4 ms·

I took AP calc in high school, but paid 0 attention and basically plugged all problems into a solver and passed with a mediocre grade. I didn't even end up goin

I took AP calc in high school, but paid 0 attention and basically plugged all problems into a solver and passed with a mediocre grade. I didn't even end up going to school after that. > Definitely contributes to my impostor syndrome when doing anything more computer sciencey than a CRUD app. Agreed, I've started working on low level side projects that involve more math and theory and often find I kicking myself for not caring in school and not furthering my education

commandlinefan 7y ago
Well, it’s never too late, you know! I stumbled through my own CS degree putting as little effort into the math classes as possible - I saw them as a roadblock/filter I had to get through rather than anything particularly useful. Then, a few years after graduation I was doing some graphics work and I had to create a block arrow that could orient itself in any direction. I started working through the calculations to determine the slope of a line and the slope of the perpendicular line and I kept thinking, “man, I know I learned this in algebra, I sure wish I remembered any of it…”. So I picked up a used algebra textbook and read through it and worked some examples until I understood it. I’ve been re-making my way back up through my math education that way on and off for years (I’m up to differential equations now) and it’s actually sort of pleasant since I can take as long as I want or just put it away and come back to it later when I feel like it. I get some odd glances from people when I pull out a calculus textbook (“are you taking a class or something?”), but I understand it all _way_ better than I ever did as an undergraduate. Plus which, I’m able to help my kids with their math homework because all this stuff is actually fresh in my mind.

4 ms·

I took AP calc in high school, but paid 0 attention and basically plugged all problems into a solver and passed with a mediocre grade. I didn't even end up goin

by non-entity 7y ago

commandlinefan 7y ago
Well, it’s never too late, you know! I stumbled through my own CS degree putting as little effort into the math classes as possible - I saw them as a roadblock/filter I had to get through rather than anything particularly useful. Then, a few years after graduation I was doing some graphics work and I had to create a block arrow that could orient itself in any direction. I started working through the calculations to determine the slope of a line and the slope of the perpendicular line and I kept thinking, “man, I know I learned this in algebra, I sure wish I remembered any of it…”. So I picked up a used algebra textbook and read through it and worked some examples until I understood it. I’ve been re-making my way back up through my math education that way on and off for years (I’m up to differential equations now) and it’s actually sort of pleasant since I can take as long as I want or just put it away and come back to it later when I feel like it. I get some odd glances from people when I pull out a calculus textbook (“are you taking a class or something?”), but I understand it all _way_ better than I ever did as an undergraduate. Plus which, I’m able to help my kids with their math homework because all this stuff is actually fresh in my mind.