The Dark Side of Self Study

In this video I talk about the dark side of self study. This applies to all subjects, not just math. Learning on your own is great and very rewarding, but it can have some serious pitfalls. In this video I try to address these and explain how you can overcome them. As always, if you have any advice for people, please leave a comment below:)
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Thank you:)

[@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

[@johanandresramirezrivera5746]

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

[@PraveenSriram]

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?

[@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.

[@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

[@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

[@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

[@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 .

[@JR-ub3yv]

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]

@@JR-ub3yv 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

[@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

[@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!

[@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

[@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)

[@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]

:)

[@KaranSuman]

:)

[@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

[@saisreekar4425]

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

[@TheMathSorcerer]

I definitely agree:)

[@CaptainSaveHoe]

The problem with self study is what I call the lone racer issue, when you do a marathon alone you somehow never do anything CLOSE to what you would be doing while running in company.

[@Ghost572]

Its still better than not learning anything new what so ever. I would also say it depends on whether the information being learned is our of necessatity for a business or not etc. Still it really goes back to the difficulties of self study and its just something that is part of it.

[@gumbo64]

It can go the other way too tbh

[@NeverTalkToCops1]

You are making a claim without evidence.

[@Vaga-Bard]

@@NeverTalkToCops1 it's self evident. Shouldn't need to explain the obvious.

[@CaptainSaveHoe]

@@NeverTalkToCops1 I'm speaking from experience. I've studied alone and thought I was making huge progress, and then was shocked when the course actually started, I discovered all the progress I thought I had made alone was negligible. That's why it's important to tell people, be careful not to delude yourself while studying on your own, it's not even close to studying with others, it's like running a race alone compared to running it against others.

[@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

[@shortervideos]

I don't know if anyone will ever read this, but I think I have to get it off my chest. I resonate with everything you said in this video. Throughout my late teen and early twenties I didn't know what to do, first was illustration, then filmmaking, then psychology, and lastly I ended up in programming. I had no prior experience, unless you consider being fine at maths one. I decided to go to university for either maths or computer science, and ended up failing the entry exams (same exam for both fields). This happened in 2019. Shortly after a "Beginners Python Course" appeared out of nowhere in my KZbin feed, and I decided to try on my own. It didn't take me long to realize that this is what I needed my whole life, coding is extremely fun and solving a problem is such a satisfying feeling, one that I never felt before. However the good times came to an end shortly after. I realized how vast of a topic computer science is, it was, and still is, so overwhelming. The though of me not being good enough crippled in shortly after, "I'll never be as good as those programmers" I thought to myself. I tried my best to keep going but I wouldn't code/study often, and, just like you said, I'd feel horrible about it. Sometimes when I look at my progress I feel ashamed that "this is it", I feel like there's nothing impressive or worthwhile in my "portfolio". I feel like I wasted my time, almost three years of it. I tried getting better at Python (still learning new things) and started (almost finished by now) a C course, but, and this is the part that I feel I can't tell anyone, I almost broke a couple weeks ago... I almost quit programming as a whole... yet I didn't. A couple of days passed and I felt like I couldn't do it, I can't take away something that brings me so my joy. Some days are fine, some are horrible, but I want to keep going. One day I want to make something that I'm proud of; something that others admire just a little bit; something fun. I know your channel is about maths but one of the fields I want to get into is AI/ML so that's why I'm here. I'll keep going, or at least I'll try. Thank you for this video, I think I'll keep coming here ofter.

[@Sophia-db6kt]

I relate so much with what you said about not knowing what to do in college... I got accepted into universities that I applied to as art-related degrees and social sciences cuz I always assumed I'm bad at STEM but this year I'm starting my first year of uni and decided to switch to computer science. I'm currently self-studying Calculus I so I can do Calc II in the fall. I'm also starting to learn C programming and it's been super tough. Just wanted to say that we might be similar but idk hahah. Wish you the best in your journey!

