal Journey and Practical Approach

Introduction

• Imagine waking up and suddenly understanding math effortlessly.
• This transformation is not my personal experience.
• Han: Speaker, math and operations research major from Columbia University.

Early Struggles with Math

• Background: Originally from China.
• Chose the liberal arts track in high school despite majoring in math and engineering in college.
• Initial struggles in high school math, scoring low on tests while peers performed well.
• Developed a dislike for math due to continuous poor performance and avoidance.

Turning Point

• Decided to overcome math challenges with a new approach in college.

Han’s Strategy for Learning Math

Old Method (Ineffective)

• Struggled to solve problems independently.
• Often ended up frustrated after hours of effort and still getting wrong answers.

New Method (Effective)

1. Initial Assessment: Don’t start writing immediately. Mentally plan the solution.
2. Giving Up (Temporarily): If stuck, refer to the answer key.
3. Understand Deeply: Thoroughly understand each step of the answer key.
4. Independent Attempt: Set aside the answer key and attempt solving the problem again.
5. Comparison: Compare the independent solution with the answer key, repeat if necessary.

Benefits of the New Method

• Positive Reinforcement: Successfully solving problems boosts confidence and creates a sense of achievement.
• Efficient Learning: Focusing on the correct method saves time and steers study efforts effectively.
• Comprehensive Understanding: Writing solutions independently ensures a deep grasp of concepts, making future problem-solving easier.

Understanding Math Concepts

• Math requires building on prior knowledge; missing steps can lead to confusion.
• Technical terms in math are harder to grasp without foundational knowledge.
• Overcoming gaps in understanding requires finding and addressing missing links in knowledge.

Building a Strong Foundation in Math

• Practice Problem Sets: Focus on practice with detailed answer keys.
• Daily Practice: 20 questions a day following the new method.
• This approach helps zoom in on crucial concepts and identify knowledge gaps.
• Regular practice leads to significant improvement and catching up on missed materials.

Han’s Experience

• Intense practice led to becoming one of the top students in math by senior year of high school.
• Building a strong understanding network transforms the learning experience.

Final Advice

• Pay attention to lectures and complete all assigned homework.
• Consistent practice and understanding will eventually turn the hate for math into proficiency and even liking it.

Conclusion

• Overcoming math struggles is possible with the right strategy.
• Hope the shared method and experiences will be helpful.

Thank you for listening!