A math major talks about fear

As I'm entering the last year (Finally! Woohoo!) of my undergrad degree in mathematics, I'm thinking more and more of the people I know who have tried to convince me that there was never any hope for them in math - these are some of the most creative and brilliant people I know, but instead of seeing mathematics as something they could master, they see it as a curse.
This makes me sad.
I mean that. It makes me sad. Because many of these people have given up on their childhood dreams of working in robotics or space sciences or design because they had been convinced that they just didn't have the "gift" of understanding math. Because some of these people are still children, and it breaks my heart to see them defeated unnecessarily.
Because I was almost defeated by these attitudes myself.
Because I believe that STEM fields benefit from the inclusion of people with "non-traditional" backgrounds, and I cringe when I see people justify keeping them out. And I cringe when I see people justify keeping themselves out.
And I know (boy, do I know) that feeling like a failure in math does not mean you are a failure in math.
You just don't understand it yet . (Yet!)
And so these are my rambling words of encouragement. There will be more.

[@drewm.2790]

The main thing that triggers my anxiety is when I see my classmates immediately understanding shit and answer things correctly and I just sit there like a confused potato.

[@johnwalker1058]

I feel you bro. That's the worst feeling in a math class for me. If I'm just struggling on a problem or concept on my own or when others are struggling with it too, I can feel good that at least I'm not the only one. It's when everyone else seems to be grasping it easily while I'm totally lost is when I feel dumb. In moments like these, I remember that people learn at different rates, have different preferences for learning styles, and that math is not an intrinsic gift one is bestowed with at birth, but earns through challenging oneself and working hard.

[@Michael_Livingstone]

Exactly!

[@ironyuppie2089]

You may not be a math person. Yes, that actually is genetically possible, despite what everyone tells you.

[@ironyuppie2089]

Michelle Fauber Sorry, but top scientists would disagree with you. A major study by Johns Hopkins University showed that “number sense” (i.e. knowing 1 + 1 = 2) is an ability everyone has. However, ability to do actual “mathematics” (i.e. algebra and beyond) is actually a trait that NOT everyone has. Dyscalculia is not a mathematical deficiency, it is a number sense deficiency, and is only reserved as a diagnosis for those who acute mental handicaps.

[@walkershu9686]

So true.

[@MaxwellsWitch]

I used to say I got friendzoned by math, but then I realized I get fucked by it everyday.

[@kyrafrederick9187]

Favorite comment on the internet

[@SaskatoonSquire]

I actually tutor for the SAT, and I was asked to go tutor a girl the other day who had been working with a different tutor for a few months. This girl had very much bought into the idea that she wasn't smart enough to do math, and she tended to freeze on the practice tests. She was actually a lot more competent than she thought she was, but this other tutor completely reinforced her bad attitude. I was absolutely heartbroken when her major comment about me was, "You don't make me feel stupid."

[@Macheako]

wow does thinking about all her superiors making her feel dumb just put a shit look on humanity lolol we can do better, goddamnit!!!!!!!

[@sliderBro]

I hate it when people say: I'm not that type; I'm "creative".

[@JorgeGalrito]

I hate it too. As if there is nothing creative in solving a math problem or programming a piece of software. They are so wrong.

[@aquariaaustin2077]

+Rohit Pathak I love telling those people that I'm a math major who enjoys creative writing as a hobby, so they'll have to find another excuse to justify their laziness and willful ignorance.

[@rourkeyliiid4769]

Aquaria Austin well whatever you do, please don't go in to teaching with that mindset. If you think people are lazy just because they aren't that interested in the subject, then that says more about you than it does about them.

[@lJohnTheDreamerl]

I know this is a two-year-old comment, but I'm glad I stumbled upon this video. This is the first I learned that mathematicians and programmers get the same schticks from EVERYONE and have to put on a smile through it every time. I've always been "that guy" and never knew it. I won't be doing that again.

[@TheJenemba]

'He lacked the imagination to ever become a succesful mathematician, so he became a poet instead' -Hilbert

[@DouglasHPlumb]

Studying hard things like math and philosophy can make you funnier

[@Texx_OG]

Lmao? How exactly does a math major make you funnier? ( I got to hear this one)

[@ThinYellow]

Let i=2n+1 for some natural number n. I literally can't even.... A friend of mine (math major) introduced to me this joke.

[@The112Windows]

The proof is left to the reader as an exercise.

[@Icannottolerateit]

Well, you have to develop a sense of humor when you're taking partial differential equations and half the analysis classes.

[@was2dog]

How

[@LookingGlassUniverse]

I'm a math major and I laughed at the reactions you say you get- I get those same ones! The worst is "I'm not a math person". Funny cos neither was I, I almost dropped maths at highschool. Another is, maths isnt creative. I've found that this isn't true at all.. I sort of wish math wasn't taught in school or that it wasn't taught anything like it is. People don't hate maths, they hate what they think it is from years or tedious torture.

[@colinjava8447]

That's the thing, at a lower level there isn't quite as much room for creativity, cause you really need the tools of maths (algebra, functions, geometry, etc..) to be creative in the first place. So one has to start with the basics of numbers and adding etc which is pretty dull. And I think this puts people off from the start.

[@lucapointcom]

Agreed, calculus is where it BEGINS to actually be interesting and creative of any sorts.. Most people never take calculus so they don't get to see the beauty of it! That's truly where it takes off into a beautiful place.