[@shortervideos]

@@Sophia-db6kt Yesterday I tried to understand C pointers and like everybody else I'm totally lost. I'll be honest, I didn't think it would that hard, I knew it was hard, but it's way more complicated than expected. It doesn't help that life isn't treating me well lately either. As someone who always wanted to go to uni I'll be rooting for you, you got this, it might get tough but I believe in you. Good luck :)

[@jonathanonyumbe8077]

Keep going big man.

[@anneshepard]

I understand. I want to be an engineer one day and I have to relearn all basic math and physics in 9 or 10 months to not feel completely lost in college. You can do it We can do it

[@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

[@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

[@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.

[@ChristopherFelicitas]

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

[@renendell]

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

[@renendell]

@@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.

[@renendell]

@桜 ᴹᵘᵏᵘ⁴² 👽 Thank you for this. :)

[@oli4627]

@@renendell 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

[@smellybathroom]

Always feel like you're cheering me on even though we've never met. I was never good at math in school but professionally I've tought myself a lot of math and it's the best part of my day now. Learning Geometric Algebra for fun, too :)

[@SafeTrucking]

Geometric algebra is a very worthwhile field of study, especially 3D Clifford algebra. Non-commutative vectors open a huge range of possible solutions to intractable problems. I can't claim any special expertise, but I've been studying some of the implications for a while. Good luck.

[@heinwol]

Oh, I see you're a man of culture as well (watching "from zero to geo" i mean)~

[@ChristAliveForevermore]

What's the difference between algebraic geometry and geometric algebra?

[@SafeTrucking]

@@ChristAliveForevermore Algebraic geometry is the sort of thing you might have learnt in school when doing trigonometry. It's an algebraic way of analysing geometric constructions. Geometric algebra has many forms, but in essence it's about a different way of treating interactions between vector quantities in scalar fields to that seen in linear algebra. It's also called Clifford algebra, although that term is usually more reserved for 3 dimensional vector space, where it's especially useful in physics.One of the important differences that makes it useful is that vectors don't need to be commutative (that is, that a simple reversal of a vector won't necessarily lead to a vector that is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction).

[@boxofcans461]

Good luck to you

[@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!

[@arramiah]

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

[@TheMathSorcerer]

Wonderful!

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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. ❤️

[@albieadao8806]

Another spot on advice bro! I feel like you're reading my diary. hehe. Everything you said is exactly what I'm going through. It's a relief to hear someone else experiencing the same way. Procrastination is the biggest obstacle to succeeding in math and in life in general but you have laid it out so insightfully nobody else did. The best part of everything you said is that 'inaction doesn't mean failure.' That is something I haven't really realized, heard or given much thought about in my 40 plus years of existence. That was a big one! The bottom line here is to always remain positive no matter what the circumstances you're in. Inactivity or laziness is a negative thing but realizing that it doesn't mean failure is one of the most positive ways one could make as an initial response to overcome it and prevent yourself from going down the rabbit hole. You can be a philosopher/psychologist as much as you are a mathematician. God bless.

[@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.

[@quiddam]

I really needed to hear this. I've been self studying a bunch of stuff at the same time and I'm all over the place. I got myself "How to prove it" and the Stwart Precalculus book and I'm going through both at the same time and watching the Professor Leonard series (while also preparing for a B1 German language exam). I'm all over the place. The day has so many hours but when I do only one of those things in a day, I feel like I'm lazy because Im not doing the others. I think I'll probably stick to the Precalculus book and only watch the prof Leonard video about that topic when I'm stuck. The book about proofs is really interesting and so far I can follow it, but I won't really need it until one or two years. ...Im venting. But your videos have giving me a new wind with all stuff related to Maths. I never liked it in school, but now that I'm more mature I'm really interested in going back to school to study physics and this channel is part of that. Thanks man

[@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.

[@saiyamsandhir8246]

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

[@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

[@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 !

[@neilmacdonald6637]

Great talk. There are people of all ages, from all backgrounds, who want to approach more technical subjects. But the leap from watching 10 minute youtube videos to reading textbooks and practice problems is quite an incline in the learning curve. It's a wonderfully humbling experience tackling some of it on your own.

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@yashtiwari6681]

Just start slow bro and have fun with it

[@petertsai5181]

I am totally with you. It's amazing to know that I am not the only one who is in this dark side. Thank you ! 🤟

[@jabulaniharvey]

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

[@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.

