The Dark Side of Self Study

[@ernestooropeza6150]

The dark side of selfstudy is when you’ve spent 100s of hours mastering a subject and nobody takes your knowledge seriously because you don’t have a degree in said subject. 😢

[@katmcduff]

Absolutely!

[@gilbertestrada4758]

If you have been able to learn on your own and you are successful, you don’t need to prove anything to anyone but yourself.

[@katmcduff]

@@gilbertestrada4758 in fact, if people percieve you as dumb in a team project, no matter how good your ideas can be, nobody will listen to what you have to say. And it's much worse when you have a high IQ beacause you are so far in your thinking and theories that the only thing people around percieve that you are out of step (thay can't see how far forward you are in your thinking, just that you are not thinking with them and then they assume that you are the one lagging) and this impression is increased when you don't share the technical terms. You might understand the concepts quite well but any idiot with the right vocabulary will have more credibility than you. Doing something on your own, all alone is one thing, but it gets a little trickier when you need a team on a project and when this team has to agree on the next steps to start working

[@latanezimbardo7129]

that is very very true

[@jarr0_0]

The results and the ability to do things succesfully will prove us right compared with some 0 knowledge graduates

[@Unidentifying]

I started selfstudy mathematics and physics seriously at 27, to get into University. It was very very hard. I remember I was checking some of your videos when you had only a few thousand subs, cause I was so interested and amazed by the math magic. Now im going to the third year of university physics and astronomy. Took me about 3 years of selfstudy!! Even a few hard failures, I actually failed an important math exam three times, which was asked to get in. Some people even told me to give up, even my mother, but my father believed in me, and I think I might have been close to giving up. But I didnt give up and suddenly I got a 73% and accepted to the study which was an old childhood dream. Now im working with one of the most respected physicist in my country on a breakthrough paper related to unified field theory, which is completely from my idea. I still have issues with studying on time and primarily the discipline to do homework :)) I hope people read this comment because I believe it can inspire anyone and I'm still not believing whats happening, the love of my life helped me motivate me a lot though

[@suchen_to_saturn2839]

Thanks you give me hope ✨

[@shangza842]

Hey, your story is really helpful. Im starting at 25, and sometimes it feels like im harping on old stuff and i should spend my days on more lucrative things. Im hope to get into graduate school for math eventually. Congratulations on your success!

[@Raikaska]

Cool story. Motivates me to go further. Am selft studying complex analysis right now and it's fascinating, but tough

[@Chucknourse]

You just motivated me. Thank you!

[@Cr1z_R]

I'm planning to self-study math from scratch i have experience maybe because i have been learning English self-study like 2 years ago and at first i didn't understand anything i figured out that if i can't understand a sentence or a text i just pass it and I was like okay if i keep studying at some point i will understand it and it was like that it just take time not rush it i hope math could be the same isn't it?🤔

[@carlosgarnier5226]

one of the problems for self-learning is that many authors of math books omit many steps in the demonstrations and that is where the difficulty of studying oneself begins.

[@earlbonie3779]

I agree completely!!!!!

[@Polimuni]

Los nerds del poli haciéndose presentes...

[@shetheyithe8894]

I felt true in 9:10

[@PraveenSrJ01]

I completely agree

[@elliottadler4033]

%100 agree!

[@TheMountainBeyondTheWoods]

I'm in my early 40s and decided to get a computer science degree. I had to go back to high school algebra and study all the way up to trigonometry to be able to understand calculus. It was a lot of work and took me a while. My only help were people like yourself and your videos. I even left a comment on a video of yours about a couple of years ago or so because you explained some concept very clearly and i was finally able to understand it. Now I'm just 3 or 4 month away from graduating. Many thanks for making math interesting and understandable for people like me.

[@nadee_troit]

Hi.. are you in US?

[@timothy4557]

Great job man !

[@richofftech]

I have a similar story. Decided to go to college to study CSE at 24 years old and had to begin with pre-college algebra. I'm now entering my 4th year at The Ohio State University.

[@James-ju1wb]

I'm in the same boat, working on self-studying so I can go back for engineering. Mid 30s here.

[@maxchinmax007]

@TheMountainBeyondTheWoods Can you please share a life update with us. Were you able to get a job after graduation? Do you think you have to start the grind all over again or was your prior experience and general wisdom given more weightage?

[@misakamikoto8785]

You know what else makes me feel stupid? Still have student debt after 10 years, if end result is the same, I would rather self study without student debt.

[@djgyanzz]

Summary: 1:55 - Self Study is challenging to do when you're not getting things on your own 2:10 - Realise that Self Study is Challenging and create a Game Plan for yourself 2:56 - Go in with the mindset that it will be difficult and you may feel stupid, but you'll put in the efforts regardless and get better 3:48 - Can't Focus in Self Study - Endless choices and Tough to stick to a guide 5:00 - Pick a Game Plan and Do It! 6:00 - Self Study can make you feel Lazy and Unmotivated - IF you don't do it 6:40 - The fact that you're thinking of doing Self Study makes you already better than the remaining 90% of people that don't 7:50 - If you aren't able to follow up on a plan, don't give up entirely, just adjust your plans more realistically and go forward 9:00 - Everything you study in Self Study stays with you a long time, so it's absolutely worth it.

[@yiuyiufung]

thanks

[@paushalimaulik3698]

Thank you.

[@bluedragontoybash2463]

Thank YOU !! I hope you finish what you are procrastinating from :-)

[@sanjivb53]

Thank you

[@strangetoucane]

Sir/Madam you deserve a like.

[@jimdiroffii]

I've self-studied most of my way through life in computer science. I think the toughest part of self-learning a new thing is getting past simple, fundamental problems as soon as you try to add complexity. Having a mentor to simply explain WHY you need do something can be as valuable as 10 books telling you HOW.

[@mastershooter64]

There are discord servers and subreddits just for that and online forums too

[@pipinggpipingg1487]

Not sure about computer science but the math books that i self study with have been way way better than any teacher that i've encountered in uni. or highschool especially from the perspective of proofs , the proofs of concepts in book , if followed thoroughly ,will definitely make you understand how that concept was found, how it works and how you can use it anc will let you put it into casuality where you become capable of answering the first order "why" questions about that concept which many teacher seem to fail a lot in this .

[@AcceptableBread]

this is my thing, too.... for example, when dividing fractions, why do we instead multiply by the reciprocal?? fundamental things like this are never explained to students, which is absurd...... i have searched far and wide on a book that explains the "why" behind everythign that is done in math and i cant find anything... its disheartening

[@Pclub4ever]

@@AcceptableBread That's funny because I learned the answer to your example just a week ago. But it was in a math book aimed at teenagers. If you want to learn about fundamental stuff like that you need to look for books aimed at a younger audience but people rarely do that. They want to buy the most advanced book.

[@normanhenderson7300]

That is because the reasons behind mathematical concepts are hidden behind its mechanics, instead of its logic.

