Making Math Interesting Again

I have always been slightly above average in maths. This, while being somewhat of a flex, represents my problem with the subject. In high school, if I did all the exercises, I understood the chapter and could move on. On the other hand, in scientific preparatory school, a mastery of the whole course material is necessary. This means that it is not as easy to glide through the year as I did in high school.

Proof of it is the result of my latest math examinations. We had 2 separate examinations of 2 hours. One was heavily reliant on the course material, the other could be done with the mastery of exercises. You can try to guess which one went better for me...

The point is that I find the idea of learning by heart a whole chapter of 20 pages rather unpleasant. I find enjoyment in understanding and applying the theorems, formulas and properties to examples. It helps me grasp the material a lot better. Having said that, sometimes the exercises do not reflect the entirety of the chapter.

It is why one of my teachers has told me the following phrase: "First learn the material by heart, then worry about understanding it." I hate to say it but he might be right. But I can not do it the way I have been doing it up until now. Simply copying all theorems, properties and main ideas into my active recall system was not the way for me. After finalising it, I have not revisited it once since. It seems to be an insurmountable task for me. Somehow I need to make it attractive, pleasant and if possible rewarding.

I am trying to turn myself towards the concept of gamification. This concept is the idea of turning mundane tasks into a game as a way to make them more fun. This implies some kind of reward for the task – in the case of studying I feel like it could be either a tick in a box, allowing myself something sweet or getting screen time for a series. Things that I would otherwise do just "for free".

I will end with the idea that it is important not to bite off more than one can chew. We tend to thrive when executing tasks slightly above our level of expertise. Yet once the task gets too complicated we can get unmotivated. There is a fine line to walk, and when it is found then the flow state follows!

This Week's Suggestions:

🎶“Lied To You” by Andromedik featuring Luka:

As soon as this song came out, I fell in love with the vocals. Otherwise, it is a very solid liquid song that has a mellow vibe to it. It’s been on replay for me for the past four days.

🎬 "After Life":

In the past few days, I have almost fully finished this series. It is directed by Ricky Gervais, who also plays the lead role in the story. The story itself is rather dark, yet the dry British humour makes the viewer's emotions fluctuate. I have laughed and I have shed tears to it. It is an all-around great story with great execution.

Thanks for the read!