a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment by cgod
cgod  ·  4696 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Why should you learn math? Because fuck you, that's why.
I hate math, it really is hard. I have worked my way up to linear algebra (I never took a linear algebra class, but needed to lean enough of it to do econometrics). Despite the fact that I am not very good at math, I have had to learn a lot of it to accomplish other educational goal, it wasn't required of me, but I saw where the real useful tools used by economist lay and wanted my very own set.

What does bother me a bit is when people say "I can't do math." I am a shitty mathematician, pretty good at the overall concept, but it takes me forever to go through a long string of calculations. I'm positive that the two instructors in my life who really challenged and enlightened me in mathematics would both say that I was challenged, but hard working. Despite lack of innate ability I persevered and learned more math then the average bear. Almost everyone is able to learn college level algebra.

Also. I know a few people who have/are pursuing graduate level degrees in mathematics. Most of them seem to ride a roller coaster of emotional well being that is a direct function of how well their understanding of the maths they are working on is progressing, I'd even say that they often feel like math sucks.





kleinbl00  ·  4696 days ago  ·  link  ·  
I dated a girl whose sister was good at math. Had a theorem named after her when she was an undergrad. For her grad degree she got Harvard, MIT and Stanford in a pissing match; Stanford offered her the most money. Then she went off and did two years of research in Switzerland. Now she teaches at UC Santa Barbara.

I got a "broken" VCR off of her for free because she couldn't wrap her head around "tracking."