[@awesomebearaudiobooks]

For me it's the opposite. I don't feel stupid when self-studying. If I don't understand something, I just retry again after a break. With the University, on the other hand, it reeeally depends on the professor. Some professors make it really easy for you, while others make you suffer and give you bad grades if you don't understand the concept on the first day they explain it. University is like a gamble of whether you'll get good professors or not, while self-study is more like farming - you plant stuff, and some of it might wilt and die, but with enough care and time, your labor always gives fruits.

[@AshVentureOfficial]

I agree. I like the atmosphere in the classroom, its just the anxiety when I get told "We have a test on calc" tomorrow, "we have a test on kinematics", "we have a test on XYZ." I would rather do without all that noise for now. I have found that I can get the best results possible by self-study. I self-studied during secondary school and got As, purely teacher focus and a bit of work at home resulted in crap marks, might just go back to self study imho.

[@ngkngk875]

Excellent analogy.

[@suzukigsxfa9683]

I alwaya did better when i self studied. Schaums series was an excellent resource. Most professors cant teach

[@abhiraajsingh5878]

Just study in what you are interested

[@danielleal5863]

Nice comparison

[@conspd7191]

Even though my field is computer science this video helped me a lot. It’s my final semester for my integrated MSc degree and the need for self learning has woken up and with that so is the “dark side”. I did a lot of self digging and the words the sticked out the most were the ones you mentioned, “stupid”, “unfocused”, “lazy”, “lost my charisma” and all of this because I didn’t accept that some things are just difficult. I realised that if the expectations from yourself are above the limit you can’t think right, instead of thinking creatively to solve the problem your thoughts are filled with negativity and disappointment because “it was supposed to be easy”. I keep a lot of things from your video and sorry for my low donation, I wanted to show an act of gratitude.

[@TheMathSorcerer]

Thank you!!

[@419]

My father had a degree in physics and taught me from a very young age how to play chess, guitar, and taught me bits of math and physics as well. And even though it was nothing too complex, it was still extremely difficult for my age, so he taught me how to be okay with the fact that it takes time to learn things, which I think was by far the most important lesson. I feel extremely lucky to have had him as my dad, and even though he's gone now, I can still find him through math. Whenever I learn something new I can occasionally recall lost memories of him explaining it to me, then it eventually makes sense, and I find that truly beautiful. I hope I can do the same for my children one day. Edit: I think I left out the most important part about my dad in all honesty, which was he strongly believed in Jesus Christ as our savior, and taught me a lot about the Bible when I was young. I didn't really mention that before because I didn't think this comment would be so popular, but I guess we all have more influence than we realize. So it's very important we lead others in the right direction, and I do truly believe Jesus is the light and the way. He's more than just a name, and more than just a man. He is the son of God, and you can find him everywhere. His name is synonymous with love and peace.

[@fawnmalone410]

This was beautiful but at the same time sad 😔 rip your father he understood the value of time - it's finite

[@russelllopez6255]

Sorry for your loss. Amazing father you had. My father is an engineer but was so busy all time and didn't push any academics on me. Fast forward and I have to do a lot of self studying during summer to complete my econ degree. As, I failed my entire second semester.

[@JohnStockton7459]

No one cares

[@mercedesf1fan176]

I’m sorry your father traumatised you to learn complex ideas at such a young age

[@mercedesf1fan176]

@ASRDGEEK wrong having a clear mind free from trauma enables you to tackle life better

[@kopp1948]

The advantages of self study are: You can afford it, and it fits into your schedule. The disadvantage is that it's hard to find the appropriate sources of information on an unfamiliar subject.

[@unbreakablefootage]

The afford part is not applicable to all countries, in germany you get paid for going to university ;) But yeah youre still right that self studying can be done completely for free where as colleges and universities can definitely cost some or even a lot of money

[@wilrick]

I usually just look up the books that are used by a university for a specific course I'm interested it. Every university has a list of the curriculum somewhere on their website. It's a solid way of finding nice books

[@surrealistidealist]

This is so true, and so validating! I feel like I could cry! It's especially hard when working long hours at a job that isn't good for me. After work, I only have so little time and energy left and I can barely keep my eyes open. That's all made it take so much longer and feel even harder to build the competency necessary for getting over my math phobia. But I can honestly say that I'm so happy with and proud of how far I've come! I've managed to teach myself trigonometry and precalc for the first time all while slowly working through the early chapters in my calc books on limits and differentiation. I'm so excited at the idea of moving on to integration next and then making it to differential equations!!! After that point, I want to start volunteering as a math tutor, because I don't want anyone else to go through anything like the kind of struggle that I have!!!

[@fatihkun8836]

honestly, exact same story here. plus i have some habits that rob me my time even more. like driving around after work because i want to get out. didnt do it today, gasoline aint cheap neither. anyways, i hope i can catch up to you soon. im thoroughly doing precalc/algebra2 right now. i study with this link, might help you too: docs.google.com/document/d/1G-hSdO5Tm9Nc6E4GobZZlwD0MNfCUAnHHEDqkypDtx0/edit

[@patrickgambill9326]

There are lots of people who need good math tutors, especially for high school and college level math. If you enjoy volunteering, you might be able to do it full time as a job

[@williammwine6369]

Check out 3blue brown channel He has excellent playlists about calculus , linear algebra and differential equations

[@surrealistidealist]

@@williammwine6369 I love his content!

[@agnosticmanquestionsall2409]

I feel the same. Working full-time is draining

[@mastershooter64]

I feel like every stem degree should require at least an entire semester focusing on self-study because after whatever degree(s) you get, after that you're completely on your own, wheather you're going into research or industry or teaching, you're gonna have to teach yourself whatever stuff you wanna learn on your own.

[@vontrances4667]

I self-taught differential equations because my lectures were kinda bad. No disrespect to my professor, but the format just wasn't cutting it. This was first summer of COVID. So online, and a five week course. Imo, this class simply needed to be taught over a longer term to be properly understood, at least for me and most people (non-genuis people who like to sleep). It was brutal. And I can't remember if this channel was the calc 3 or diffeq lectures but regardless they saved my gpa.

[@shemaths1668]

Hell, they should do that in highschool.

[@mastershooter64]

@@shemaths1668 lol i agree

[@zahid1909]

Very true

[@user_2793]

Let those who have the major I will never have suffer amirite xD (/s)

[@miniminerx]

For me, another huge darkside with self study, especially in engineering with hundreds of ways to solve prpblems is the fact that I don't know what I don't know. At a school, a teacher or professor can help you learn the areas that you never knew existed, but when doing a coding project on my own, there are dozens of tools or methods I should use but am not even aware exist. Luckily I'm about to start college so that will help a ton. This is a bigger problem in general for civilization and the whole point of progress and exploration though, to learn that which we don't know we don't know.

[@pllpsy665]

The thing with engineering in university you only get a some tools to help you learn things in your field and that is if you are lucky. You will not learn much stuff that is directly applicable. I graduated sometimes ago from a pretty intense 4 year program and what i can say is that the real learning just began. A nicely written textbook is not very realistic. Now it's all about reading documentation, application notes,technical forums, talking to people and sometimes some very great or terrible educational material from companies that make your tools or components. School is great but int the end engineering will be continuous erratic need based self study.