[@lesserspottedmugwump.363]

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

[@xnt3593]

I want to like this video at least 3 millions times. I feel so optimistic after watching and relatable with it far more than expected. Sometimes I've been learning a topic for an hour and still didn't understand it at all so I doubted my ability and even thought that I couldn't learn it no matter how long I took. But you made me realise and think from another point of view. Like, look! there's a bunch of people out there struggling with something too and someone haven't ever thought of studying in the weekend which I don't mean that they're wrong or lazy. I just feel like I am doing a thing, something big enough for me to appreciate myself and feel proud. Thank you so much for the video! And have a nice day to everyone who sees my comment.

[@iced2666]

You actually gave me a plan to follow with your video called "learn mathematics from start to finish" and that limits the bouncing around. I found the textbook and have been going at it slowly. It is nice to get my brain working on maths and logic. Thank you and keep up the great work!

[@jsihavealotofplaylists]

Thanks for this. Very relieving and motivating too. I want to do so much, self study or learning new skills, with new tools, when tired after work. I think doing stuff alone, but having other like minded individuals, interested in similar topics, is extremely motivating as well, even if its entirely different branches of math or art or programming. It lets you discuss ideas with them, and them with you, and offering different perspectives.

[@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...

[@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.

[@jimmyt_1988]

This made me cry. Thanks for the reminder. Good video. Good message.

[@eyekosaeder5387]

Thank you for this video! I am a student of biology and have been planning on self studying „all of science“ to both widen my viewpoint and to maybe even stumble across connections between the different fields for a while now. But I have always put it off and procrastinated. Basically doing the exact thing you talked about last. In fact, I‘ve had this video in my „watch later“ list for a while, but I was ‚afraid’ to watch it. Now that I did watch it, that leaves me with much more motivation, hope, and confidence to start self studying. So thank you for that! :)

[@daniellindner826]

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

[@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.

[@adituta8660]

Thank you, man! I really appreciate that there are people like you! This is what I'm missing in my evolution!

[@Bringiton513]

I appreciate that you seem to be a very genuine individual who wish good. Thank you for your videos.

[@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 🙏

[@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.

[@mhd1961]

Thanks, was enlightening for me, glad I'm not the only one. I think it's overwhelming when seeing new topics and getting more familiar with the content before actually getting your hands dirty, helps a lot.

[@visvini]

Amazing that this video came in my recomendations tab, I got teared up in the half of it and felt a lot of crit hits as you were talking more and more. Last year I was self studying, it was really hard specially because I was working a lot and couldnt do the two things at once, this year I slowed things down a bit and got more time to study AND YET i feel unmotivated and dumb for most of the time (since i'm studying math and it's my worse subject) but i got to conquer it, i must be good at it to enter the university. The thing you said about learning through this process makes you never forget the things you self study and THIS IS TRUE. I'm not good at math but the things i've already learned, I can make with my eyes closed. So thank you for the kind and motivating words, self studying is hard and LONELY most of the time but it can be beautiful as well.

[@isuckatthisgame]

Thank you. I needed this as a source of motivation. I'm a computer science college dropout but there is nothing I know more about than what I dropped from. And so I'm planning to give it another go on the next semester. I lost motivation for the very same reasons you're mentioning here and have found myself many times in the situation when I doubt I can solve tasks ahead of me, because I previously faced hard tasks I didn't solve. Started distancing myself and feeling worthless and dumb, although I scored exceptionally well whenever I put a work in. I'm a bit concerned that I'll fail again even tho I have experience from the first try now. I think I'll have to find a parallel job on my first year, optimistically in the IT industry so I could expand my knowledge. I'm currently self studying linear algebra and watching C++ course on Udemy my brother gave me access to. Hopefully I'll find myself in better situation at the end of it. At least mentally. Thanks once again!

[@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:)

[@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

[@Sam-nb1rm]

Very original content that I cannot find from other channels. Thanks so much! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@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. Thank you for your encouraging words!

