Ask HN: Get over math anxiety in CS degree | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Get over math anxiety in CS degree

1 pointfratlas5 comments

Bit of back-story: I have always been a little slower at maths, and have always wanted to get better. I struggled my way through discrete mathematics but already forget a lot of the notation. I'm doing a university course which is proof-heavy and uses a lot of mathematical notation which scares the shit out of me. My question is; was anyone here in a similar situation? How did you get better? Books, practice, tutoring, videos? I feel extremely stupid when I can't get the simplest proofs down.

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I was in a similar situation years back and made a huge mistake: giving up and switching majors due to the amount of math in CS (and the very poor instruction I was receiving was part of it too, so YMMV).

Now, 8+ years later, I wish I had stuck with it or found better instructors or a better school or something.

To throw that opportunity away in exchange for a much less interesting or useful degree is something I still regret but am trying to move on from... can't change the past.

The times I was successful in tough math classes was when I asked for help, so my experience mirrors what others are saying here. The problem was having instructors that sometimes couldn't help much when asked.

Practice and actually asking for help when I was stuck worked for me.

I remember having a complete block over lambda calculus - I pretty much locked myself in my room over an Easter break and worked through loads of examples - eventually it clicked and I ended up being really interested in all things functional.

> actually asking for help when I was stuck worked for me.

This is larger than math. Successful people ask for help.

One of my first jobs was for a Professor of Control Engineering - fantastically bright chap. He was also the first person to admit "sorry, I didn't understand that, could you explain that again" and do it in a way that made it clear he thought it has his problem not the person providing the explanation.

[NB The fact I ended up doing research with a bunch of control engineers rather demonstrates that I did manage to get over my fear of maths!].

I agree that asking for help is necessary, I always wonder at what point it is acceptable to decide you're "stuck" and give up.

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