[@robertmazurowski5974]

College does not teach these things, If you want to learn all the tools you need to get a junior job. College teaches computer science :) Most of the tools used in SD are dependent on technology, type of project, and whether there is a whole team or you are a freelancer. IT is very much situation depended. As a freelancer, I don't use most of the tools as it does not make sense in small freelance project.

[@KingQuetzal]

I call it the, "too stupid to google it paradox" how can you learn about something if you can't even name what it is you don't know. Very challenging indeed. I would take to forums like reddit or something where you can throw your question into the void. It has been a game changer for me.

[@stevem1097]

@@pllpsy665 Can we have an Amen for your comment? Absolutely true what you mentioned. 👍👍👍

[@HonISfirE]

Don't put college on pedestal. They don't teach much either. Hell, they teach outdated method Find mentor in linkedin, follow professional in twitter, get you feet wet

[@grenin1010]

This video hits me right in the feels. I spent about 20 years trying to self-learn programming, feeling lazy and stupid the whole time. I just finally got a job as a programmer about a year ago, was quickly promoted, and still find myself explaining stuff to the senior members of my team almost daily.

[@_Blueberry_Jam]

Man, this is huge. I hope you are doing great at your programming job

[@mountassaralimi8884]

Man as a software engineering 25 year old drop out I am juggling between statistics for engineers and mathematical statics and recently started learning about Real analysis. It’s true that I feel scattered. This video is a reminder to be more focused and less time on feeling lazy. Thank you Math Sorcerer 🧙‍♂️

[@garffieldiscool1163]

I can relate to this. My son is around your age.He sudied sound engineering which did not work out for him. Two years later he did a diploma in software engineering and he is now doing an internship and from what I can make out he is doing well at it.So don't give up and let small trivial things get you down.

[@Earthquaker]

I’m a software engineer and also a college dropout. Got my job through self study. Definitely think the easiest way to self study is to have a specific goal in mind and to have a time period by which you want to achieve that goal. I’m currently studying statistics to hopefully transition into Data Science/Machine Learning

[@Dank_Engine]

I find this video frighteningly relevant. I'm a 40 year-old with a GED, and no higher education, but I've always loved STEM and computers. I stumbled onto Cyber-sec recently, and I'm also interested in machine learning. I found your channel because when I googled "self learn mathematics", and your video on the topic gave me what I need to solve my own problems. I can't afford university, but I'm not really a good student anyways. I do love to learn things however, and ML and C-Sec are really interesting to me right now.

[@toanhien494]

Go to europe, many countries have free universities, even for foreigners, maybe not now, maybe when you are in retirement or something like that

[@Dank_Engine]

@@toanhien494 I may wind up doing this. I've always wanted to live abroad, and it's exciting to immerse myself in language and culture.

[@toanhien494]

@WCHUI JFK I can't speak for other countries but as far as I know there are some free Universities in Germany and France for foreigners. In Germany you have to avoid the 2 States Baden-Württemberg and Bayern. They charge fees up to 1500 Euro per semester. Of course it's not totally free, I don't know how it is in France, but in germany you have to pay fees up to 400 Euros to 600 per semester for management and traveling tickets and insurance, and you have to pay for your rental, 300 to 400 Euros per month, depending on where you live. But they allow you to work part time after the first year. You need to have a "secured" banking account of about 8500 to 9000 Euros before you apply for the visa. They want to make sure you can pay for your study here. It's the amount you need for one year living in Germany. I know it's still expensive, but it's much cheaper than the USA, I think. I don't know if you can apply for student loan from US if you are studying abroad, but it's possible to make it and it does pay off I think. German universities are considered good enough and recognised internationally. But german and french are not the easiest languages.

[@Dank_Engine]

@桜 ᴹᵘᵏᵘ⁴² 👽 Thank you for this. :)

[@oli4627]

@@Dank_Engine a bit late but Norway is also a good one for free tuition fees, I considered going to the university of Oslo for a brief moment but im not too sure on the language requirements

[@spacetimemalleable7718]

Great advice. My biggest problem with self-study is getting stuck on a problem/proof and spending too much time on it. After several hours and sometimes days, I know I should just move on but failure at getting the proof is exceedingly disturbing and demoralizing. So I created a separate folder called "unsolved problems"; document the problem and hope latter in life I have time or get enlightened to return to it. Any suggestions on this?? Thanks.

[@kapoioBCS]

Maybe try to post you question/problem/proof on a site like math stack exchange? Or a facebook group related to the subject. I have exactly the same problem and I have made the mistake to just move forward many times, and only had led to more disappointment and waste of time, since as I progress I understand less and less, and I can prove fewer and fewer proofs :(

[@eliasmai6170]

Go online and ask for help

[@evionlast]

Usually in books problems have a sequence, review the sequence before your problem, then try the sequence after you may not be able to solve them but sometimes the clue is in the sequence you just need to look at more examples. Another thing I do is to try to explain it to someone else even if they don't know then first thing about math by listening to yourself explaining it allows you to focus deep, just have somebody listen to you (give them a treat of course).

[@ffc1a28c7]

@@evionlast or the old rubber duck debugging method (speak to a rubber duck if no one wants to listen)

[@karlsonmovies]

I remember that I screenshot a failed Minesweeper level once and after a few weeks when I got back to it, I was finally able to figure it out

[@dhaloh]

I have been self-studying at home for a year and everything you said was like.. exactly how it is. I definitely found myself collecting all these resources to amazing courses and then doing a lot of different things, getting lost in the variety of information available. I'm now a jack of all trades, master of none. And even when you find something you want to focus on and study that particular subject, you still get distracted by all these other interesting topics.

[@numbersletters8269]

:)

[@OrchestratedChicanery]

:)

[@DirkdeZwijger]

I have been self studying maths and engineering stuff after my bachelor degree in Automotive for a couple of months now and here I will share my experience. First some pros followed by cons. Pros 1. Learning at your own tempo. You have the time really digest and understand what you are doing. Tackling fundamentals in school is very hard, because you have many subjects and little time. With self study you have more control and you can continue when you truly feel like you understand something. It also gives this crazy confidence boost once you truly understand that little thing, that was considered obvious at first! 2. Better inter-disciplinarian understanding. Point 2 is related to point 1. You learn things on a more fundamental level in my eyes and your awareness of inter-disciplinarian relations come to live. This makes your understanding of matter much better compared to your peers (even though you might not notice it). 3. The studying part is more fun than at school. Because you study for yourself and choose your own program, it's genuinely more interesting. 4. You will truly learn how to learn. You have full freedom to experiment with this and I can't imagine it dragging you down academically or as a person. Cons 1. It's LONELY. School may not seem perfect, but for most people the social aspect is key. You can measure your level to others or the classes and you can just have fun in the mean time. I learned that feeling (too) lonely will drastically impact your learning performance and mental health. So keep meeting people and having fun. Having fun and socializing is VERY important. 2. Days go by extremely quickly and it sometimes feels as if you haven't accomplished anything in the last week for example. It's important to periodically reflect on what you've learned to not feel like you've wasted time. 3. You might question the path you chose. Because self study in itself is an isolated activity, it sometimes might feel like you are falling behind on your peers or it feels like a different path was better. That is a problem I am going through right now and I honestly have no real answer to how to deal with it yet. In conclusion, self study for me works fine for now. Learning matter more fundamentally is fun, challenging and very rewarding, as it will stick with you forever. The biggest downside is that you might feel isolated from society if you don't do anything other than self study. It will depress you sooner or later if you don't take this seriously.

