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Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

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Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#121

Post by daniel-cussen »

It is perfectly natural to hate math classes if you weren't the smartest kid in the class. It's basically a guessing game where you constantly get zapped for not knowing something you had no way of knowing.

It's not the teacher's fault, it's not the student's fault, they both could address the problem on their own, but really it's that education receives very low priority. Children don't matter because they don't have money, and teachers don't matter because they teach children.

Plus, there's no scholarships or opportunities for remedial students who don't have that much talent but want to learn and put in the effort. All the big math opportunities are elitist, great mathematicians only go out of their way for exceptional students, which is fine, but never for an ordinary student who just wants to be smart and works for it. Studies. Well one time, I actually did that, I tutored two really disadvantaged kids and one of them pulled his grades up from like a C to a A-, and they awarded him a prize for most improved, due to his effort. His name is León. When I got to where our classes were, he was always acing the marshmallow test, just eating the bad parts of his food and leaving the best parts for last. Not like anybody was going to give him an extra marshmallow, it was just natural for him.

I designed lessons, for instance a first one about multiplication with just paper, no pencils. Multiply with a blank sheet of paper.

But in general, that charity only goes to the richest.

If you want you can write me, I can give like a 2 paragraph rundown for you in particular, just because you want to learn. Email in profile.

Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#122

Post by cebert »

I think we do a terrible job in the US education system of explaining why and how concepts are important. When I entered the University of Michigan for Computer Science, I had to take many math classes in my early years that seemed at the time very unrelated to programming (derivatives, integrals, multi-variate calculus, differential equations, linear algebra). I did what was required to pass these classes but didn’t understand their importance. Then, my senior year of college I took computer graphics and machine learning courses. I was so disappointed that I didn’t realize the real-world applications of math and how it would be helpful to my career. I feel like these math concepts could have been more integrated into the degree program. At the very least, a better explanation of the applications for these concepts would have been helpful.

Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#123

Post by WheelsAtLarge »

There are plenty of places on the web that will teach you math. Follow the usual high school college path. Alg1,2,Trig, Calc1... Grab the related text books so you can practice what you learn. Also set deadlines. It helps you move forward.

The primary thing you need to remember is that you have be persistent. Only you can be successful at learning. You have to be persistent and not give up. When things get hard just look at it as a challenge that you need to get through.

You've taken the first step and that's wanting to learn. Now it just a matter of getting it done.

Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#124

Post by Viliam1234 »

blagie wrote: post #70
elliekelly wrote: post #64

I've done this and would echo the good advice you've already gotten about Khan Academy but I think the comments in this thread are skipping over the most important part: pace. Work slowly. Don't move on until you really "get" the concept you're working with. Some topics might "click" right away and others might take weeks of bashing your head against the wall until your brain makes sense of it. That's okay. It can de…

I'll just mention: From a scientific perspective, this is absolutely the wrong advice. If you couldn't understand something yesterday, that's very good evidence you won't make sense of it today. You should work hard, go deep, and try hard problems, but if you fail to understand something after putting in the effort, just move onto something else. Learn a few unrelated things, and come back. Much of the time, if you c…

> From a scientific perspective, this is absolutely the wrong advice.

Those are unnecessarily harsh words. You and elliekelly are not contradicting each other, but talking about different things.

If you didn't understand chapters 1 and 2 from a textbook, reading chapter 3 from the same book is usually a BAD idea. Sadly, this is what formal education often tells you to do, because it follows a predetermined schedule.

If you didn't understand chapters 1 and 2 from a textbook, opening a different textbook and reading chapters 1 and 2 is usually a GOOD idea. Two authors describing the same idea from slightly different perspectives is better than reading the same text twice; at least it makes it easier to pay attention during the second reading, but the second book might also answer a question you had when reading the first book.

Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#125

Post by 99_00 »

zerohp wrote: post #28

I was a C student in high school. I never took a math class beyond basic algebra. I started from Khan Academy's first exercise when I was 33 years old. It seems silly looking back that I was solving problems on the number line as an adult. At that time, around 10 years ago, Khan Academy had excellent coverage through trigonometry and single variable calculus. Once I reached that point I went to my local community col…

Khan academy math by grade level. For each grade level you can do a 30 minute exam.

It identifies weak points and updates your progress on areas where you are successful.

