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True. When we did finite elements linear algebra seemed more accessible. But I still don't think I could be cutting edge in any area of math.

Jtsummers 8y ago
Fair. I have no anticipation of being at the cutting edge in math either. One thing that I have found, though, is that as I've explored (particularly in programming and CS) more areas, that reviewing the math I had trouble with in college it all seemed "easy", or at least easier. An advantage of age/experience is the ability to draw from our numerous experiences and produce better (for us, personally) analogies with the material. Another crucial thing for me (post-college) is the absence of grading or immediate external or internal pressure. If I have trouble with a math or CS concept, I just set it down. It has no impact on remaining employed or future job prospects (well, mostly, some geometry and trig refreshers were good when doing some geographic stuffs; learning some languages were critical to a job, but that's not theory). Additionally, I removed the pressure from myself. If I don't get something, I don't (as I did in college, which led to other problems) see it as a personal defect or deficiency. It's just a fact, I simply don't understand it. I re-read the same material over and over across a several year period (Knuth's Concrete Mathematics) before certain sections of it became accessible to me. I desired to understand it, so I returned to it. But despite the desire, I didn't feel any external or internal pressure to understand it at that precise moment. When understanding came, it was a good feeling. But when it didn't, it was just a thing.
- maxxxxx 8y ago
  Same here. I really wish I could go back to school and relearn some stuff I ignored back then. Back then I had to learn a lot of stuff just because but now I understand how they can be useful. same with history. In school it was boring but now I listen to historical audiobooks all the time and love it.

Jtsummers 8y ago

Fair. I have no anticipation of being at the cutting edge in math either. One thing that I have found, though, is that as I've explored (particularly in programming and CS) more areas, that reviewing the math I had trouble with in college it all seemed "easy", or at least easier. An advantage of age/experience is the ability to draw from our numerous experiences and produce better (for us, personally) analogies with the material. Another crucial thing for me (post-college) is the absence of grading or immediate external or internal pressure. If I have trouble with a math or CS concept, I just set it down. It has no impact on remaining employed or future job prospects (well, mostly, some geometry and trig refreshers were good when doing some geographic stuffs; learning some languages were critical to a job, but that's not theory). Additionally, I removed the pressure from myself. If I don't get something, I don't (as I did in college, which led to other problems) see it as a personal defect or deficiency. It's just a fact, I simply don't understand it. I re-read the same material over and over across a several year period (Knuth's Concrete Mathematics) before certain sections of it became accessible to me. I desired to understand it, so I returned to it. But despite the desire, I didn't feel any external or internal pressure to understand it at that precise moment. When understanding came, it was a good feeling. But when it didn't, it was just a thing.

maxxxxx 8y ago
Same here. I really wish I could go back to school and relearn some stuff I ignored back then. Back then I had to learn a lot of stuff just because but now I understand how they can be useful. same with history. In school it was boring but now I listen to historical audiobooks all the time and love it.