[@homomorphic]

Your second point resonates with me. The hardest part of self study for me is not going down rat holes. Frankly, i think the entire value that schools bring to the equation is that courses are focused and that the instructor will keep things focused and bring things back on track when they do go off in the weeds. The discipline to do this yourself when no one is directing you, is really the hardest thing for me.

[@abstractnonsense3253]

About the "laziness", I think it helps to subdivide a big project into small steps. Small enough that we don't mind taking them. That's how I overcome my inertia. When we have a big project it can feel daunting and paralysing. So breaking it into small pieces makes it manageable.

[@vontrances4667]

Wow simple advice but somehow I hadn't tried this and am currently stuck trying to re learn some stuff and learn a new programming language! Thank you! I've got ADHD and starting these things is by far the hardest part for me.

[@datasciyinfo5133]

I agree, a simple but good advice. I was wondering why I hadn’t touched my major project in 6 months, and it’s the dread of redoing all my experiments and learning a whole lot of additional stuff to make it really sing. I should feel glad I finally have a clear picture of WHAT I need to do, but forget about everything else and focus all of my attention on one single step. :-). I’m ready now. Jennifer Y

[@abstractnonsense3253]

@@datasciyinfo5133 Good luck

[@ChristopherFelicitas]

I love this guy, it feels like he's talking to me directly. Like a one on one coaching session. Thank you.

[@gradient5767]

I've been self-studying for about three months and taught myself to code. Even after all this, I used to feel bad, like I am not doing enough. Neither am I getting any support from the people I know. I don't remember someone complimenting me on the things I learnt. This one video. This one video made me smile. Thank you.

[@alyannah9910]

I'm 16, and whenever I become self aware of my negative thoughts (e.g "I'm so stupid (in math) and useless compared to people my age") I always come back to this video 'cause it reminds me that I'm not, and that I can probably figure it out in a matter of time and that it's not too late to learn and catch up. Amazing advice, thanks for this 👍💚

[@beefstrokinoff]

This is a very wise perspective, keep it with you.

[@tuskedwings7453]

damn, youre 16 and on a self study video? i dont think you have anything to worry about

[@GlatHjerne]

I'm 20, you're 4 years ahead of me on discovering this, keep at it, the negative self talk is mostly useless and just poor emotional regulation. Sorround yourself with empathetic people that believe in you like our math sorcerer here. You definitely have this.

[@The_Big_Bear]

I'm 16 as well i definitely have the "i'm so stupid" at this and that thing and this math guy has been great... Keep up the good work!

[@vontrances4667]

You're everything I want academia to become. Supportive, helpful, intelligent, and perhaps above all interested in the shared pursuit of knowledge. Appreciate you. ❤️

[@saiyamsandhir8246]

Super underrated channel, whenever I feel difficulty in my studies this guy has such wise words, makes my worries go away

[@kelvinz4989]

This video literally made me laugh out loud at just how true all these points are. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who goes through them. The proliferation of books and ideas just makes me stand still a lot of the time.

[@momol.9892]

I recently started to self-study and had a rocky ride. Thank you for making me realize that all the terrible feelings I have from self study is actual normal! It is a huge relief.

[@lke6231]

When I was younger I used to enjoy math and science, but my instructors weren’t the best and fell off. I got a degree in something non-math related but now that I have more free time, I’ve been thinking on going back and start learning math once again. Thanks for this advice.

[@vontrances4667]

Math can be a blast, especially in the right communities. I think we have an excellent one right here, so good luck!

[@explorerssss]

Just start slow bro and have fun with it

[@t2udu]

This video should be for anyone studying any subject, because all of this applies for me while self studying for data science. Great video, wish it could reach a broader audience outside of math.

[@TheMathSorcerer]

thanks man

[@johnellison3030]

Very inspirational talk. I left school back in 1984 and have recently rediscovered my interest in maths. The trouble that I've found is that I wasn't really taught correctly back in the 70s and 80s. Teachers back then, here in Australia anyway, tended to dismiss those students who didn't show an aptitude for a subject, or who were not in the schools good families list. So I am finding that I need to go right back to the foundational subjects of maths. And that can be hard. Especially in finding the motivation to go that far back.

[@sormin3456]

Teachers dismissing the less capable students was always a thing and still is to this day, unfortunately. Good luck in your maths journey!

[@nighttrain1236]

That's not too dissimilar to my experience, although to be fair, I was extremely disorganised and unfocused as a teen. However, being labelled as bad at maths killed my motivation, and being put with disruptive pupils in the lower-set further attenuated my learnings. I did get a grade C in the GCSE exam but considered myself bad at maths, which was a problem for me when I encountered certain problems at University. I've resolved in the last couple of months to do an maths A-Level and possibly something like Physics part-time at University as a second degree. To that end, I'm going back over the GCSE syllabus to try and build a solid foundation. It's tough going and I've encountered many of the challenges mentioned in this video. Much of the time I feel really dumb but slowly I'm making progress. It's ok to feel dumb!

[@l.h.308]

@@sormin3456 I have noticed that in literature (novels) teachers are usually rather harsh people. But in life I have been lucky to have had excellent teachers. Same with parents and relatives in general. More luck than deserved? At 15 I learned calculus, probability and complex numbers by self-study. Now, almost 60 years later, I have fun with finding the general solution to the cubic and quartic equations. By the way, for the cubic I have found only one method but three for the quartic. Perhaps there is only one method for the cubic? Edit: Just after writing this an idea for a fourth method for the quartic seems to come...

[@PraveenSrJ01]

Thank you so much 😊. Watching this video while walking 🚶‍♀️ really helped to to do self studying 📑 in basic mathematics 🧮 and then move on up to more intermediate and advanced math which I flunked as a child in grade school 🏫.

[@TheMathSorcerer]

thank you!

[@Safrout007]

Even though this video is 2 years old on KZbin now, you are talking exactly about how I feel these days.

[@AhirZamanSairi]

This video touched my heart so much, I got a little emotional. All the things here I already knew with my common sense, but hearing them articulated so clearly and in an organized way, really touched me, because of the place I am right now in this point of my life. Beautiful, thank you.

[@saisreekar4425]

Self study is extremely complex and it requires more discipline and creativity to get understand the subject.

[@TheMathSorcerer]

I definitely agree:)

[@jabulaniharvey]

humility is necessary in mathematics (but not sufficient) only hard work AND curiosity are both necessary AND sufficient....subbed!

[@arramiah]

I am self studying some math now, at 50 years. Your videos and book suggestions are what I use. Thank you!

[@TheMathSorcerer]

Wonderful!

