Math Is Fun Forum

ShivamS wrote:

-you are not used to studying intensively (this is very common and I think it is one of your problems - you obviously haven't studied so hard in the past so it will take time to get used to it, but it will happen)

No I'm not. How do I get used to it?

ShivamS wrote:

-you want to solve math problems but don't want to learn the material for it (this applies to you but the biggest problem regarding this is that you decided not to do any problems. I suggest you learn math and do problems alongside it, even if it's only a few problems to save time)

I have been mainly focusing on the theory. In the mainstream books they don't define terms like:
line segment
ray
axiom/postulate
plane
theorom
proof

You just get a geometric sense of what they mean when they say these things in regular books. Actualy they don't use many of the terms and you don't really need to know what they mean. I really just remember the procedures and do them. I don't even really know the rules in of themselves. I just pick them up from doing the problems and seeing what works.

I am making sure I understand what the definitions in this book by thinking which concepts they stand on, and of non examples. Lang's Geometry builds up everything from scratch so it's fun. You get the basic definitions, basic axioms, then construct shapes, then do some problems, then some proofs. I already knew the formula and theoroms in the book but I did not understand it much. I didn't know the definitions, axioms, notation, or how anything was derived. Or even that this was Euclidian geometry and that there are others. It is tedious to focus on these definitions and practice memorizing them but I know it's for the best.

ShivamS wrote:

-you want to learn higher mathematics like calculus and are not interested in the prerequisites (this happened to me but after a while I enjoyed learning it)

It's not that I don't want to learn the pre-requisites, it's just the more advanced topics seem more exciting. I still really need to brush up on number theory more than anything.

I'm going to alternate between the fun and more tedious parts. Rewarding myself with some break and problems after studying the concepts should do the trick. Hopefully i'll end up doing it longer. The problem is I'm teaching myself some other things too which are all memory based since I don't really have the equipment to do them.

The problem is I'm teaching myself some other things too which are all memory based since I don't really have the equipment to do them.

Good night