Stop Forgetting Math - Just Do This

People always forget the math that they learn. This is normal and happens a lot. In this video I will give you some tips so that you don't forget the math you learn.

(these are my affiliate links)

***********Math, Physics, and Computer Science Books***********
These are my affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

If you enjoyed this video please consider liking, sharing, and subscribing.

There are several ways that you can help support my channel:)

************Udemy Courses(Please Use These Links If You Sign Up!)*************
Abstract Algebra Course

Advanced Calculus Course

Calculus 1 Course

Calculus 2 Course

Calculus 3 Course

Calculus 1 Lectures with Assignments and a Final Exam

Calculus Integration Insanity

Differential Equations Course

Differential Equations Lectures Course (Includes Assignments + Final Exam)

College Algebra Course

How to Write Proofs with Sets Course

How to Write Proofs with Functions Course

Trigonometry 1 Course

Trigonometry 2 Course

Statistics with StatCrunch Course

Math Graduate Programs, Applying, Advice, Motivation

Daily Devotionals for Motivation with The Math Sorcerer

Thank you:)

[MohammedAli-ignu]

I am a researcher in electrical engineering. The reason I remember math is that I use it very extensively in my work.

[SequinBrain]

As I was reviewing my electronics school notes from the '80s the other day, there was a small section on how to learn. It mentioned that "forgetting starts to happen in the first 24 hours." This was both shocking and a revelation, since the solution was something else in those notes: review. I thought the forgetting was just something that was only happening to me, since no one ever discusses this being one of the major obstacles to learning or how to win that boss fight. It could be that it's a given since otherwise there would be no need to study for a test because you wouldn't have forgotten either the readings, lectures, or notes. But it was a relief to see that forgetting is somewhat normal and obviously happens to varying degrees per case. But the solution is a good review regimen. It suggested review the day before prior to beginning today's work, then review the entire week at the end of the week. This seems like a lot of work, but it should prevent the large dropouts in retention that I keep running across. I'll be keeping my eyes out for how to prevent retention loss as I move forward. Thanks for these other vital steps mentioned in the video to putting a lockdown on the various subjects.

[anurag_verma_youtube]

1. Understand - the internet, friends, and teachers, revisit
2. Do as many problems as you can
3. Use mnemonics
4. Create visual aids - Mind maps, flowcharts, memorize graphs, Use flashcards / Note cards
5. Teach someone (talk about math)

[TKRM]

As a Mechanical Engineer of 82 years of age, with a P.E. This is very true.

[AlyxBowen]

I'm going back to school at 43 for astrophysics. I always loved math in high school and took Algebra through Honors Calculus...it was pretty much what helped me from not failing high school. Well now that almost 25 years have passed and I've decided to go back to school, I registered for some online classes(Prerequisites for the astrophysics track) and It all came rushing back as to how much I love math. I have forgotten quite a bit though but I study everyday and I agree, practice and "understand" has been the best strategy.

[davidbrisbane]

The problem with doing tons of problems is that this takes tons of time. In math courses the time passes really quickly. So quickly, it precludes you doing tones of problems.

[oscarmendoza]

Wow. This video feels like it was made just for me. I returned to school after ten years away and I couldn't believe how much of the math I had forgotten. I'm doing my calculus homework right now. I was always the math nerd in high school so I just assumed this would all just naturally come back to me. It didn't. I've had to swallow my pride and get more simpler algebra books just to refresh my memory. I hope I can relearn it all while simultaneously learn calculus.

[apollomedia]

Skipping and coming back later helps a lot. Very good advice.

[michaelb]

One other technique that feeds into both understanding and practice is creating your own problems. Not just taking an existing problem and changing the values (like they do to sell a "new and improved" version of a textbook), but changing the entire setup of the problem. In the memoirs of James Clerk Maxwell, there are quite a few interesting excerpts where it describes him and his friends exchanging problems and trying to come up with harder problems to stump one another. Both he and his friends became exceptional mathematicians of their time. (I seem to recall that Richard Feynman did a similar thing, but I don't recall precisely where I would have read this.)

