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Mastering Linear Algebra in 10 Days: Astounding Experiments in Ultra-Learning

calnewport.com

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Re: Mastering Linear Algebra in 10 Days: Astounding Experiments in Ultra-Learning

#71

Post by rsaarelm »

ArbitraryLimits wrote: post #45
oz wrote: post #43

Ignoring the semantic controversy on 'mastery' and 'expertise', here's my story. I dropped out of a CS program after first year. I was the classic case of a student who had always been told he was brilliant, so I never worked very hard. In high school, I coasted along simply on a fantastic memory, often 'studying' for the final exams that determine graduation the night before. I never learned how to learn. Going to c…

> I didn't know how to learn. I'm not trolling here, but don't you think it's more accurate to say you didn't know how to work?

Thought experiment: What would you think a struggling college student would try doing if you told them, "you need to learn how to work"? What about if you said, "you need to learn how to learn"?

At least for me, the "work" priming hurts learning, since I do very inefficient work on something I've just started learning.

Re: Mastering Linear Algebra in 10 Days: Astounding Experiments in Ultra-Learning

#72

Post by stephencanon »

jaredlwong wrote: post #37
stephencanon wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am quite confused looking at that final; it seems incredibly basic for even an introductory course at MIT (that might have been a midterm when I was the graduate instructor for linear algebra at Berkeley).

18.06 is the very basic, more applied version of linear algebra at MIT. About half of the students that take it aren't in the math department. The more theoretical option is 18.700. And then there's 18.701, Algebra 1, taught by Artin using his book. The latter two are almost completely theoretical/proof based.

To be clear: I mean that it seems too basic even for a final exam of an introductory applied linear algebra course for non-majors.

Re: Mastering Linear Algebra in 10 Days: Astounding Experiments in Ultra-Learning

#75

Post by tubbzor »

forrestthewoods wrote: post #65
ArbitraryLimits wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I didn't know how to learn. I'm not trolling here, but don't you think it's more accurate to say you didn't know how to work?

I disagree. College is the first time many students have to learn how to teach themselves. I did quite well in a small town high school with minimal effort. Not perfect, but I graduated 11 out of 399. I can probably count the number of times I did any work or studying at home on my fingers. During the day I listened in class, focused on school, and gave forth effort. It's pretty easy when classes move at a snail's pa…

I can't speak more to the 'learn how to learn' statement.

I have a very similar story (Eagle scout/football and wrestling team) and had good marks in high school. I arrived at college and was destroyed by Calc 2 and having to learn at that pace when in high school I never studied at all.

After a rough freshman year I knew I had to change how I work and learn. My dad handed me 'Moon-walking with Einstein' and I found calnewport.com (along with other study blogs) and developed a study plan that I still use (I'm currently a Junior).

Re: Mastering Linear Algebra in 10 Days: Astounding Experiments in Ultra-Learning

#76

Post by Evbn »

xyzzyz wrote: post #41
Evbn wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not just skip some lower level courses, and catch up using your free time?

What do you mean by skip? You cannot test out of the lower level courses here, though you can just skip lectures and classes, do the required projects/homeworks and show up only on exam, which is what I usually did with easy courses or the ones I didn't care about. Frequently I couldn't even attend these, because other more advanced/difficult courses I took were at the same time.

Oh that is unfortunate. At my school you could take a test and start at whatever course level matched your knowledge. And there were often accelerated versions of courses, where B1 covered the same material as A1 and A2

Re: Mastering Linear Algebra in 10 Days: Astounding Experiments in Ultra-Learning

#78

Post by Evbn »

alter8 wrote: post #16

> he completed all 33 courses (...) in less than one year. > That works out to around 1 course every 1.5 weeks WTF? What kind of university imposes that you take only one course at any given time? It's not just linkbait, it starts from a wrong assumption. When you take many related courses simultaneously, you see the pieces meshing together and that helps learning. That's different from taking them in a serial manner…

Cooper Union or somewhere does that, several short courses one or two at a time.
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