[@afterift]

Although I don't do math, I can relate to this topic in the form of becoming a musician. Self taught and still learning, I often have times where I feel lazy because I can't do something creative for a period of time. I'll have times its really hard to create something, and even when I sit down and try, nothing I do seems to sound right. Recently I've been learning to just let this period of creative draught unfold and to trust the process without feeling like I'm wasting my time. Thank you for the insight :)

[@siavashakrami3444]

This video for me was a hand-holding session more than anything else. There are hard moments when you need someone to hold your hand and stop you from feeling bad. Great video! Thank you!

[@Daniel-lb3lj]

I self taught myself the entirety of undergraduate math but im kinda hardstuck on differential geometry and this video really resonated with me.

[@paulschmidt4095]

As a person who self studied tons of topics especially on biology, this video exactly describes what I've been through in my journey of self studying. Thank you very much

[@mlliarm]

Thank you for this video. Spot on in so many points related to my struggles self-studying advanced math. "Pick a game plan and DO IT". Awesome advice. Thanks.

[@PovertyBench]

Another thing to consider is that even if you are in college, self studying could help you get a leg up so you don’t feel overwhelmed learning everything in that short time span from scratch

[@el_bob.]

Somethings i noticed that not many people talk about self study is the importance of keeping a routine and being constant,not to mention the importance of always making sure to know FULLY well the basics before you can move on to the next chapter

[@daniellindner826]

Great video. Self study is one of the most enlightening and at same time one of the most humbling things in existence.

[@hawkmaster381]

I love this video! You are absolutely right. I have been self-studying Russian for over a year and it can be very intimidating. As comedian Steve Martin once wrote in one of his books, "Perseverance is a great substitute for talent." Sometimes I also experience burn-out or get a sense of being unmotivated. But perseverance will pay off in a BIG way. I can now pick up about 30% of a Russian discussion. It is such an empowering feeling, and I got this far all on my own. I honestly believe that our brains need a little quiet time, or a break of a day or two to "gel" to make sense of all the new information. Thank you again for the great advice!

[@Bos____]

Your videos always make me wish we were having this convo over a coffee so we could talk for hours. Soon to be taking your courses. Right now self-studying algebra I, then II before I start with your college algebra course. Just completed a basic math book! Starting from foundation!

[@Kristielina]

thank you for explaining the challenges of self-studying. it is relatable

[@EyeLean5280]

Good video! Thanks! Other challenges with self-study are: 1. Not knowing what we don't know - not knowing what topics to pursue in a subject can mean we waste time on stuff we don't need, and even miss some important stuff altogether; professors in unis make sure to touch on all the important points at each level of study 2. Not knowing which authors to read - not knowing who are the respected experts are verses those who are fringe or too ideologically driven can mean studying the wrong people, especially in the humanities but also in STEM topics; professors focus on the current consensus within recognized and reputable scholarship 3. Lack of companionship - in school, we're studying along with others and we can talk with them about what we're learning, and we can also commiserate with them if the prof sucks

[@TheMathSorcerer]

Excellent !

[@LucasDimoveo]

I've been doing math every single day (currently on day 58), and I've gotten to the point where I'm feeling a little scattered. I have self studied Calc 2 and the first chapter of Diff Eq, and I'm starting Linear Algebra as well. I'm all over the place. With LA and Calc 2 on the way this autumn I need to be ready and focus, but it is hard with all of the available options!

[@alexandertownsend3291]

I recommend a book on Discrete Math. It will help you solidify your fundamentals and prepare you for tougher classes. There is a free one by Oscar Levin.

[@LucasDimoveo]

@@alexandertownsend3291 thanks for the recommendation!

[@alexandertownsend3291]

@@LucasDimoveo Yeah no problem.

[@WitchidWitchid]

You might be trying to do too much at once. When I self-study I try and focus on one or at most 2 branches of Mathematics at a time. So, if I am going to learn Real Analysis that might be my main focus for the next 6 months or maybe even a year or more. Then I may move on to learning Topology.... Or I may choses a new topic while at the same time reviewing and old topic that I already learned. For me it works best to focus on one or at most 2 topics at a time.

[@mrmagoo-i2l]

I recommend “Professor Leonard’s” videos. He has calc 1 and 2 up.

[@jonsotbh1565]

i have adhd and can't listen in class enough to learn anything. if i don't get the whole picture, i don't understand at all and i can't spend 80% of a lecture asking questions. not to mention they sometimes use a language i don't understand yet, i'm in a different country. all this, i have to learn everything on my own or i won't get anywhere. while it's been great these 2 years of uni, i'm getting to the point where i just don't get it at all. this video was a great lifeline, thank you

[@TheMathSorcerer]

Keep at it my friend! Thank you for your comment:)

[@ruohancheng3751]

this is the first commont I wrote on KZbin. I was searching for the self study advices for a level because I feel stuck in a stage where I dont konw what to do and I feel stupid and unmotivated. Every point you mentioned in the video is just what I am dealing with. I really got some self-confidence after watching this. thanks a lot.

[@sbzush]

جزاك الله خيراً Great advice; I’m grateful and a thank you just doesn’t cut it.

[@superiontheknight963]

I've been studying to get a GED for quite some time now. I basically flunked school, and have been working to do better ever since. I was so bad, I didn't even really understand linear equations. So I set out on a journey to fix that, with the goal to not just do Algebra 1-2/Statistics/Etc, but to complete them. The problem was, that I didn't even really know what I was missing(I also really disliked Mathematics at the time, so that certainly didn't help). So I decided to start over from the very beginning, regardless of whether I already knew the material or not. I felt incredibly dumb for doing this, but now looking back, I feel like this may have been a really good/smart decision. It allowed me to go back, and fill in the holes I left in my education. I did a lot of this by myself, due to a lot of other stuff that was going on in life. So I continued on my math journey, still not liking Mathematics. But then I got back to Algebra/Geometry, and for some reason things were different, and I began to LOVE Math! I worked through Algebra 1-2, Geometry, and Trigonometry to completion. I even did a little bit of Linear Algebra! Now I stand ready to take on Statistics, and even Calculus. Even so, I still wonder if it's enough sometimes. There have been quite a few times I've gone back through each of the subjects I've already done to refresh my memory. I consistently seem to do pretty well, although I still feel that urge for perfection. That ability to just, not miss a question anymore. And so the cycle continues. This is actually one of the reasons I have yet to touch Calculus. So why did I talk about all of that? Well, quite simply, I have felt pretty much everything you just talked about in this video before(and still do to some extent). For quite some time now, my life has been lots and lots of studying. Now at those times I wasn't studying, I felt very lazy, and still sort of do to this day. And yes, I've felt like a complete idiot more than once. But just like you were saying, I too think it's important to take a step back sometimes, and realize that it's okay to take a break. This is very hard for me to do still, but I am starting to see some truth in it as time goes on. One thing I would like to mention though, and it might be just me, but I got kind of lonely when I did this for quite some time. Everyone around me pretty much isn't as interested in math as much as I am(through no fault of their own), and so that makes it kind of hard to hang out sometimes. I suppose my recommendation would obviously be to find someone who likes the same things, but that can also be easier said than done. :P So yea, no idea if anyone will even see this comment or not, but amazing video! Everything said is very, very true, and it's good to address this. Thanks for making this!