[@crapshoot]

Lucas McMasteur I wouldn't say that; there are many other branches of maths that need very little background to get into and has room for lots of creativity, but that stuff doesn't get taught at school 'cos you can only fit so much into the curriculum, so they opt for the more boring but useful stuff

[@joshuafurtado2415]

I went to college and started at Pre-Algebra. I went on to major in math. I tell students "It's hard, I had to repeat classes and learn and grow and so can you." Also, not creative? I had my students design the outside of a house with dimensions, area, and how much paint it would cost to paint it. My 8th graders had to design a theme park (surface area only) how much space each ride/attraction takes, the cost of food and drinks along with entrance fee. Then, how much money they would make in one day if 100 people visited and a certain number bought food and gifts. It's amazing how much math they do and enjoy it when they are allowed to be creative.

[@mmarvin8332]

maybe you won't answer my question but how did you do in math and how did you improve? I really need it and would like to know your experiences

[@mechanicalorchards3961]

I have come to love math. As a programmer, for the longest time I DID NOT know much math at all. Barely arithmetic to be honest. I had to improvise without knowing much math. Just recently I have decided to drop everything and focus on math as MUCH as I can. The sheer usefulness of each little scrap of knowledge that I am able to place into the bigger picture is astonishing. Like how the midpoint formula can be converted into a lerp function so easily. Math is SO powerful, the things that can be learned and analyzed with it truly stuns me. Though I'm just working my way through algebra, math is so exciting.

[@Dasdasd0]

I know your comment is a year old, and I hope everything is working out for you. I've been in the same place too as a programmer. Sometimes going back to those elementary concepts, but knowing about everything to come after can feel encumbering. The smallest scraps need to be celebrated, especially if we learn about higher math before mastering elementary concepts. The midpoint formula might sound really boring to people, but so does a Boolean "if" statement. Simple concepts like the above are extremely important, regardless of how simple they may seem. I'm still surprised by the amount of simple topics that bleed over into far more advanced topics in math. If you can remember what the slope of a line is, you already know 15-20% of a calculus 1 college class.

[@nicholasandrzejkiewicz]

Eyyy, you are a fellow Araki fan! I'm just browsing these videos. I know physics ought to be a labour of love, but I'm just looking for other upsides to a physics-mathematics double major.

[@colinjava8447]

Nearly all my programs contain quite a bit of math. I think you limit yourself in programming without knowing some basic algebra at least.

[@iCrazy13]

I assumed the commenter was referring to abstract algebra, hm.

[@redsquirrel3893]

I have a maths degree (maths and physics 3 year UK) but my programs don't contain much maths I think maybe i need to find different projects to work on i seem to mostly just find front end stuff and i want projects that benefit from maths rather than just using maths for the sake of using maths. What sort of programing are you doing?

[@AshleysLand]

I understood calc 1 in the middle of my semester in Calc 2 LMAOOO

[@Jevinrandhawa]

screw it, I'll be a math major

[@MrCrazyGuy24]

+Jevin Randhawa i changed my major to math lol best decision i ever made

[@footnotetodescartes9516]

+Torryx same lol

[@yaminnew2953]

Awesome!

[@aidanokeeffe7928]

Jevin Randhawa me

[@rkstat1158]

Just graduated with Actuarial math major and I am now half bald.

[@93deadpool]

'Mathematics' is like an abusive husband or boyfriend that beats the shit out of you but doesn't want you to leave.

[@Private.Jetson]

Lmao so trueee

[@davidpinedo2016]

Johnny Utah

[@nicolebarney3492]

It's more like the personal trainer that beats the crap out of you, but when you're all done, you're stoked because of the awesome guns you have now.

[@shuichisaihara8019]

Math is a girl though.

[@rkstat1158]

For me maths is a girl. I like to play around .

[@mrxwerewolf1]

I am okay with math but I hate physics.

[@gauravcheema]

yeah physics is harder than maths. possibly the hardest subject ever

[@renzovallejos6129]

yes physics is harder than calculus and linear algebra. but past that point math is all about proofs which imo is much harder than physics.

[@AhmadHasan-ou5lv]

I won't say physics isn't hard, i know first hand since I major in it, but it is fun understanding the ideas and IMAGINING! this is what most people forget about physics and don't relate it to. physics is fun but if u take the imagination out and just simply stick to the goddamn board and slides without practical examples, it will always be HARD AF!

[@jasonchurilla5176]

+Ahmad Hasan IKR! I picked up a degree in it, and I'm just endlessly fascinated by it! I view it as a creative endeavor, just as much as art or music. And I see physicists that are on the cutting edge as part artist, part explorer. As an artist because they're combining ideas in ways that haven't been done before in order to create something new, and explorers because they're on the frontier of science, pushing our boundaries of knowledge. Though I suppose you could characterize any good scientist like that, no matter the field.

[@cucutras8084]

Thats such a shiny contradiction since physics is math

[@sgtcojonez]

I am playing this video again in order to find the motivation to do my Topology homework.

[@rashidkhwaja959]

sgtcojonez I hate topology

[@sgtcojonez]

***** I got a D : (

[@samsquanch1996]

I have always been bad at math, I want to be good at it, lately I've been practicing it on my own, I'm trying to learn it, and this video boosted my confidence so much!

[@Peter_1986]

+samsquanch1996 My impression is that a lot of people are scared away from math when they start studying Algebra - the infamous "math with letters" things. But letters are just symbols that you use as placeholders for unknown values, or to express a type of quantity. For example, 2·x + 5 = 10 tells you to figure out what x is, and the formula for the area of, say, a rectangle, which usually looks something like A = x·y, tells you that the area A of a rectangle is equal to the length x multiplied by the height y. You can use any letters or symbols that you want for these kinds of things (even smiley-faces if you want to), as long as it is clear what they represent in that particular situation. That's all that Algebra is, really - it's essentially Arithmetic with unknown or unspecified values thrown into the mix. And Algebra is essential for all other math subjects that come later.

