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Finals time, once again. And I once again I find myself with the delema of 'to study, or not to study'. I don't usually study much, cause I find that often I do as well or better with out studying.
That was in high school though. Now I'm in college. I'm not to worried about most of my classes. Physics I've got down. Piece of cake. Computer Science shouldn't be too hard, as long as there isn't too much about red/black trees. I might look over those some. If I need to I can try and implement one. My seminar's final is going to be downright fun, its the Human Colonization of Space, my favorite class.
No, the one that's really worrying me is Discrete Structures and Mathmatical Reasoning. Its abstract math and inro to proofs basically. And I can't do it! I've been trying all semester long, but I can't. Proofs and abstract math do not make sense to me. I can't do them, I can't understand why I get a question right when I do, and why I've gotten it wrong when I get it wrong. How the hell do I study for it? Reading the book has never helped me. Talking to the proffessor hasn't really either.
With physics I study by doing problem sets. If I get the wrong answer I keep trying different things till I get the right one. Eventually I get the right one and what I was doing wrong becomes clear. With Computer Science I just try and implement the structures and algorithms I'm supposed to be studying. When they work with out bugs I know I'm good.
But discrete? Proofs? How the frack am I supposed to study for that? Write a bunch of proofs I don't understand, don't know how to start, and don't see the point of? Each of which can be written a billion different ways and be right and none of which have examples explaining in detail WHY each step is necesary and what it does? The examples in the book are terrible. They leave so much for us to figure out, basically saying: if you can't see why we did this last step, you're an idiot. Sorry if I need you to spell it out for me, but I do! 90% of the time I have no idea why our books author does one thing or another in a proof. So I can't do problems, reading the book doesn't help, and I can't really talk to the professor either. What the frack am I supposed to do?!
Long story short: I'm screwed.
Posts: 3295 | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
Or people in your class who would be able to tutor you? That's a good way for them to review as well.
Posts: 1547 | Registered: Jan 2004
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No TA's here. Its a small liberal arts college, there aren't any grad students. And having other students tutor has the same problem as talking to the professor. Either they don't get it and are in the same boat as me, or they do get it and are incapable of understanding why I don't and therefore explaining it to me Posts: 3295 | Registered: Jun 2004
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I'm sorry you're having trouble with proofs. It seems to be one of those subjects that you either get or you don't. My husband hates them, but they've always come as naturally as breathing to me.
I don't know how much time you have left to study, but I might be able to help you. I'm usually pretty good at explaining things. Then again, it's been years since I took discrete math, so I might be too rusty. I suppose I would have to see an example of the kind of things you're doing to know if I could help.
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