[@matijaderetic3565]

Try to find an online community. Maybe some discord server. I forgot my password so I never really spent time there, though it seemed useful.

[@josejoao4518]

Thank you for raising this issue. I agree with you, entirely, man. Not easy indeed, and I can tell you that because due to the fact that I live in the country that I live, which, back in my teen-age times, offered too few options and opportunities, I had to develop an ability to study on my own, and through self study I taught myself English, electronics, computer programming, and mathematics, etc. I studied a lot through correspondence. It's not easy, but true, you can do it, even as I write theses lines I'm about to complete a BA in Business Administration, online. Got other degrees and certificates, all by correspondence and now, online.

[@juliopacheco1294]

Hey man, I really needed to see a video like this. I'm 22 years old and I'm trying to self study math because I really enjoy it and sometimes I feel like I'm behind compared to other student (I'm in college, but during high school I really did not care about math so I don't remember anything pretty much about it). Truth is, it's really hard sometimes, and some days I fell like the process I'm making per chapter is very small and I frequently question my capabilities or my intelligence. Seeing this video was very beneficial to me, it gave me motivation to endure the hard times and after watching I feel more confident with my choice of learning by myself. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic. Have a good day sir.

[@justinanderson267]

Keep it up. Self study is where it's at. A person who doesn't want to learn, even if they go to the best college, will learn less than a self student with a passion

[@TrevCole]

This was awesome as a college student I’m spending the summer teaching myself python and it is often disheartening but knowing that despite the difficulty others were able to do it before me, gives me motivation. Thank you

[@LiamPorterFilms]

This speaks to me. Thank you for making this video. It applies to my experiences learning languages on my own. The thing that helped was that there was an online community of such audiodidacts here on KZbin.

[@assat10]

Thanks so much for this video!!!!! I myself am one of the most self learner...but the problem with that is being recognized for your skills and not your degree!!! But that should never stop us from growing!!!

[@jurrytaalib-deen7146]

Awesome video. You literally described everything I’m struggling with right now. I’m self studying differential equations in order to test out of it at my university. I’m three weeks in and I’m still at the beginning of the subject because I keep changing which books to read. However, I’m now going to stick to one book based off my university’s syllabus for the class. Also, a technique I use when I don’t have motivation is I start to read the book and take notes as I read because it will get me hyper focused on the subject. I sometimes start off without trying to comprehend everything but eventually I’ll start to actively think through the theorems and problems.

[@RomanNumural9]

I'm finishing my masters and starting my PhD in the fall. My biggest concern about self study is that you're presented with the information but not in the same way a professional would. A professional knows what's important and where to focus on learning things so the study is more efficient. A textbook usually just gives you enough problems to master the whole topic and it's very overwhelming. The moving goalposts given by the range of difficulty of practice problems doesn't help.

[@smartypizza4723]

I love self study. I take courses online without scheduled classes from a community college. I can study on my own pace. Luckily we have homework and tests, these are some sort of drive for me to stick to my study plan. I never felt I was stupid, sometimes we have to read the problems and books again and again to really understand what they are about. Also, there are SO many resources online.

[@protoype123]

Thank you for this video I'm beginning a career change at 27 and have started learning Python Programming and Data Science on my own, my friend Jameson is studying Python in a graduate program and is currently working as a Data Analyst for a large energy company. I currently have gotten back into the Tech Industry after working a Blue Collar job as a Mailman during the Pandemic, but my thirst for knowledge and learning hasn't stopped and I want to pursue a career in Data Science like my friend Jameson is. Learning Python isn't easy but it is incredibly rewarding and I enjoy the challenge of figuring things out that at times I don't understand but will eventually with practice and repetition. I wish more teachers and educators thought like you did and didn't make kids and adults who are learning feel stupid when they don't understand something but rather enforce the fact that it is ok to fail and not understand something, that is critical to learning as you have pointed out in this video. Thank you for the encouragement and your videos and please keep making them as they help people like me who want to learn, grow, and always improve. Much Love, -Sam :)

[@ranjane3862]

man, in every video of yours, you just speak straight truth and facts...

[@pianoforte17xx48]

I often combine self study with university so that the feel of loss of self study gets resolved by getting down to the uni's specific curriculum, and the hot feel of the uni's rush and bizzare grading system gets resolved by the true self evaluation and engagement in the field (no pun intended) with self study.

[@Impedancenetwork]

When you go to college you are teaching yourself. YOU GET TOLD what to learn but you are teaching yourself. And more importantly you are tested on your knowleddge thereby holding you accountable for that knowledge. If you sit at home all day and study nobody is holding you accountable. Nobody is testing you. You can skip whole sections of calculus and nobody will know. It may be a rewarding and intellectually stimulating but don't expect anyone to hire you when you say , " Oh no I'm an engineer. I'M self taught. You can trust my bridge designs"

[@twistedbunny]

I understand your POV but in this day and age there are thousands of ways to confirm the same remotely without the need for a physical in between. And besides, you probably know of college cheating scandals, yes the student's gonna go through that course but not go through it if you know what i mean, there's no way, apart from testing both a self taught student and a graduate physically right in the interview or whatever it is, to tell whether someone went through the required sections of a course successfully. What is currently in place exists because colleges are making bank from kids who just want a prestigious degree/certification or parents who want the same for their kids. What college students have is a clearly defined path to follow, what we have is a bushy and grassy path which we just have to clear to find the way, in the process we might try to go around some dense parts of the grass/bushes digressing from the main way but in the end, knowledge we gain from doing this is an extra bonus in the long term goal.

[@navitalian]

Unfortunately since 30 years you get hired by HR people who are extremely incompetent in any kind of job therefore their only way of judging is the piece of paper you get from university, so called degree. Once you could talk directly with the chief engineer and he could judge your knowledge. By the way a so called degree does not mean you ARE an engineer but you have finished studying engineering, it needs years of practice and self studying before you become an engineer.

[@brendawilliams8062]

Self study may take years and years. Day and night applying all you have. A tunnel vision thing.

[@Lightbulb909]

I so agree with the whole: “create a plan only to not follow through with it”. But what made me actually study on my own was when the curiosity about the subject just popped into my mind. For example, one day about three years ago I was laying on my bed at seven in the morning and suddenly I got curious about how light is emitted by electrons going from an excited state to ground state. I was so curious, grabbed my chemistry textbook and just sat by an open window and blasted through the chapter on electron configurations. It was so much fun. I think when it comes to self-study it shouldn’t feel like you are forcing yourself, but that you genuinely want to know because of curiosity. If you can’t find the curiosity to read a particular chapter, usually the opening page has a summary about the material covered. Try to see whether this material, if you had known it, would make you curious about something that matters to you regarding the field on which the textbook is attempting to elucidate. For example, if you think learning about vectors is boring, but you are curious or love thinking about how planets orbit around stars, then that could motivate to you enough to not see vectors as boring, and then you’d want to know it so then you can think about planets orbiting in a more informed way.