[@emilyreynolds9206]

Math shows up with letters in 5th grade

[@krithikrithi1938]

samsquanch1996 All The Best Samsquanch. 🤗👍

[@AhoyThere]

wow she is the cutest math major I have encountered.

[@Dan-bg5fm]

TryingToCode I'm cute

[@igrewold]

In which way? Quadratic, Logarithmic, or Linear? Let's thank Big O for teach us that! That is asymptotic notation for the ones in the know!

[@Massflavour]

you haven't encountered many math majors clearly

[@sanjursan]

BE a math major is not same as DO a math major. Just sayin ...

[@ЯфКДВНСКБНСДГДЙФВБЦНВВН]

lol

[@SqueakyMcBald]

I think many of us have felt this way, no matter how much we've mastered. It's important to share that. Thanks for the comment!

[@ThuyNguyen-bu9ge]

Thank you, your words are so inspiring, I wish this video was played at the beginning of every high school math class. Math is supposed to be hard, that's what makes it fun - a brain teaser, a challenge. Don't be afraid of not getting an A in your math course, be afraid of not trying to solve those problems and thus never realizing how much you enjoy those challenges.

[@tutenvanman2715]

Maths yes maths not math is easy. If you find it hard you have majored in the wrong subject. Maths is creative the most creative subject of them all. Ie take art, size say 10 variables, type of paint 6 variables, then add in colour. portrait,landscape etc and before you know it you have chosen one out of a million variables. I may not have put it very well but you get the gist. Everything is maths.

[@latashawilliams6421]

I absolutely love this. You are preaching to the choir. Math is so cool but most people never get to experience. You are 100% correct, comparing yourself to other people is the worst thing anyone could do. Math is not a speeding contest. You have to find your rhythm. Once you get that down, you will be unstoppable.

[@michellebailey5596]

By now you've graduated! But this message lives on and inspires. I am showing this to my math intervention students during the first week of school.

[@chillingmeko]

It's just like any form of study STEM or not, you just have to put in the effort if you want to learn it. I get the same sort of reaction when I say I'm an electrical engineer and a computer science major. I had to put in the effort to learn my craft and sure I failed many times but it's the journey that counts trying to get that skill. I whole heartedly agree with you, nice video. :)

[@RichardGalindo96]

House Mouse lol

[@SqueakyMcBald]

I'm really into geometry at the moment, though I'm not taking any classes in it right now. :(

[@iamlalala1995]

Hey how are you doing ? Haven't seen posts in a while.

[@adamwatkins9208]

Thanks Mathematigal, I needed that pep talk.

[@treyatl2006]

Yep thats the same reaction I get when I tell people that im a math major. BTW, I just graduated with a BS in Math last semester.. I must say its really tough. Alot of blood sweat and tears. Then you realise that the Calculus classes people complain about (including myself when I first took them) aren't so bad when you get into the more theorhetical or abstract classes. I dont think I would have gotten through it if it wasnt for my friends and study groups. We all got through it together!

[@Private.Jetson]

are you gonna continue and get a higher degree?

[@hsen.a]

Sounds fun

[@maakhendhlela4988]

Thats BS

[@ThatAnnoyingINTJKid]

this video is so on point, I'm going into my last year of my undergrad degree in math. Great video :) I usually just try to explain that math is a language, and the only way a person learns to express ideas in a foreign language is through practice, and also that I would hope they're not going to hold me to the standard they hold themselves at in their language of specialty, just like I'm not going to expect a random person to be as fluent in a language I've worked my ass off studying.

[@berserker8884]

Exactly. Also, first comes grammar and then poetry. Same with math, one has to build on theorems from axioms and then more theorems on other theorems which is just beautiful, like a blooming tree. One starts to realise the art of math only through sweat, blood and tears while trying to prove the theorems getting the overall intuition on the way. People think math is just grammar, but it's much more, much much much more than poetry even IMHO.

[@katruya]

I almost always get the reaction: "so you want to be a teacher?" UM NO. That's a non-sequitur. I told you that I'm studying mathematics. How does wanting to be a teacher follow from being a student of mathematics?

[@jasminelatendresse6046]

I'm a first year uni student in maths...and yea, it was a slap in the face. but i do enjoy it. What i hate is that i get a lot of: "where are you going with this?" "what are you gonna do after" and i'm just like: I'M GONNA RUN THE WORLD. no. haha it's like i just wish i could study math all my life you know...

[@daowei4211]

I don't understand many things in math but the biggest thing I do not understand is why you only made one video about math. For four minutes and twelve seconds I felt like I can overcome my fear of math. Please, please make more.

[@kadyrobinson5150]

Thank you so much for this video....i am doing a math and biology major...i was one of those person that compared myself to that person in math class that seem to know it all ...but now I know that they are just in a different place and if I study hard i can even become better than them.....

[@lindacarter4543]

I love your hair cut! Cut and color it's so beautiful :)

[@joshuafurtado2415]

I was a math major the same time you were. I heard a lot of these. I tutored for years and many students loved how much I helped them. I had a student who struggled with her GRE, scoring a 25. I helped her, and got her to score a 43. She was so excited. I love teaching math and I use your video in all my 8th grade classes (I teach 8th - Calculus) and they feel better knowing I'm not the only one who is encouraging and knows the struggle they are facing. I tell them I failed classes in college, and that's okay. I am still trying to convince them there is not a level they are supposed to be at by a certain grade because I have 9th grade Pre-Algebra students who feel they should be in IM-1 with their friends. Thank you for this video, it's extremely helpful.

