> Oftentimes, math is taught as a set of rules and processes divined from an authority in which learners must memorize the rules and strictly follow the process

> Oftentimes, math is taught as a set of rules and processes divined from an authority in which learners must memorize the rules and strictly follow the processes in order to satisfactorily find the one and only correct answer I was surprised later in life when the majority of people I talked to felt Math was this way (and a good thing). To them, math is a set of rules you learn to follow to the T and use them on other problems. For me, everything a Math teacher conveyed was more of a recommendation, a suggested tool that I could incorporate into my tool box. The methods they employed to solve problems were a matter of preference to me, rather than rigid rules. This way of thinking has always had some pros and cons. I never solved a problem the way a 'grader' was expecting. Some teachers loved the creativity and efficiency, other TA's just marked as zero. It made applying what I learned to other things, but on exams I would always be stressed with time because I would spend time on which way I was going to answer the problem. That being said, I am very good at Math. scored well in HS/college, 165/170 Math GRE score, in a field where Math is important (Data Scientist).