[@zyansheep]

This is the way. This and if you are working on a project and you find yourself getting distracted learning about things that may help you with that project.

[@moldymoss3991]

I’m not here for mathematics but rather language learning, but what your saying applies to almost anything, like working out.

[@navitalian]

A great video. I am not young. I study by myself since 30 years while working. The biggest problem by self studying is the goal setting and keeping up the motivation. It is not good to change the goal, nor the book you are using. You will not achieve your goal. It is also very important to set a feasible goal, you must have the necessary back ground, otherwise you fail. If you do not make these mistakes you can learn anything and it is wonderful. You can learn until you are about 80 years old. Learning is enjoying and it empowers you. Keep on self studying! 👍

[@thoranevans4832]

I'm a recent statistics bachelors graduate, and I've been job-hunting for about the past month. One of the things I've started doing in my free time to still feel motivated and get out of my own anxieties is self-studying Latin on my own as a sort of personal hobby. I think the most important thing when self-studying is having access to really good materials that are beginner-friendly. I know it might not be applicable to those learning mathematics on their own, but I do think it's probably the most important thing, sometimes it might not be you that's stupid, but the book that expects a certain level of familiarity with the subject before you're really able to understand anything. The book I'm using, Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata, is written in such a way that one can figure out mostly by context and practice what the words mean and the grammar structure, and it's extremely gradual. I found out about it by looking at self-study groups online and seeing what textbooks people recommend and why. I'd imagine similar information exists out there for almost every subject. Thanks for this video!

[@truthandunity623]

Self study is the only way to learn. There may be others to teach you, but only you yourself can learn what they teach. Whether the author of the book is your teacher, or someone else talking about the ideas found in books.

[@mwpretorius7913]

Another point that goes along with point 3 is to allow yourself to feel happy and satisfied even if you didn't do the amount that you set out to do. If you beat yourself down for not doing enough or not being as far along as you wanted you are more likely to just quit altogether, but if you allow yourself to feel good about the amount you did you might even set yourself up catch up in the next session because you allowed yourself to enjoy doing whatever it is you are doing.

[@tararaquet6477]

A candle by your lamp always seems to help me relax

[@0x370c2de]

This is a very deep and wise look at the world of self studying. I can relate to those feelings when I first started self studying Computer Science. Sadly, I had to learn most of those things by myself, and I think you gave the BEST advices to people trying to learn something by themselves. But I can assure you'll feel great once you finish a book and realize you've learned something with neither a teacher nor a "standard" study plan. And to those who are worried on getting a job, generally it's more valuable having actual knowledge than that "piece of paper" you are awarded with from studying at the University, (at least in Computer Science and IT sector). Also in Europe, I don't really know how it is at the US. Thank you for giving these very valuable advices.

[@hubomba]

I'm teaching myself Measure Theory right now and the "feeling stupid" part really hits since so much of the material seems unmotivated. The cool thing with self study is I can hop between materials as I please and not necessarily incentivized to practice from one text for a class, so having a good book on Lesbesgue Integration to motivate the subject and a good book on measure theory ( honestly I have multiple of each :) ) the grind is paying off. Halmos was absolutely correct in digesting as many resources as possible, authors can frame topics in so many different ways and some vibe with some more than others. Also to all the other self studiers, ambience is really important, especially for marathon sessions.

[@anilraghu8687]

You have to be thorough in set theory and algebra to study measure theory.

[@hubomba]

@@anilraghu8687 I know, I have all of the background needed for the subject or I wouldn't be studying it.

[@miles6875]

This is such an important video - particularly the piece on focused activities as opposed to jumping from topic to topic with mimimal commitment. In project management, we call it scope creep. My favorite book for combating scope creep would be “UltraLearning” Great video

[@normanhenderson7300]

Most of what I learned about mathematics was not in the classroom. It was learned in self- study before the age of the internet.

[@zzarks1994]

Sir can you tell me about your self studying journey. And did you have a hard times with it?

[@normanhenderson7300]

@@zzarks1994 , It was both rewarding and problematic. I give an example: I was recently editing a spreadsheet in Excel, and realized after the fact, I had erased critical headings. I accidentally highlighted a row of headings, and instead of aborting the action, I pressed the ENTER button, instead of the REDO button, effectively deleting the headings.

[@kaMus09]

I had this video in my watch list for a long time, is the first video I saw from your channel. I have to say not only as someone who dreams in math degree but is also dedicated to mental health: your video is very inspiring, helpful, healthy and true... how much we savor ourselves sometimes...! Thx so much. 😊

[@Slarti]

As a software engineer I really like your positivity - we really do need to understand that we are humans and that our feelings and mood will affect how we learn.

[@surrealistidealist]

You've got to really believe in your own intellect to succeed at self-study, and that's what makes it so hard. We usually don't have that kind of confidence and our culture doesn't encourage it. And the real confidence doesn't come until after we've already found a way to make progress without it. 😅 In my case, I just had to rely on persistence and hope long before I ever developed enough competence for confidence. 😅

[@mastershooter64]

I used to not have faith in my intellect until I adopted the mindset of "I'm not smart....yet" lol I just convinced myself I'm not smart but I can get smarter by studying and learning and solving problems and it worked! Ideas that I never thought I would be able to understand are possible for me to understand now and i look back and think "pft what was I afraid of? that wasn't so hard"

[@Pclub4ever]

@@mastershooter64 exactly

[@dbadaddy7386]

Even when I was attending classes in person, I would often buy different used textbooks for each subject. I had 5 calculus textbooks. That's because different authors had different ways of explaining the same things, and one was bound to be more understandable. Considering the cost of tuition, buying the used textbooks is worth the investment.

[@mitchellatta9808]

True student here... I've been doing the same thing successfully for 50 years 🤓👍...

[@greatemmanuel8051]

Can you help me through maths and physics getting stucked here n I really need to start a KZbin channel on maths and physics

[@RainingArtillery]

I'm self-studying chess at the moment. Unfortunately I've found out that my true passion in life does not involve any of the STEM fields which I've always excelled at in school. Fortunately I did find a passion in life, and for the past year or two it's given meaning where previously there was none. I've encountered all of the things you've mentioned, and for a lot of other things I've tried in my life they were barriers which I dealt with by giving up. After seriously starting to learn chess, I can confidently say that getting good at something more than anything involves not giving up where most others have. Every barrier you face in whatever it is you're learning - understand that a myriad of people before you have encountered it, failed and given up. The ones who mastered the field also encountered those barriers, failed, but they kept going anyway. When you encounter something which makes you think: this is impossible, sometimes it's important to ask: but what if I do it anyway?

[@Ali124hdkflc]

I was with you when you had around 40K subs. I always use to say you're the greatest sorcerer and you still absolutely are!!!!!!!

[@TheMathSorcerer]

thank you!

