The Beginner's Guide to Becoming a Math Genius
Have you ever been amazed by someone's mathematical ability? An ability to understand such arcane knowledge can be impressive and intimidating, but it is actually much simpler than it seems. If you want to become the mathematical genius that everyone wants to be, read on.
EngageBeing interested in what you are doing will help you focus. At early levels, some memorization is involved. Many people begin learning math and are immediately told to memorize methods and formulas, at which point they forsake the entire subject. But the error of many schools is that they continue this practice from arithmetic up through algebra.
If you struggle with math, it is highly likely that you just find it very dry, boring, and hard to engage with because of the way you have been taught it. A way around this is to think of why things are true. For example, why does the FOIL (first, outer, inner, last) method of factoring work? In high school you may have been taught to FOIL, but not why the answer it gives you is correct.
Figuring this out feels like discovering something. So much of the natural world is described by mathematics. Is it somehow embedded in the universe? Are you discovering something that is eternally true? Math is exciting. Let it draw you in and don't let presuppositions get in the way.
PracticeThis probably seems obvious. Starting at an appropriate level, practice until you feel that you really understand the concept behind what you are doing. Pace yourself. You can set a timer so that you work in 25-minute increments or hour-long increments. Experiment and find what works for you.
It's also important that you remain focused. This is why short bursts of work are more productive. One hour of highly focused work is much better than two hours of unfocused work. This means try not to think of anything else except the problem you are working on. Focusing is much easier if you are engaged and interested.
Take breaksIt's incredibly important that you take breaks. British mathematician John Edensor Littlewood said,
"At one time I used to work 7 days a week (apart, of course, from 3-week chunks of holidays). I experimented during the Long Vacation with a Sunday off, and presently began to notice that ideas had a way of coming on Mondays."
Learning math is like lifting weights. Weight lifters have to take days off so that they can recover. If they don't, they don't actually build muscle. Your performance in math will follow a similar pattern.
CommunicateDoing math with others is helpful. If you want to be a mathematician, you will be doing that all the time. For now, it will help engage you (if you don't get distracted). And of course, you need people to teach you. Click here to learn more from others how to become a math genius.
Likewise, teaching others what you learn will be a tremendous boon to your mathematical development. Doing so will force you to organize what you've learned so that it is easily digestible, therefore making it easier for you to understand.
All in all, your effort is the primary factor in your future mathematical success. Remember, it is okay to fail. The only thing that matters is that you get back up and keep trying.
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