[@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

[@helloworldfromvn]

I am truly fortunate to come across this video of yours. It motivates me to continue self-studying coding and calculus. Thank you for the inspiration and advice!

[@z4rathustr4]

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.

[@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.

[@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

[@qefa070]

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!!!

[@user-mk6fv7zv7i]

the video had finished and now i can say this is the best video is ever watched in 2022 , I agree with every single word was said by this man . i was desperately need this video cause I passed through this dark side i thought this is normal and I should've felt like this . 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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@Pakadork]

The point you made at 6:00 completely changed my perspective on how I see myself when I'm not feeling up to my self study for the day. Thank you.

[@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

[@recomended4494]

Cons of Self-Study: 1- Makes you feel stupid once you don't understand anything. 2- Lack of focus because you have too many ideas. 3- Self study can make you feel lazy and unmotivated and can make you worse if you don't do it if you don't get your goals done.

[@adrycough]

Funnily, I think that these points can apply to regular formal studies. Formal education seems to only help with point 2 as there is already a structured path laid out.

[@user-px3nt2qz2e]

Thanks for this supporting video. Few months ago i start thinking that i want to learn more. In school i was a bad student. I always hear "you need to learn this, this and this!". Now i can tell WHY i should learn. It's really satisfying to see your work and it's cool to see what another human created.

[@budstep7361]

Your speech extends far beyond math! Thank you for the encouragement 😁

[@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

[@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 :)

[@MidwestyBestie]

I cannot express enough both how much I needed this video; and how much it helped me. You are so spot on with everything you mentioned.

[@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!

[@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!!

[@azimuth4850]

Love your practical advice man. I am currently self-studying several fields of math at once and I am using several of your book recommendations. A tip I have for fellow self-studiers: Let's say you have a lot of ground to cover and are trying to keep parallel tracks moving in several topics so that steady progress can be made over time. You might think "I'm doing to do 1 hour of algebra per day, 1 hour of calculus per day, 1 hour of linear algebra per day..." etc. Instead you should group those times together each into one 3-5 hour sitting per week. For example, one day do 4 hours of Calculus, then the next 4 hours the main topic you need (say Statistics or something). The next day do 4 hours Linear Algebra, 4 hours Statistics. This way you are not switching topics constantly, which can make your brain tired, and also you learn more in a prolonged session. And like the Sorcerer says, you must do problems. Do as many as you can find, if there aren't enough problems with solutions in your text search for more elsewhere. The problems are what instills true understanding along with allowing you to memorize the content with the least amount of effort. I have found that after doing 50-100 problems the material has been memorized without me trying. Contrast this with note-taking which slows you down a lot and only barely helps memorization in my opinion. Only take notes on something you can't remember easily. If you have pdf books a quick way to take notes is to simply screenshot the theorems and paste them all into MS Paint. Boom, instant notes.

[@solomonxie5157]

Great one! Speak out exactly what I experienced when I self-studied a whole year not long ago.

[@capunzel5859]

thanks for the vid, just came from reading a bit of your recommendations on discrete math. I struggle with the feeling of lazyness but seeing other self learners really motivates me and makes me realize that it actually is a huge deal just to be open to learning new things.

[@cdp2827]

What a wonderful video. Some of these have actually happened to me!! So relived knowing I’m not alone. Thx a lot Mr. Sorcerer!! Will try to apply your advise. ☺️🤝

[@brendawilliams8062]

It’s nice to know there are others. A yt. Friend is an ice gift to the students.

[@brendawilliams8062]

:nice

[@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 😀

[@SajuukGold]

I understand now why so many people have liked the content and thank you for the vote of confidence and motivational information well said please please keep up the good work I will continue my quest of knowledge and never give up on myself God Bless you brother and long live the fighters!!!!!!

[@SlowpokeVG]

Thank you so much for this video. Just what I needed right now as I am studying programming by myself. Have a wonderful day!

[@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.

[@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.

[@Empr.Palpatine]

I love that you are adressing real problems. Sometimes i can't resonate with what problems others' are having. But you are very helpful. Thank you :-)

[@Gl00ten]

Hei I just want to say I really appreciate you saying this and it hits on a personal level.