[@josiahhamilton1430]

You're like a wise Kermit the frog. I'm Australian, and I only just realised why you seem so familiar to me, it's that you sound a lot like Kermit! Love your videos, I watch every single one that comes out. I was home-schooled and am studying mathematics now, and by far the most useful advise anyone has given me, has been from you, it's "Don't spend too much time on a problem." My biggest problem is that I can easily spend days on a problem, but I can't seem to switch off from it. It's a work in progress, but I'm getting there. I have a physics exam tomorrow, so wish me luck!

[@TheMathSorcerer]

Just watched a Kermit video!! Lol!!! I think you are right 😀

[@lloydvasser4889]

I have a BS in computer science and had to push through a lot of math. Private tutoring and self study were immensely more helpful to me than the actual curriculum. Yeah, I took tests at the university, but I really feel like my learning was more along the lines of self-studying. Not really sure if schools exist to teach or to make money at this point.

[@ayeshayubaidullah]

Can you tell me or help me. Where I can find a best/amazing private tutor for self study.

[@ayeshayubaidullah]

Please

[@kapoioBCS]

I think the worst part about self studying advanced math (like algebraic topology or several complex variables etc) is that there are very limited resources to practice on what you learned and zero chance to get any help and feedback when you stuck. So if you start a book and you cannot solve any exercise or make any proof, you are in a big trouble, because you cannot move on further and you cannot learn the material. One solution would be the math stack exchange, but you will never get a full answer or explanation or they will move you… I have been on this stage way too many times trying to understand various object and it is truly very demotivating and despairing. … And of course there are the books that have zero examples, zero exercises, and their proofs can only be understood by the higher Gods of mathematics, since they skip so much steps, that not even them that made the proof, can understand their thought process (if it is even correct e.g. Hörmander Complex analysis on serveras variablers)

[@pianoforte17xx48]

The more advanced you get, the less resources you find, until you reach a point were you want to prove a theorem that no one has proved, hence no resources at all, the pinnacle of math.

[@zzarks1994]

@@pianoforte17xx48 تتحدث العربية اخي ؟

[@pianoforte17xx48]

@@zzarks1994 na3m

[@Ormaaj]

It's lonely at the top.

[@steveb.8491]

Thank you so much for inspiring me to finally finding my hidden love for Math! You are integral to my motivation. I'd say 50%! I'd say the other half was hearing 4-8 students at the middle school I work at tell me, "Hey Mr. Boyle, you would be a great Math teacher." Or, "You should be a Math teacher." At first I said, "Probably not, I don't think I could ever accomplish doing well in Calculus." And that's where you come in! The light bulb in my head went off and it was just beautiful. Finally realizing that maybe, just maybe I'm not giving myself enough credit and just need to study, put in the effort, and just appreciate Mathematics. Thank you so much for everything you do. You truly are a Math sorcerer!!

[@twistedjester5609]

Couldn't have come across this video at a better time. Feeling stupid, lazy, overwhelmed, then the doubt goes full throttle... You know deep down you cant be the only one struggling to understand, but you dont allow yourself to truly believe it. That inner voice is deafening when it comes to self criticism. But hearing someone elses experience with the same thoughts and feelings quiets things down exponentially. especially a mentor. Thank you sir! You continue to inspire

[@Capt_Duffy]

You were so on the dot in this video, it felt like I have discussed my self study problems with you face to face 😂...really really good motivator for me..tnx

[@intuitiveclass6401]

Exactly what I was thinking

[@romelai28]

Sorry, I'm not a native speaker and I'm still learning. Is it correct to say "on the dot" instead of "on the point"?

[@Capt_Duffy]

@@romelai28 sorry I'm not a native speaker as well, 🤣....but i guess you can use either, both will be fine

[@ceticobr]

This video was spot on. The most challenging aspect of self studying to me is focusing. When I was In college I was forced to focus on a couple of subjects at a time and the tests forced me to power through the times I felt stupid. The "understanding the subject" part of self studying is the easiest part. There's a very good video called "The Paradox of Choice" on you tube by Barry Schwartz I think everyone should have a look at.

[@vnever9078]

You, sir, are a man of tremendous wisdom. Thanks for the cool advice mate :)

[@TheMathSorcerer]

My pleasure!

[@charlottepeukert9095]

When you're not doing something you want to do there's a reason for it.Maybe it's too stressful right now.To know when to start and when to end your effort is important as well as being able to find out whether you found the right solution to a problem.You're not losing time.What you've leared stays with you.

[@dustyserenity]

I need to keep this link in every note of my self study subject, i'm on my lazy slump for a month now and i felt everything you said. Thank you for this

[@raza2594]

I really needed this video. And I'm not talking about just self studying, but also studying as well. Thank you, really, thank you!

[@mt1885]

If one has never failed at anything they will never be able to learn.

[@zarkmuckerberg7985]

1. Self study makes you feel stupid. Get over that feeling. Accept the fact that it’s going to be difficult for you to study. It’s hard for everyone. 2. You can’t focus, because you have too many ideas. Pick a game plane and do it. The best moments are spontaneous. 3. Self study can make you feel lazy and unmotivated, if you don’t do it. Don’t feel guilty if you don’t do it. The fact that you’re thinking about self study is courageous enough. Thank you 🙏

[@chasemckinley2]

As a tutor, I've taught/tutored a wide variety of math/logic-related and analytically intensive subjects, many of which I've had to learn on my own for various reasons (high school was terrible and I had 0 motivation, or I agreed to tutor a subject I didn't know enough about). There are 2 big questions along the self-study route that I keep running across but haven't quite found a reliable/accurate answer to: 1. In math (other subjects I'm sure could also apply), when you're studying a textbook alone and run into a problem you can't figure out (one that has a solution available with an explanation of it) at what point do you stop attempting the problem and read through the solution? Is there an optimal amount of time or effort to put into solving a problem before checking the book answer? 2.How do you keep yourself from forgetting crucially important concepts or ideas that you were able to teach yourself in the distant past? (I'm thinking of Multivariable Calculus specifically, due to its SUPER BROAD spectrum of topics, some of which aren't built upon or referred back to as much as foundational topics like vector calculations and 3-D integrals).

[@tranquilious]

Reading the comments under this video puts a smile on my face. I self-study physics, and let me tell you, it’s extremely difficult. I spend weeks on each section just to be able to understand it perfectly. Sometimes it gets to a point where I want to give everything up, but that’s not the right way. I’m very glad that I am living in an era where everything is made simple. There are many many many sources online. Technology has improved a lot, and we shouldn’t take it for granted. Despite the difficulties I encounter through my self-studying journey, I continue to do what I do because I believe that perseverance leads to success! So keep doing what you’re doing. Thank you for this video, It’s very motivational!

[@inactiveaccount4829]

I really needed to hear this. About 8 minutes into this video I started to pause and really think about what you were saying. It almost felt like this video approached me at just the right time (which motivates me to learn more about algorithms lol!)

[@limitless1692]

Thank You for your words of encouragement. I am trying to learn Programming by self study method. Ohhh boy... it is hard... what an adventure...

[@TheMathSorcerer]

Good luck!!!

[@Limbaugh_]

I go to college and it basically is self study 😂