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Study Skills books:
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![The Study Skills Handbook (Palgrave Study Skills) [Paperback] [Jan 01, 2008] Dr Stella Cottrell](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41JKY-kqsPL._SL500_.jpg)
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Read the book "A mind for numbers" by Barbara Oakley and take the course "learning how to learn"
Link to course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn
Edit: if I remember correctly, you don't have to pay for the course if you're not able to. Hope this helps you :)
Wow critical thinking skills and self awareness were not her strong suit. Bonus: That is your 21st birthday present? WTF!?!
Here buy this one for her Birthday/Xmas/Whatever.
https://www.amazon.com/Critical-Thinking-Skills-Dummies-Martin-ebook/dp/B00UYXHP0G
Check out the book A Mind for Numbers. Really insightful for CS majors IMHO.
If this sort of thing interests you I strongly recommend this book. But be careful, the subject material can have a profound, transformative effect on your life and the lives of people around you. It is not for everyone.
This process (called the diffused mode of the brain) is discussed in depth in a book I read a few years ago called A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra).
Would highly recommend if anyone is interested in how your brain learns things - especially abstract concepts like mathematics and programming.
Hey man we all get discouraged when learning something new.
You should check out this https://www.amazon.ca/Mind-Numbers-Science-Flunked-Algebra-ebook/dp/B00G3L19ZU
The author was terrified of math throughout high school and joined the army after graduating. When she was ~25 she realized the work she was doing was not going to provide her a great future, and she went back to school for an engineering degree. During this time she learned how to overcome her issues, and she's now doing a PHD.
I really liked the book, I got it on Audible but wouldn't be surprised if the library had it :) She covers strategies to deal with solving new problems and also procrastination.
I'm early thirties, and left a controlling ex a couple years ago myself (still married because they keep "accidentally" dropping the ball on their end, but that's another story). I had a discouraging experience going back to school while we were still living together, and it made me nervous about trying again. But this time has been totally different. I'm graduating from CC this spring with a 4.0!
We adult students have a lot of things going for us. There's the benefit of life experience and a fully developed brain. We tend to be more organized and driven, too. You may even find that material you struggled with as a teen comes more easily now.
However, I still get panicked every semester that I'm going to lose focus and flunk. Recently I've started having nightmares that I'm going to fail a class and not get to walk for graduation. I'm also worried because I'm starting STEM "weed out" classes next semester, so the difficulty is about the ratchet up significantly.
I'm managing by keeping my focus mostly on my current semester. I also bought a book called <em>A Mind For Numbers</em>, which is recommended for folks who aren't so confident in their math skills. It focuses on strategies for studying more efficiently and reducing the time you feel like you're grinding away but not getting anywhere.
I know it's scary, but school won't be as bad as your fear is telling you. Community colleges are very supportive places, with lots of resources to help you succeed. Take advantage of advising, free tutoring, and disability services (if panic attacks continue to be a problem). Don't let fear stop you from getting that degree! You can do it!!
I was very similar to you, and found the book <em>A Mind for Numbers</em> incredibly helpful for helping develop effective studying techniques (I read it my last semester in school, and kicked myself for not reading it sooner). There's a coursea course called "Learning how to Learn" by the same woman (+ a man, iirc) that seems to cover the same content.
Good luck!
This book I read gave a neurological explanation for procrastination. They stuck someone in a fancy brain scanner gizmo and gave them a task that would trigger their procrastination. What they saw was that the anticipated discomfort you mentioned lit up the actual pain centers in the brain. They also saw, however, that this brain activity stopped when the person actually started the task. Based on this, their advice was "start by just doing a little." But in your case, it sounds like the pain response continues while doing the task. Emotional flashback?
If their model is correct, then maybe your problem isn't actually "procrastination," but you're getting the same end result of avoidance and dissociation. If so then tactics for dealing with procrastination aren't going to help as much as expected- and obviously you've tried quite hard!
I’m sorry, that’s sounds so frustrating, college-level math and physics can be very unforgiving if your high school math foundation is weak. It sounded like you have put in the hard work but struggle to see results. That’s an indication that your current study strategy/habit is not working and it’s time to learn some new study skills, to study not just harder but smarter. Here is the perfect book for you:
https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Numbers-Science-Flunked-Algebra-ebook/dp/B00G3L19ZU
I benefitted a ton from the book. I also agree that it would be a good idea to take a semester off to focus on your mental health and study strategy, review high-school math using Khan academy, and do some soul-searching to understand why you are in college (what’s your life goals?) so that when you are ready to come back, you will be in a much better mindset with better background and strategies to get through the struggle.