[@nerimanuel8692]

I haven't studied math since I was 15. May it never darken my door again!!!! #mathcantakeaflyingfuckingleap!

[@kdog4198]

This is great thanks Neri!

[@Silhouette93]

I'm not a smooth man' my interests are very singular (at points) Since I first knew of your existence I was sure that our characteristics would add up after our union That was my love poem in Russian.

[@EmuviesMayonnaiseMaster]

Meh, just the fact that it's a learnable skill doesn't make it any more desirable to learn. I know that I could theoretically learn to speak russian if I wanted, it's possible, but I'm not interested in learning russian, so I don't. But maybe I'm just not aware who's supposed to be the target audience for this video.^^

[@fabioarangio]

ciao Mathematigal, I showed your video today in both the self-promotion and the creative thinking classes I teach here in Florence (Italy) at an internationa design academy. It's been litterally a lesson in the lesson ;-) Students loved it. Thank you for posting this perfect speech, it made a difference today.

[@leavesofdecember]

thank for you making the vid I always wanted to make ! like seriously, I thought people only had those reactions in Germany, but it seems to be a world wide phenomenon. So basically I'm gay, very creative, learned German to proficiency in 11 months, like without a foreign accent and I have the eyes of a graphic designer, so imagine people's reaction to my studying pure maths! People don't understand that math is a language, maybe the hardest one on the planet, but nevertheless a language that needs to be practiced a LOT! way more than I'm currently doing, that's for sure. . What people don't understand is that I personally do get affected by ALL the negative reactions that I get, like most mathematicians take it as a compliment, or don't really care about it anymore, but for me it just really sucks to constantly hear stuff like: oh, I HATED maths, who are you?! why on earth would you study THAT! whereas when I was still studying architecture, which even though phisically challenging, hardly anywhere close to being as actually challenging and frustrating as maths, people were super thrilled and wanted to hear more and so on. With maths, peolpe instantly shut you down, like you couldn't possibly have any other interests or even be able to have a normal conversation, because yeah, you're the freak who studies maths, so you're obviously some alien that got bored with human activities like having fun, and decided to reinvent the Universe using weird symbols that nobody can understand, because what else should an awkawrd lonely alien do on this planet? I love how you described maths, I usually tell people that it's like playing a new video game with your monitor unplugged, like you can't see anything, but based on the sounds in the background you have to figure it out, which is I think the best description there is. Say we usually prove stuff for n dimensions, but take 4 and that's already too much for any of us, anyone who claims otherwise is LYING to you! And I've heard people tell me stuff like, oh, the most I can imagine is in 3d, after that I'm just lost, well newsflash , we ALL are! There is no math gene, or brain structure or whatever, nor are there geniuses! and you can name people like Euler, Gauss etc. but not even they didn't wake up one morning and were like: wow! I'm good at maths! NOBODY IS GOOD AT MATHS! Some are better than others, because they have more experience, that is it. Even if you take someone with an IQ of 200, that doesn't mean he won't have to go through all the work, he just does it a bit faster, but he still has to go through every single step of the way, and that is why I love maths personally, because there is no field on earth that is so brutally honest as maths. There are no corners to cut, no workaround, no gut feeling, nor talent, just plain work between you and your brain, because some insticts maybe do help but they don't matter if you can't formally prove those instincts. There is no: I'll learn for the upcoming exam the night before and will randomely write stuff that looks like I've learned something, because you're not tested on digested formulae that you've learned by heart, but on your level of understanding the material, which will never happen overnight. So I hate people who hate maths, who don't respect mathematicians for the immense work they have to go through and just put them in this corner of "talented" or "geniuses" or quite literally aliens. No, we are as human as they come and the process of going through learning how some parts of maths work is as hard core as it would be for anyone else. You just go to lectures where you feel like you're being taught chinese and then you go home and give your brain the time to wrap itself around all those abtractions, then you get excited for about a few seconds, then maybe you even get arrogant and think, oh this is so obvious, but then you go to the next lecture and realize you're an idiot and basically didn't even scratch the surface of what you are expected to have understood and so on, again and again. Personally the more maths I do, the more inadequate I feel to even be studying maths. I am improving my skills in various areas but any course of pure maths has been the most humbling experience I have ever had. The fact that such incredibly beautiful abstract expressions came out of human brains just continues to baffle me all the time, which only makes me feel ever so dumb and frustrated that I don't ever have enough time to dig into the infinity that maths really is. And then some stranger thinks it's a good idea to call me a genius, seriously?!

[@iCrazy13]

I can 100% relate! I learned Mandarin and how to read Chinese from watching TV. And studying pure mathematics has absolutely taught me to be humble. You go in thinking you're hot shit, you're smart enough to bang your head against the topic long enough and learn something, etc. But...pure maths has not been that way. It makes me feel like I am witnessing something beautiful and grandiose, but at the same time, like I am a small child without any presupposed conceptions. And I am learning German as well :)

[@phxric8417]

why did u type a whole essay in a youtube video's comment section.