Then you can focus on areas where you are weak instead of doing the entire grade again.

Then move to the next grade.

Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#126

Post by rmonvfer »

rg111 wrote: post #56
zerohp wrote: post #28

I was a C student in high school. I never took a math class beyond basic algebra. I started from Khan Academy's first exercise when I was 33 years old. It seems silly looking back that I was solving problems on the number line as an adult. At that time, around 10 years ago, Khan Academy had excellent coverage through trigonometry and single variable calculus. Once I reached that point I went to my local community col…

I was an A+ student up to Sophomore year in HS. I downgraded to A or B+ student after I knew how much fun actual learning is. Before that, all I was doing was memorizing and practising heuristics to get A+. I actually started learning Science since 11th grade. I grew and grew. And my scores tanked. Got only 6.xx/10 in college as well. But no regrets. Learning Math properly gave me a super solid foundation to learn De…

This, 100%. I couldn’t agree more. I’m currently a Software Engineering undergrad in Europe and, at least by my personal experience, the whole education system just focuses on preparing people to pass an exam, not to properly learn a subject.

IMHO, the problem starts when the students get used to memorizing and repeating sample exercises which involve 0 creativity and then graduate and get an actual job.

Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#128

Post by wonnage »

Viliam1234 wrote: post #124
blagie wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll just mention: From a scientific perspective, this is absolutely the wrong advice. If you couldn't understand something yesterday, that's very good evidence you won't make sense of it today. You should work hard, go deep, and try hard problems, but if you fail to understand something after putting in the effort, just move onto something else. Learn a few unrelated things, and come back. Much of the time, if you c…

> From a scientific perspective, this is absolutely the wrong advice. Those are unnecessarily harsh words. You and elliekelly are not contradicting each other, but talking about different things. If you didn't understand chapters 1 and 2 from a textbook, reading chapter 3 from the same book is usually a BAD idea. Sadly, this is what formal education often tells you to do, because it follows a predetermined schedule.…

I personally have always had a hard time inhaling chapters of a textbook sequentially. It’s often easier to skim it first, attempt the problem set, and then go back when you get stuck. Forces you into a more active mode of looking for particular information instead of just trying to absorb everything.

The same works for the humanities too, once my attention starts waning I’ll start skimming and rewind when necessary. Oftentimes authors are setting up a ton of boring but necessary context upfront, but it’s not obvious to a reader why such context is necessary until you get to the point first.

A smarter person would probably be able to anticipate what they’re trying to learn the first time around and avoid my flipping back and forth, but that’s hard.

Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#129

Post by gabrieledarrigo »

Ciao! Six years ago, I decided to try to get a Bachelor's degree in CS while working as a software developer for eBay (I had a tremendous impostor syndrome).

In Italy, most Universities, even the public ones, require passing one or more tests before attending the courses; since a CS degree required a math test, I decided to prepare myself one year in advance. But unfortunately, I barely remembered how to do even basic algebraic operations, so I practically started from a secondary school program, fighting hard to reach a "last year high school" math level.

I decided to hire a teacher for private lessons because I found online courses very dispervise, and I felt that having a clear, structured path to the goal was a better approach for myself instead of struggling with different platforms and books. I studied 4 days per week circa, and the hard work paid back since I was admitted to the course!

Re: Ask HN: How to learn math from zero for adults?

#130

Post by rg111 »

ars wrote: post #120
rg111 wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that the fact that there are special types of learners have been debunked thoroughly. Veritasium recently made a video, too [0]. 3b1b is a fantastic supplementary resource. But you can't start with it, or use it as your primary resource. That would be a mistake. [0]: https://youtube.com/watch?v=rhgwIhB58PA

That video is not convincing, at least for me, wrong style learning is more tiring. I can read a book about a subject all day, but I can only listen to about an hour of lecture a day. I'll absorb the same amount - during that first hour, but after that nothing further is getting in my head. Also the computerized thing about a diagram vs words isn't a learning style difference - both of those are visual, just one is m…

What you say and the video says are not conflicting.

These are just personal preferences. There are no inherent style at the biological level. That's what "learning style" s are about.

I personally have found a combination of all (with more focus in applications and teaching the topic to others) works best for me.

> His on-the-street test is also bad

Agree. It was amusing in a bad way.

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