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Tangentially related to your point - math is an extremely dense subject. Small little statements with just a few symbols can be LOADED with information - thing
by gxs 6y ago
Tangentially related to your point - math is an extremely dense subject.
Small little statements with just a few symbols can be LOADED with information - things like complex, meaty definitions for even the most benign terms (e.g., a function), and stuff that can be deduced from it from a million different theorems.
This is part of the reason why it's so easy to fall behind in math. Once you are missing a vital part of information, it can be hard to identify where that gap is and the train just keeps moving and moving.
This was my experience with math, and something that I noticed when I tutored people in some low level math as well.
- hansvm 6y agoI've thought about this on occasion. Anecdotally (and subject to selection and confirmation biases) I've seen students who struggled excessively in a given course, dropped, and taken the previous course to excel not just in the subject they originally dropped but also in subsequent classes. I've wondered if my alma mater might be better off recommending students to start a level or two below where they currently are to fill in some of those vital gaps.