[@howchen8529]

I am a CS student and there's... a lot of math. And there's variants courses where you can choose math related courses like signal processing. And people avoid those like plague, yet I chose it...Because for some reason mathematics created a place of safety...for math questions there's always one correct answer (well hard to get to it of course, but only 1). There's a certainty that answer exists, and a certainty that after certain steps you will always reach such an answer. That's different with other courses where they throw you a theoretical question and you need to basically interpret it on the spot without any tangible structure you have built (cus math you can find a pattern after practicing a lot), just based on memory and understanding. That feels a lot more uncertain, even if you were prepared. And math takes time. Lots of time. You need to sit there and figure things out. Also there are people clever than you, people who figure things out faster than you. Trust me...if you were kind of a try hard at school and got into a good university, you realize there's a certain intelligence gap where certain people, with no background, can pick things up in two weeks where you studied hard for for two month. The point is not to assume those people are not clever than you. The point for me is to know that you can reach the same spot by your hard work. You are living your potential, pushing your limits. And you should respect yourself for that. If they are cleverer than you, then they have a lot more potential to fullfill. That's their mission, not yours. Yours is to do the best you can. Yours is to make the best for yourself that you can.

[@michaeltaylor9874]

I show this video to my math classes every year (sometimes more than once to remind them.) They make so many connections - ESPECIALLY the female students. Their reaction to see a young lady as a mathematician is amazing. Thank you for posting this!

[@andrewjoke]

Mathematics is the language of nature

[@RolandHutchinson]

Maybe. For sure, mathematics is the language of our models of nature.

[@metakatana]

@@RolandHutchinson There exists a mathematical model M that is isomorphic to the universe if M is logically and provably consistent. That is if the universe can be fully described by a set of propositions, regardless if we are able to realize the truth values of each of those propositions. In other words, does the universe have definite true or false statements to everything (beyond what we know and what we can possibly know)?

[@jvolstad]

As a older non-traditional student, I had this one girl in my Art class ask me what my major was. When I told her "Mathematics, " she had a look of horror on her face. "Why " she asked me. What are you currently doing for employment or school?

[@efrazable]

love this vid, but could you follow it up with "what jobs are out there after a BS in math"?

[@2LegHumanist]

Engineering, computer science, software engineering (especially AI-based stuff). Math grads are very employable.

[@gauravcheema]

are they really employable? I am going.for a maths related major and am really worried

[@2LegHumanist]

Yes. Though you might need to supplement it with something practical, the practical skills will need to be upgraded every couple of years anyway and the math will always be relevant.

[@Dan-bg5fm]

Ludwig Van Beethoven professor or engineer

[@Smokeshowgg]

A lot of jobs in Applied Mathematics such as Finance, Data Science, Algorithms (Com Sci) etc

[@سلمةبنفارس]

"it's not Magic , it's a skill" I'll remember this for ♾️

[@kevint1120]

Serious question: What do you think about people's ceilings in terms of math? Math is a skill but it seems at some point it takes more than hard work to reach a certain level of mastery and application.

[@SqueakyMcBald]

That's awesome! It's important to see that being persistent, even when you're struggling, can get you places. Congrats at getting into Caltech! What are you studying?

[@ireneyeboah5680]

I am an undergrad Math major and i literally get a phobia almost all the time when i feel i am not doing enough. #2020 and i am still here. I find your words encouraging. Thank you

[@sweethearts86]

Thank you so much for your encouragement it means a lot to me.

[@Psychokitten113]

i hated maths at school its left a bitter taste for all these years, stopped me from doing a lot of things in life damn maths !!!

[@reymarrero740]

Math is not hard, it's just not taught well. Almost everyone who learns math very well, have learnt by themselves, as in practicing and understanding why are all the numbers and equations there. Saying math is hard, is like saying, yeah go do something else easier with your life, we need to stop giving math a bad taste, math is just a language and it has its own rules, if you don't learn the rules you'll be frustrated at math. Same thing happens when people that do not speak english, from other parts of the world and move to the U.S., need to rely on their kids to get by or around. Hell yeah you need to practice, but math is NOT hard...

[@alqpr]

Some math is hard is and some is not. Memorizing 3+4=7 is not hard, but *proving* 1+1=2 took 162 pages of Russell and Whitehead's Principia Mathematica in 1910, and the Fermat-Wiles theorem took 350 years from conjecture to proof (and defeated some of the greatest names in mathematics in the interim). Perhaps what she should have said is that *interesting* math is hard, but that's so obviously what she meant that the qualifier is unnecessary. Indeed *nothing* that's not hard is worth putting any effort into. (Breathing, at first sight, is not hard and it is only by seeking to perfect it and so "making it hard" that yoga teachers give it any value as an object of concerted practice.)

[@yasminahmed2272]

i want to break the chains that i have tied my brain and if try to do hardwork i'd be better in math .

[@TheOneBromie]

This needs to be played in every math class past high school.

[@mindose]

SO GREAT! Carol Dweck needs to hire you -- so growth mindset! I am totally going to use this with my tutoring students. Great energy.

[@exymath9232]

i love you im a math major in my junior year and i really needed to hear this right now

[@dgchapman74]

I absolutely love this video. Every year I show this video to my students and I encoourage them to create small goals mathematical goals for themselves that doesn't have anything to do with grades. Thank you, your words have encouraged countless young minds that they can do math.

[@jdbrown371]

It's sad that this is most peoples' response to mathematics. Their response is 100% rational and the problem is how math is taught. Overwhelming people just robs them of their confidence and destroys any love of mathematics. The talented students learn to hate math because most course are stuffed with boring banal routine exercises instead of interesting problems. The antidote is to solve interesting problems, giving people time and space to solve them, offering just enough encouragement and support.