[sgtcojonez]

I'm a math mayor. I have graduated in 2021 and by then I was already forgetting a lot from my early classes. Currently, I'm in a graduate program, and having to refresh on the old stuff can be at times frustrating and makes me feel like I don't belong in the field. What is the only solution? Practice. Practice. Practice.

[Renthlei_Jr]

Teaching others is a very useful method. I've been using for the last 3 years or so. I just happened to be able to remember them better this way and is lucky I found this method

[davidbrisbane]

I've leaned and forgotten to program in SQL three times. The silver lining is that I relearned quicker each time.

[miniske]

I use spaced repetition on a per-fact/theorem basis via Anki.

The idea being to remain able to prove each and every fact throughout my lifetime, not necessarily to remember the proofs themselves.
There are a few consequences to that:
- One particular proof for a fact may be replaced (and probably forgotten) as my maths and understanding of that particular fact mature. Which is good since it leads to cleaner and simpler proofs over time.
- Of course, I can just regurgitate at will and with ease anything I've put into the system.
- I won't forget.
- The strengthening of the procedural memory (forms of reasoning, applications of prior theorems...) and the declarative memory (the prior theorems themselves, the ability to recall them) necessary to prove said fact. (I guess it's obvious)
- The bookkeeping necessary to do that without a system such as anki simply isn't scalable nor tractable. I can't afford to ask myself each day which, out of the hundreds' and very soon thousands of theorems I wish to the remember, I'm going to practice/remember for the day. Whereas with anki (or any SRS), the bookkeeping cost is none (well, there is an overhead), and the cost of maintenance is low since the repetition interval increases somewhat exponentially. Overall, it's a great way to fight the forgetting curve.

There is an overhead, I need to scan every proofs, maintain a database of those proofs and convert them into anki cards, via some scripts I've built around Anki.

On another note, when it comes to proving a corpus of facts, I circle through the corpus in a randomized fashion, spending x unit of time (often 5 minutes or so) on each facts.
Focusing very hard and for a long time on one problem is good (and fun). But it often leads to diminishing returns, mental fatigue and frustration. The brain seems to do background computations on all the problems when we're not focusing on them.
After a cycle, the problems always seem to become easier. All of that is non-linear. It all compounds.

Take all of that with a pinch of salt, that's where my surface level pseudo-neuroscience knowledge led me.

[muskyoxes]

The main problem with math is that you can't move on. Pretty much ever. If one topic confuses you, you've cut off an entire tree built on that topic. It's particularly bad in advanced math books that don't even attempt to teach. "Here is a list of ten thousand true statements. Now you know them. You're welcome."

[cvdevol]

Wow, the Leithold book was my textbook for Calculus 1, 2 and 3 in college in the early 70s! I had that exact edition and also the expanded edition with multivariate calculus! It's funny, the book used imperial quantities, including the "slug" - the imperial unit of mass!

[lonnieporter]

When my daughter was in junior high, she and her friends were struggling with algebra. I saw her crying at the table trying to do her homework, so we talked. She showed me how her "teacher" wanted them to do problems.
It was COMPLETELY out in left field. Even I didn't get it. I showed her how I was taught, and it all made sense to her. She showed her friends. They all went from failing to B's.

[MathPhysicsFunwithGus]

Yes! Understanding math is the most important thing to remember it and to understand more advanced topics quicker!

[ianarn]

All very good points in particular there is real value for yourself in teaching others!

[portreemathstutor]

An experience that I have had many times is coming up against a brick wall of confusion halfway through a book but I kept reading anyway. When I was younger (pre-internet) I didn't know what Lagrangians were. I came across the phrase "The Lagrangian of Newton's Second Law" and had no idea what it meant. It turns out that phrase just meant F=ma and if I had allowed that hurdle to stop me it would have been a shame. Don't say "I didn't read it because I didn't understand it." because what I hear when you say that is "I didn't understand it because I didn't read it."

[kurtsalm]

Practice build proficiency. The difference between a student (any level) and a professional is proficiency. You don't gain proficiency by being a student. Only the hands-on grind of professional practice brings proficiency.