The powerscore logic games bible helped me a lot with the logic portion. Looks like you can rent it on amazon for $24
See if your parents/guardian would let you find a tutor. If this isn't practical, get a big book of calculus exercises with solutions, there's loads on Amazon (e.g. this one).
Diffused thinking is more conducive to creativity and invention, but while flow is a sign of focused productivity. You need both diffused and focused modes of thinking. Models of innovation, like design thinking, have divergent and convergent stages.
This MOOC on Learning How to Learn has a good introduction to how your brain works. The early lessons are informed by A Mind for Numbers.
When you have time (winter break?) read A Mind For Numbers by Barbara Oakley - it's a book about how to learn more efficiently, especially in math/science. It's a very practical book about how the brain learns and how to structure your study in a way that utilizes the literal biological process of learning that happens in your brain.
Also, what u/two-bit-hack said, and practice a lot. Don't be ashamed to watch tutorials and look up answers until you get it, but when you look up answers make sure you take the time to learn why the answers are correct. Real learning takes time and effort. Be persistent, consistent, and patient.
Do you like playing? As in sports, puzzles or games? That's what math is.
At 17, time is on your side for a big turn around. You also have the advantage of not having tarnished your academic record at university. So you can go in with a clean slate and shine. In a sense you picked a good time to get serious about this.
Like others have said, you don't really need that much math for many courses at university. But math is everywhere and being good at it has payoff. You'll become more confident in your intellectually capacities and you may just fall in love with it and open up a career for yourself in something math related.
School was excruciating for me too. I couldn't pay attention to anything the teachers said. So it felt like confinement throughout my childhood. But I loved math. I don't mean math class which I could never follow. But once I understood problems, I loved trying to figure them out. I think anyone faced with a problem at just the edge of their math abilities can be sucked into loving math. This is where the party comes in. So I would say focus on doing actual problems rather than just watching videos or flipping through books. This is especially suitable if you have issues with your attention. These activities have tremendous value once you've immersed yourself a bit. So watch a little do a lot until you find your way. Math is broad there's something in it for everyone.
Also if you get a chance check out this book: https://www.amazon.ca/Mind-Numbers-Science-Flunked-Algebra/dp/039916524X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=1CEEH9CLWN4KC&keywords=mind+for+numbers&qid=1667652954&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjkxIiwicXNhIjoiMC43NyIsInFzcCI6IjAuNzMifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=mind+for+%2....
I did the first problem to try to judge its difficulty, although that is subjective. I think a lot of people get used to teachers showing them how to solve problems and then mimicking what the teacher does on other problems. That is what happened to me when I was in high school and I felt like I ran into a brick wall when I took calculus in college. You might benefit from learning about how to approach solving math problems. I'd recommend reading A Mind For Numbers and How to Study as a Math Major.
Salut, eu zic ca "problemele" ar fi astea:
- Ai nimerit fix intr-o recesiune, din ce văd majoritatea firmelor nu prea mai angajează acum, toată lumea merge pe burta, așteaptă sa vadă ce se întâmplă în viitor.
- Încearcă sa privești un pic lucrurile din prisma unui potențial angajator: primește probabil jdemii de CV-uri de la o grămadă de oameni care au terminat cursuri și vor sa între în industrie. Ca sa te cheme la interviu, trebuie să-i sara ceva în OK de pe CV - o experiență, un proiect, o măslină, o atenție. Oricât de junior / internship ai fi, trebuie sa fii un pic util firmei, sa poți sa faci un task mic singur; nu te angajează nimeni ca după aia sa pună un mid / senior dev langa tine 24/7 ca sa îți arate cum sa faci merge și sa citești cod.
- ca parare subiectiva și total neceruta, cred ca ești blocat în tutorial-hell.
Cred ca ar trebui să-ți faci un plan (gen ca în Ian 2023 sa fi angajat ca developer (junior sau internship) și pentru asta ai cam ~2 luni sa faci un proiect micuț pe care-l să-l pui pe CV (un exemplu ar fi sa consumi și tu un API public, gen ala de la GitHub, ca sa faci un git repo searcher - folosește și tu o libarie de CSS și vezi dacă poți să-l faci un pic responsive)
Dacă partea de mai sus îți da atacuri de panica și nu știi de unde sa te apuci sa faci asta, sugestia mea ar fi sa termini the odin project (track-ul cu full stack JS recomanda oamenii pe aici). În paralel, îți recomand sa citești cartea asta (te învață cum sa înveți, titlul e ușor imbecili)
Dacă banii sunt o urgență, atunci poți încerca sa aplici pentru poziții de QA, cu mențiunea ca munca e destul de repetitivă și departe de programarea propriu-zisă, așa ca o sa fii în aceeași situație de acum, doar ca o sa poți zice ca lucrezi în IT.
