Motivation/inspiration for math studies
category: general [glöplog]
After tutoring cute girls in Calculus/Algebra/Technical Maths for two years, my first job out of college was writing algorithms for Digital Signal Processors and doing other odd numeric manipulations of data.
It's fun.. In kind of a sick sort of way
I remember hearing this all through school "Show your work"....
It's fun.. In kind of a sick sort of way
I remember hearing this all through school "Show your work"....
Edible fractals!
...wich means?
Anyways, I'm still not sure if I should take this path. In germany you have to pay higher fees as a "long term student", so I'm quite unsure if I could afford that. No rich and understanding parents, unfortunately... ;)But, again, math it's just this fascinating. Formulas that can easily be written on a beer mat and, at the same time, are so rich of thoughts and ambition.
As you may have already noticed, I have no clue how mathematicians actual work. The lines above may be not more than a romantic misinterpretation. But that's an interesting question: how can I find out and get a gilmpse into what would await me?
Anyways, I'm still not sure if I should take this path. In germany you have to pay higher fees as a "long term student", so I'm quite unsure if I could afford that. No rich and understanding parents, unfortunately... ;)But, again, math it's just this fascinating. Formulas that can easily be written on a beer mat and, at the same time, are so rich of thoughts and ambition.
As you may have already noticed, I have no clue how mathematicians actual work. The lines above may be not more than a romantic misinterpretation. But that's an interesting question: how can I find out and get a gilmpse into what would await me?
MIT OpenCourseWare.
A lot (most?) of MIT courses are online. They're mostly excellent, I've used them when studying engineering..
A lot (most?) of MIT courses are online. They're mostly excellent, I've used them when studying engineering..
Wow, thanks!
mew, don't let money fool you. you're not going to study cultural anthropology - it's pretty certain you'll get a job (and not as a floor cleaner) after you're done studying. i'm not saying you'll get your dream job, or even find out what that is, but you'll have an income allright, after you got your degree. as such, building up some studying debts is no shame, and is an investment in yourself. don't underestimate the importance of investing in yourself, with money and/or time.
additionally, never study something because it'll get you rich, but study something that you like - if you really like it, you'll automatically become good at it. i.e. better than competing job applicants. also don't be afraid to take a chance when finding out whether you really like it. as long as you're honest to yourself (a friend of mine started studying, math too btw but that doesnt matter, he didn't like it much and stopped showing up at lectures - but he still only admitted it to himself 2 years and a whole lot of wasted money later).
i guess germany also has some loan-fund especially for students? like with lower interest and relaxed paying-back rules? even if not, it's worth it. we're not talking millions of euros here. and we're not talking an expensive holiday either.
you don't need rich parents to study what you want, not in western europe.
additionally, never study something because it'll get you rich, but study something that you like - if you really like it, you'll automatically become good at it. i.e. better than competing job applicants. also don't be afraid to take a chance when finding out whether you really like it. as long as you're honest to yourself (a friend of mine started studying, math too btw but that doesnt matter, he didn't like it much and stopped showing up at lectures - but he still only admitted it to himself 2 years and a whole lot of wasted money later).
i guess germany also has some loan-fund especially for students? like with lower interest and relaxed paying-back rules? even if not, it's worth it. we're not talking millions of euros here. and we're not talking an expensive holiday either.
you don't need rich parents to study what you want, not in western europe.
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additionally, never study something because it'll get you rich, but study something that you like - if you really like it, you'll automatically become good at it. i.e. better than competing job applicants. also don't be afraid to take a chance when finding out whether you really like it. as long as you're honest to yourself (a friend of mine started studying, math too btw but that doesnt matter, he didn't like it much and stopped showing up at lectures - but he still only admitted it to himself 2 years and a whole lot of wasted money later).
I can fully concur here. I spent a lot of time with struggling electrical/telecommunications engineering, and even if I did manage to motivate myself to pass courses, I ended up not graduating because to be frank, the subject bores me out of my mind. I'm now finally starting computer science in a different university and city this fall, and I can't wait to attend lectures.
Yes, the online MIT video lectures are surprisingly good. Sadly in RM format, but RealAlternative means you can sort of live with that. Also, my guess is that nobody will notice or even care if you sneak into a couple of lectures at your nearest uni.
If the above looks strange to you, then you're probably not ready for uni maths, which will typically start with calculus and assume you've already been introduced to it.