[@jdbrown371]

@ Beej Bailey -- Very sorry to hear about your experience. Sounds like you and your classmates need some time to heal from a negative experience. Find someone you can confide in and trust, let them know what happened. It's important not to lose your confidence over this and to protect yourself from negative situations like this in the future. Also, it's very hard to give your next math teacher a fair chance when you have had previous bad experiences. It's very hard but you must try to be fair. It may help to take a course you know you'll feel comfortable taking just to gain your balance again. Life knocks us hard sometimes and living through a bad class with a bully teacher is humiliating. Bad as it is, you can learn from the experience how to protect yourself going forward. You might like to read the book "Kiss My Math" by Danica McKellar (Winnie in the Wonder Years TV series). She wrote other books which explained math rather well and has a friendly tone. Good luck.

[@Pete-Prolly]

Ha! My teacher might! (I hope I'm wrong & that he just had a rough week) but I feel like he expects the right answers all the time, AND he times his test!!! And HATES answering certain questions. I can "Math" really hard problems if I take my time...( I can "suppose" all day!!! lol) but Im not a tool! I'm not a calcularor!) I want to do what calculators carnot. I'm taking Calculus for fun (at 39years old) cuz I never had the chance. If I learn all the material, study hard, know all the answers, but don't finish then I fail? How is that logical? HOW DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? (It doesn't.) Claim: "A good test should be created iff it can "test" my ability. It cannot" Proof of Claim/Modus Tollens: There was insufficient time for me to demonstrate my abilities and competencies. Because of restricted time, it did not accurately "test" my ability. (Consequent is denied,) so it follows that (Antecedent is denied) ⇔ " this did not "test" my ability ∴ a good test was not created." qed ■ I just wanna enjoy solving puzzles and problems. I believe they use Math to turn it into a "bad-boys club" & also weed out the weaklings, dilettantes, and undesirables.

[@mathunt1130]

Like any skill, you must work to gain competence at it. SOme people have an innate ability at certain skills (sports, music, literature etc). maths is no different. You have to WORK at it, just like everything else in life.

[@TheNotverysocial]

I have studied this for five years..................... Damn! I put six hours to trying to grasp the most basic of concepts, tried to approach several different means, looked for a job, even spent an hour or three in a tutoring center. I still have me algebra book, and it's made me no richer. If what you said was true, a chimpanzee could learn it. My own instructor told me mathematicians are dumb. Horse hockey. He was being modest. The truth is they are inherently better than the rest. Could you teach arithmetic to a dog? Then why is it unreasonable to think it possible that some human brains cannot be intelligent? It's no wonder I abandoned any idea of ever getting a car or moving out. Any desire for marriage had been doused. This would create a new generation of imbeciles we do not need. I collect beverage containers, scrap from the litter pile and rubbish. That and a bicycle is the best thing a repeated math failure can do. I love arithmetic and detest algebra. I can forget about engineering because progress marches on whether I contribute to it or not. It doesn't need my input to thrive. It's been doing that since before I was conceived. Does it really need me now?

[@aquariaaustin2077]

+TheNotverysocial Algebra is simply arithmetic with letters instead of numbers. If you can do one, you can do the other.

[@TheNotverysocial]

Aquaria Austin You can speak for yourself. Having gone for it twice and withdrawn from it, there is no third time.

[@chris082681]

So... I'm studying for midterms right now... not math (today) but it involves mathematical thought processes (engineering, mechanics of materials). I can't tell you how frustrated I get but I don't need to, cause you obviously get it. I like how you explain things. It's very reassuring and inspirational and thank you. Weird that I feel like you climbed into my head cause this is exactly how I needed to hear it. Thank you math girl :). Now back to parallel axis theorem.

[@DoMiNxXoXo]

Thank you for this vid. My school just used it to inspire people that are struggling with math. Thanks:)

[@krithikrithi1938]

Thankyou For Your Advice Mam. Tnx a Lot❤

[@SqueakyMcBald]

So true! In lecture I usually get a sketch of what I'm supposed to understand, and then I have to go home and *actually* understand it.

[@DavidVonR]

If someone can answer math problems faster than you can, and they understand mathematical concepts more quickly, then yes, they probably are smarter than you. Tough, but that's how it is. There's always someone smarter, quicker, faster. But you must learn to not give up at mathematics if you meet someone better than you at it. Try not to compare yourself to other people.

[@arsu90011]

This gave me a boost of confidence. I love to learn new things and this includes math. Math is not my forte and so I do attempt to grasp what I learn by asking questions and getting tutored whenever possible. I have noticed when I do ask questions, teachers and tutors seem to be on guard and do not give me all the information. Have you experienced this? Why all the secrecy?

[@MrSupernova111]

Great video! Never head anything talk about math this way. Funny enough, I just gave similar advice to someone else regarding another topic. You are correct that we can achieve anything we want if we work hard at it. You're cute too. And very smart. Keep up the good work and make more videos.

[@rolandixor]

Maths a psychosis. You need help.

[@SeanCarley]

I really wish you had more videos.

[@brendazamora6131]

What a great video! A great and encouraging response to combat typical Math stereotypes. Its almost like its a "lets demistify math fear" intro video!!! If only my math teachers in school were as sympathetic and encouraging as you are!!! Hooray for math majors!!!!

[@SqueakyMcBald]

Recognize those feelings, but don't let them take over! Even the tiniest bit of progress is still PROGRESS!

[@litulm]

Hi! I'm starting Maths at university next month and I've been so scared about whether I'll be able to cope so this video really helped me. Thank you so so so much! I hope Maths takes you where you want to be. Best wishes, Maleeha X

[@juliebsdca]

How could anyone NOT like this. So well said. One of the worst things people can do for kids learning math is not admit that higher math is hard. That very smart people have to work hard at it. Some of the smartest people I know failed calculus at least once.