I haven't read it personally, but I've heard good things about the book A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even if You Flunked Algebra).
May I recommend this book - A Mind for Numbers
Or you could work through the course which is free for now - Learning How to Learn
For Maths specifically, how about working through Khan Academy? Their practice exercises are, to me, pretty good.
When the house is warm and cozy, reading this book will be a great complement for the overall ambience and your wellbeing.
https://www.amazon.com/Critical-Thinking-Skills-Dummies-Martin/dp/111892472X
Enjoy!
Best advice and best course I did (around 30) was the "Learning how to learn" course from coursera - its free and has a companion book a mind for numbers.
Highly Recommend. https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Numbers-Science-Flunked-Algebra-ebook/dp/B00G3L19ZU
That's fair. It's one of the things I've learnt in a software career, it's very difficult to have an emotional attachment to things on a computer screen.
Vidya games showcase some pretty extreme stuff for example. But we don't care because we know, 2D isn't real.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Mind-Numbers-Science-Flunked-Algebra-ebook/dp/B00G3L19ZU
Give that book a try. Spring for the physical copy even, it has most of what I was talking about.
I remember the big difference in my college days was putting my bed time in Google calendar. I had a bed time with 15, 30 and 60 minute notifications.
Even though I didn't actually go to bed then, the act of measuring how much sleep I got meant I really fixed my sleep schedule and things got better.
Buy the logic games bible.
I always recommend the book A Mind for Numbers by Dr. Barbara Oakley along with the accompanying free Coursera course Learning How to Learn. Same information, different formats. It walks you through HOW to study - taking breaks so you can actually process what you just learned, how to review, flashcards, self-testing, etc. It also goes through what doesn't work - highlighting, passive re-reading, cramming for hours right before a test. All with scientific reasoning on how the brain works and what is the most efficient way to learn.
So I did the BS in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance degree and currently work in the field. Some of these responses about Cybersecurity are a little much... It is not that bad to work in the field.
Some things to note about it though is that it is a BROAD field. Cybersecurity includes things like audits/compliance, pentesting/offensive security, digital forensics, incident response, threat intelligence, governance risk compliance (GRC), security engineering, threat detection, application security, devsecops etc.
The other thing to note is that entry level roles are really competitive, especially if you have no tech back ground to start off with. It can be done, just super competitive.
With that out of the way, it seems you don't want to be pigeon holed and I say because of that then get the degree in Computer Science. Its the more general of the two degrees. You could always learn the cyber security stuff on your own later. Lots of resources out there.
I know you mentioned not being mathematically inclined but don't let that stop you. You could always do the math portions of the degree at Straighterline and transfer them in. There is also a ton of math resources now a days for people to use such as Khan academy and Wolfram Alpha. I can also recommend this book:
A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra) link: https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Numbers-Science-Flunked-Algebra-ebook/dp/B00G3L19ZU
Another thing to remember is that math and coding are skills. I believe that means when given the right resources, anyone can learn them.
Have you tried using ANKI cards?
Also, this book is a great resource (ignore that the title refers to mathematics, it’s applicable to learning to code) Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/039916524X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_HSQ03XRVM9X85H5RDCN7 .
There’s also a free online course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn
I honestly don't have it all figured out, but I've done a few iterations on my system and I'm in a much better place with it than I have ever been.
I am currently using a system that uses all 3x5 notecards that I keep in a little notecard box, and separate with tab-separators. I've based the organization system on the zettlekasten system, which you can read about here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Take-Smart-Notes-Nonfiction-ebook/dp/B06WVYW33Y
I have a couple of different sections of notes so far. Monsters, Factions, NPCs, Treasure, Locations, and Next Session. As I'm doing prep, I just grab a stack of notecards and put every new concept on a new card. Events, Ideas, Little notes, procedures, anything goes into the 'next session' thing. I clarify thoughts on the cards and file them together into bundles that represent the locations, events or beats of the next session depending on what I'm running.
I can also pull cards out of my archive as necessary (monsters, NPCs locations, etc)
One thing I do a LOT that helps is to TRY to make concepts fit onto one side of a single card. Sometimes I'll overwrite a card, and have to re-write it to make it fit. Jettison ideas and clarify stuff. Cards get re-written a lot. If you find yourself re-writing a lot, that's a good thing.
There are a lot of benefits to using index cards. It keeps each concept concise. It lets you use each as a card. You can randomly select or deal cards out for wandering monsters. You can hand treasure cards to the players to keep in their inventory. You can let players take an NPC card and run the NPC if they hire them as a hireling. You can lay out a bunch of cards in front of you as an ad-hoc control panel... the list goes on and on.