One thing you should expect, of course, is that even if you can comfortably think of yourself as a very smart person now, university can be a humbling experience, cause all the smart people end up there, in precisely the fields of study that they're best at and have the most passion for. I think that's especially true of maths.
If the above looks strange to you, then you're probably not ready for uni maths, which will typically start with calculus and assume you've already been introduced to it.
One thing you should expect, of course, is that even if you can comfortably think of yourself as a very smart person now, university can be a humbling experience, cause all the smart people end up there, in precisely the fields of study that they're best at and have the most passion for. I think that's especially true of maths.
I also thought about studying computer science a while ago. The reason why my interest switched to math is that it's more fundamental.
skrebbel, thing is, since I am already studying graphics design, there are already some debts to be payed. I think I'll take some time to take a look at those MIT online courses very soon. I'll graduate next summer so there's still some time to make a well considered decision. All I know for now is that job chances wont have any impact on it.
Oh, and btw I already planned on studying cultural studies a few years ago... :D But I skipped that, a good book on that topic every now and then is enough.
skrebbel, thing is, since I am already studying graphics design, there are already some debts to be payed. I think I'll take some time to take a look at those MIT online courses very soon. I'll graduate next summer so there's still some time to make a well considered decision. All I know for now is that job chances wont have any impact on it.
Oh, and btw I already planned on studying cultural studies a few years ago... :D But I skipped that, a good book on that topic every now and then is enough.
Oh yeah, and of course maths will open lots of doors for you carreer-wise. I may sound old-fashioned or even bigoted, but it'll do a lot more for you than "graphics design with a focus on interactivity", though it might not be as "hip". ;)
priitser, ooh which city? which uni? good move!
maw, what doom said. you're young and able to learn and better yet, you're willing. personally, i agree a bit that graphic design may not get you Rich Fast(tm), but i also believe that a cv with both a design and a math grade on it is a very competitive thing - it shows that you're smart and able to understand difficult things fast, while also creative and, probably, not socially inept. so, don't allow the money to matter, at least not too much. you've a whole life ahead of you, so focus on whether you *want* it. the sneaking into courses idea is pretty cool too (and perfectly well-accepted, people will either not react or think that it's cool), though timing-wise you'd better tried that a month ago i guess :)
maw, what doom said. you're young and able to learn and better yet, you're willing. personally, i agree a bit that graphic design may not get you Rich Fast(tm), but i also believe that a cv with both a design and a math grade on it is a very competitive thing - it shows that you're smart and able to understand difficult things fast, while also creative and, probably, not socially inept. so, don't allow the money to matter, at least not too much. you've a whole life ahead of you, so focus on whether you *want* it. the sneaking into courses idea is pretty cool too (and perfectly well-accepted, people will either not react or think that it's cool), though timing-wise you'd better tried that a month ago i guess :)
skrebbel: University of Turku. It feels kind of strange going back to being a student again since after working for a few years I'm used to not being piss poor, but on the other hand, I'm honestly excited about the subject, intend to graduate quickly and if I don't get a degree now, I probably never will.
turku :-( :-(
seriously, even lappeenranta would've been a better choice!
ahwell, i still like you anyway! for a while, at least.
seriously, even lappeenranta would've been a better choice!
ahwell, i still like you anyway! for a while, at least.
When I eventually start speaking that funny language, I can teach you some turun murre at Breakpoint. That's a surefire way to get the girls!
Seriously speaking, I chose Turku because Anna is also going there to study. I know of the shortcomings ;)
Seriously speaking, I chose Turku because Anna is also going there to study. I know of the shortcomings ;)
(and no, we don't intend to stay there either :D)
I have a thing for math/physics girls. Just so you know.
Reminds me of something...
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These sort of talks make me miss the days when i was still the smartest in class. i remember when flyers interviewed kids who were already in high school, who all said that math was the most difficult subject, and then when i got there, it was like "what are functions" and how to draw a parabole. kind of an anti-climax.
but then! then i went to university, and all of a sudden like everyone was smarter (and/or more disciplined) than me! it sucked, so i got drunk instead. that part was nice again.
Reminds me of something...
elsewhere, I hope you have saved some money for your studies... Because I already had a job before my actual studies and when I was a student it was kinda hard to adjust my lifestyle to the new situation (money-wise). One gets comfortable with good money too soon...