[@alexdabruh]

I am a physics and electrical engineering major, when I met a math major I will always feel in awe (I seriously cant do proof, and extremely complex and abstract stuff)

[@silencedidgood]

Love this. I bet you would like Kalid's stuff at better explained dot com. Some math is about finding the insight through practice and sometimes the insight comes from some small kernal of others insight

[@effortless35]

This video is a lot like a math proof. A series of simple statements leading up to a surprising conclusion: that math is a skill like any other, we get better at it by patient practice.

[@hamzamohamed7935]

Where are girl... Come back we need you

[@thetruth5084]

I'm about to finish my degree majoring in Compsci and Math, and I still can't do integration intuitively... Am I a failure?

[@erin1427]

Utterly amazing video. Thank you so much for this video because even though I'm not a math major, my major involves math and I actually do enjoy it.

[@peterarias7785]

Would you believe me if I tell you I gave the same analogy about russian being like mathematics and One of my classmates said: it's not a valid analogy, :(

[@joelfranco9451]

hey thanks for the advice, im also a math major and at time i also compare myself to other students and i wonder why if i work so hard how come i can not understand the material as well as they do. i did to stop doing right

[@alexcordero6672]

I'm sitting in my car psyching myself up to take a math test. I too have been a computer programmer and never have I been asked to find X. I've been asked why Windows freezes or something similar. Regardless. Algebra id's something that I just seem to not get and I'm trying to change that. I'm about to take a test and frankly not even close to being ready. But you're right because I still spent all weekend studying and although I still can't simplify equations, fractions finally made sense! So... Now that that's done, back to equations... Thanks for the video.

[@packleader1215]

Our appearance and body is genetics. Diseases or pathologies can carry over to the baby BUT IT IS NOT PERMANENT. You can reverse it by change of diet and lifestyle. Change your environment so it suits or is conducive for your body, mind, and spirit to focus and be creative. Learning is repetition. Muscle memory is how mathematicians retain their skills.

[@igrewold]

You ain't a true mathematician unless you haxor the N$A data center in Utah and turn it into ash, otherwise you're a BSer. Hint: Lambda Calculus & Mr. Robot + Raspberry Pi subZero(with Mortal Kombat box)

[@FonsiScheme]

You are the most magical and beautiful person in the world.

[@FreddyChoppins]

Personally, I think most people's fear of math simply has to do with how it was taught when they were younger. Through my high school and college years, I only had a single actual "good" math teacher. The rest simply went through the motions without really seeming to care if the class grasped the concepts or not. In my opinion, some of them had no business being teachers because, while they may have mathematical knowledge, they simply could not convey that knowledge to a class and they taught in a way like they assumed that everybody was already familiar with the topics being taught.

[@emale03]

I don't believe she is a math major--maybe she is a good actress auditioning on KZbin?????

[@tomtowo]

lol, why ? cause she’s a woman LMAO ???

[@GameBoyyearsago]

@@tomtowo 😂😂😂😂

[@iskrasuah3838]

I hate that one; "i'm just too creative"; as if mathematicians aren't creative, Good video though.

[@savagebradley]

im a big potato when it comes to math

[@theboombody]

I found out that graduate level math is not necessary for 99% of careers, so after finishing my undergrad in math I played around for a while and then went to business grad school. I mostly do math as a hobby now and post weird youtube videos about it. Anything I get paid to do I instantly get bored by, so I tend to like hobbies.

[@iiSKULL]

practice practice practice as you practice as you will get marks DON'T expect any thing more !

[@minrvahiedra]

This was so helpful, i was having a bit of an existential crisis , thankyou so much for these words

[@lauraerickson297]

Thank you so much for putting this together! I can't wait to show my middle school students!

[@lordfezerellii]

once the Grey's give us the secrets to infinity we will have no need for math as we are the math

[@prexzone]

true...i used to be dumb at math till i forced myself to know it and now i am great at math

[@m.loughlin1915]

Mathematics is the foundation of the universe. NOTHING in all creation functions without it. I too, was never a math wiz beyond basic arithmetic....Addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, fractions, decimals, etc. Trigonometry KICKED MY ASS! I did mange to get a degree in general mathematics. Then discovered something strange. Landed a job with a good company in the Automotive industry. The discovery was this...... Even though I only utilized the basics of arithmetic 99.9% of the time, employers like someone who put the time in to get an actual degree. Not so much for the actual math skills, but in their minds, a person with a math degree is a PROBLEM SOLVER. Even if the problem in question isn't necessarily mathematical!

[@jackwhite9395]

Thanks for reaffirming what I've known for the last 40 years!!

[@MistressGlowWorm]

This is truly insightful! Interesting how many of our math fears and anxiety are expressed in the beginning of the video well broken down concerning the poetry analogy. The most important thing that stuck out with me is not to compare ourselves to our classmates to seem to have it all together! There is an old expression that goes "Comparison is the thief of joy" and it truly is! We must consider all backgrounds, but Math is a journey (besides a skill). It's up to us to explore and go on this adventure. We have no time to worry about other people's side quests when we have our own adventures and journeys to go on.

