I had the same experience. I think it's because school dumps on us solutions to problems we haven't had yet. It's difficult to correlate abstract concepts to ta

I had the same experience. I think it's because school dumps on us solutions to problems we haven't had yet. It's difficult to correlate abstract concepts to tangible problems. But 20 years later those formulas are actually painting a picture of things we've experienced. It's like reading someone else putting perfectly into words thoughts you had. It clicks only if you had those thoughts; to other people it is devoid of meaning.