[@intolighter]

Hi. My name is Saramoira and I'm a math major. It's true. I'm a math major. I study math. On purpose. What I really want to talk to you about today is the kind of reaction I get when I tell people I'm a math major. I say "Oh, I study math, I'm a math major" and I usually get responses like this: "Oh, my brain's just not built for that." "I'm more creative." "Oh, wow..." "You must be a genius [whispering] I'm not a genius." "I'm just too slow at it, you know, I just can't I mean I'm just too slow! I'm just too slow." "I just ehhh, just never really nnnnn mmmmm." "It's genetic." "Oh, I'm just not a number person." "Ugh, I hate math." Okay. So here's the deal. Math is hard. It is. We all know this. It's not like we go around speaking math all day, and then like, can just switch in and out of it all the time. No no no! No! We have to stop and switch gears and change what we're doing and that can be really confusing. It's as if we were having a wonderful conversation and then all of the sudden I stopped and asked you to write me a poem. In Russian. And you don't know Russian! So you have to stop and learn some basic Russian, and then try to figure out what kind of poem I want, and maybe I'm helping you out, and maybe I'm trying to explain what's going on, but there are some Russian words that don't really translate into English very well... That's really hard! And math can kind of feel like that when you're not used to it. In fact, math can kind of feel like that even when you are used to it. So nobody's expecting you to, like, come into this world with every mathematical tool ever known to man fully-formed in your brain. That's just not going to happen. So give yourself a little slack. You know, no one's going to expect the right answers all the time. Okay, you know that kid in your class who just knows all the answers and is always raising their hand really fast and just makes everyone feel kind of like, stupid? Right? Okay. Let's go back to the Russian poetry analogy. Imagine you're in a Russian poetry class and there's a kid in the class whose family speaks Russian. Or maybe they speak, I don't know, Ukrainian, or something, and that's really similar, so he has a leg up. Or maybe, you know, she listens to a lot of Russian music, and just really likes it, and so she's picked up a lot of stuff. Stop comparing yourself to that person. Seriously. Stop. You have no idea what a student's background is. Just because they can answer something faster than you can does not mean that they are better than you. And it does not mean that you are stupid, or that you don't know how to do whatever skill it is. It means that they're in a different place than you. That's really all it is. Math is a skill. Did you know that math a week ago? Do you know that math now? Do you at least know some of that math now? Anything is, like, a big victory at that point. It's just like learning how to sing, or dance, or ride a bike, or cook, or something. You might make mistakes. You might find it's really hard, you might, I don't know, fall off the bike! But that doesn't mean that you will never learn how to do those things, it means that right now, you need more practice. So practice! Ask for help, demand help. Talk to people who seem to know a little bit more than you do, maybe they'll be able to, you know, give you some advice. If that's too scary, talk to people that are on the same level as you, and try to get a sense of what you don't know, and then go to your teacher. You can't practice if you're constantly talking yourself down. Math is hard. But, you can do it. It's not magic. It's a skill.

[@anjellaaxd]

i absolutely love this! I'm a geometry teacher through an organization called Teach For America and I'm always telling my kids everything you said in this video! I'm definitely showing this to them this week !! Thank you so much!

[@shir393]

I've been struggling with maths ever since I started school really, but I don't know as in how and why I did. I couldn't remember jack shit. I moved from a different country to America and basically had one year not going to school to work on my English by being in a school for handicapped kids. We had NO HOMEWORK. Not sure how in the hell I learned to read. From there, I somehow transferred to an advanced school. I begin to somewhat know my times tables during 3rd grade, but I was doing 2nd grade math which is fucking sad. We did time tests where we work on our mental math while being timed, and I've always been stuck on the first level while everyone else progressively jumped from one level to another. It made me insanely insecure and how I coped with it was browsing through the internet. I fucked up my childhood and now I'm an 8th grader who's having crisis about my past everyday. It's 2020 and I can't do simple mental maths or any maths at all. I'm trying, REALLY trying to improve nowadays and possibly work my way up to an AP math class.

[@ironyuppie2089]

Here’s the problem - recent studies have shown a strong indication that math IS INDEED genetic. A highly publicized study from Johns Hopkins University in 2011 is probably the most well known, but there have been others. They make it clear that while everyone can be good at what they call “number sense,” (i.e. knowing that 1 + 1 = 2), NOT everyone can be good at math. They also found that there is an area of the brain that responds to math in a manner similar to language, and not all test subjects displayed this response. The subjects who did not show a “response” in their brain had come from predominantly blue-collar, unskilled labor backgrounds where math was not a requirement for the job. This was in stark contrast with those who did have a response in that area of the brain, who came from predominantly white collar or educational backgrounds where math played at least a minimal role in their daily job responsibilities. Conclusion - If you say you’re “not a math person,” you’re probably right.

[@sisyphus645]

Sinh on you crazy diamond!

[@adrenalinesoft3461]

Hi, thanks for the peptalk I was about to give up on a book on math in game programming: 3D Math Primer for Graphics and Game Development, 2nd Edition I stranded in the 3th chapter about base vectors and stuff. They completely lost me there although everybody in reviews are raving about how good the book is. Maybe changing gears will help. do some simpler math first, its more than 20 years back since i touched a math book afterall. Why do i punish myself with those difficult hobbies ?

[@randyzeitman1354]

People who think they're not good at math should invest some money and take a serious IQ test. If that test says you're above normal then you should then proceed to a therapist because you have a fear or a bad assumption that you're unwilling to take a look at. And I can even take a good guess as to what that fear is ... the fear of 100% wrong. With non-math subjects you can always get it part right ... if the answer is Michigan and you say Montana you might be close, in geography, in climate, whatever. You don't like objectivity. You probably don't like a statement like 'women are better drivers than men' because you perceive it as all or nothing ... you think that statement means 'any woman is a better driver than any man, and that's impossible, so the statement is impossible too.' But it really means 'the average woman is a better driver than the average male driver'. But that's no good right? ... because it's a generalization, which means it will be unfair in someway. OTOH ... math is all or nothing ... 100% or 100% wrong ... no room to accommodate everyone. You think math is a talent like eyes are brown or blue. Nonsense. It's a skill ... start learning to enjoy broccoli and numbers.