Conquering Math as a Computer Science Student 

Tristan Draper I don't think calculus is must

probability?

@@WildThoughtsAI it depends on what job your going for

@@MKSRR1 probability is a subsection of Discrete Math

Not so much calculus

Did you pass the second time?

@Deluxe7 lol

@@UchiaItachi10 I don't think he did, hello B Williams u there?

alo?

How was it?

Yeah I was really bad at math, surprisingly if you put a lot of effort, have an open mindset, and a shit load of time... Its doable, but you got to learn the fundamentals to succeed in higher level math

Thanks dude

Yeah, I had a friend who for her math courses did every question in a chapter. Her professor was even stumped by a couple of the more advanced questions the required a few weeks of research to solve. They found errors in the solution manual and ended up co-authoring a paper-based on one of the questions when they found a different solution that had never been published before. She did a minor degree in math. She got the publisher to give her a contract writing a new solution manual for three of her courses.

Any recommendations on where I could find resources to practice beyond the homework?

This is the same process with learning art, it's practice and fully understanding the fundamentals of each process that gets you to improve. You can't cheat and shortchange your way to success in either field.

how are you gonna go about that?

U got it bro

Hey dude any progress?

How’s it going bro

Same

I'm thinking of majoring in computer science but math isn't my favorite class in hs and sometimes, it gets really confusing. I'm currently in 9th grade and my average is an 80%. Can you tell me how was your expirience since these last 4 months?

So how did it go?

Same. Good luck

HOW DID IT GO WE NEED AN UPDATE

@@simplyvibing4901 my major is currently comp sci. I graduated in the fall with my associates and the fall coming up I’m transferring to my university. I took trig over the summer and it was hard but I passed. I took pre cal and programming fundamentals 1 in the fall with two other basic courses and the pre cal was easy I got a c because of laziness and programming fundamentals was easy easy I got a A. In my class we’re learning c++. This semester I’m taking programming fundamentals 2 and calculus 1. Calculus 1 Is tough and I’m trying my literal hardest but I’m passing so far. I need better practice habits that is all. Other than that I’m fine however in that class, just need to practice daily. In programming fundamentals 2 I’ve been doing good as well just learning about classes. Overall im doing it. That’s what matters. If you wanna do it then you should as well. I said it then and say it now. Never had a passion for math or been good at it but that’s not stopping me no cap.

Sergio Romo calculus?

Gary Nico yeah! Still a little nervous but I’m pretty’s sure I’ll get it as long as I actually try

Hope you enjoy it! And don't do the same as I did when I first went to college. I was always good at math throughout school, but when I got to college I struggled because that's when I realized I actually had to study. Everything up until that point just came naturally/easily.

@@fknight I know this is old video and don't know if you'll comment. I'm from UK but I'm curious as to why you think ppl need to learn calc for computer science ? Discrete math which is extremely important doesn't require any calculus and can be taught without it. I understand some professors ask for calc as proof of 'mathematical maturity'. But calc is more for physical sciences as its used to describe motion. Outside of certain niches it's not needed and ppl can crack on with linear algebra then discrete math.

@@fes51 Discrete math is like the best math I have learned that is applicable to C.S. and Linear Algebra is decent as well. Calc is just to weed people out.

@Kian Naicker absolutely possible to achieve straight As in calculus, and for me, mostly B+s for algebra in university-level mathematics courses. This only applied to mathematics courses to be clear. I enjoyed programming and was implementing interpreters as personal projects by the end of first year. I realized I should have been studying towards a mathematics degree instead of computer science. I dropped out of university after third year and started my career as a systems analyst.

This motivated me !! I’m looking to switch to cs because of how awesome it sounds but afraid of the math cause I barely remember algebra, but I’m willing to put in the work. How has it been going for you ?

@@bryanterrazas9440 any updates on ur end? I’m curious cause I’m not the best at math either.

this is so true, i was really bad at math and now i've been restudying it as an adult and it's so much more fun somehow but what i like the most about it it's how im actually thinking better in my everyday decision, simple things like what route to take

I think the secret is having tutors available to turn to when you get stuck. Not ask them to do problems for you, but truly get as far as you can then ask for a little help. Hopefully your school has a great tutoring center, if not find a personal tutor. I have a math tutor who has a masters in math and let me tell you that not only can he do anything related to math (he can spit out an inductive proof in his sleep), but modern mathematicians are also really computer scientists! In other words, other than the actual syntax of writing code, he knows everything related to creating an algorithm that gets something done. Get a tutor!

Same

r/redditmoment

i’m in high school as a sophomore and i really want to study computer science for college but i suck at math. how did it go for you?

@@KzoJohnny *Tl;dr* I'm doing fine and it's going smooth! And since you're a sophomore you still have lots of time to think about what you want to do and what you want to learn. Read up on CS topics and try to learn a programming language while you're in school. Try really hard to understand algebra to the best of your ability. It'll really make things easier in the rest of the math courses you take. You know it's crazy how I forgot about this comment. But I'm really glad you asked. I'd love to tell you my experiences so far but I fear it might be a mouthful so I apologize but it's been a LONG journey for me this past three years. Lemme just say that I didn't take my own advice during my senior year of hs and continued neglecting my math studies. I still passed with an A in statistics but again, I didn't really understand the material; I just learned it to pass the exam and forget about it all the day after. I regret this ALOT but part of this was because my parents forced me into pursuing a Nursing degree in college. I was set for Computer Science, but my mom pulled a 360 degree turn on me and told me if I don't do nursing she's not helping me pay for college and she'll kick me out of the house...wow, thanks mom. I did two years of general ed classes and prerequisite nursing classes in college and I HATED it. I was depressed tbh, never left my room, never left my bed. My mom took notice and finally allowed me to pursue what I wanted to: computer science. I switched my majors just a few months ago. And right now I'm taking a year long leave of absence (a "break" from my college studies with permission from my school) in order to prepare for the cs degree. My message to you out of this: major in what you love cuz you'll hate every second of your studies if you don't. Let me tell you, not a single day has passed where I haven't been learning something new. There's so much to learn and it's very rewarding. I began keeping track of everything math/cs related I learned/did every single day and have been doing so since October of last year. I started with researching the topics of math I needed for cs and that included Algebra, Linear Algebra, Geometry/Trignometry, Discrete Math, and Calculus. I've gone through a text book on pre-algebra, and discrete mathematics so far and have bought courses on Udemy for Algebra, Trig, and Calc. On the side I'm taking a Udemy course on Python and Web dev (100 Days of Code by Angela Yu) and a C# game developer course. I'll be taking CS50x by Harvard on Edx afterwards. So right now, it's smooth sailing but a lot of work but again it's very rewarding work and if you really are passionate you'll be fine. You said you were a sophomore so you have a lot of time. I REALLY REGRET not spending more time in high school learning how to program or just understanding Mathematics. Don't make my mistake. DONT WAIT till you're a senior in hs or about to enter college. Just pick a course online or here on RU-vid and stick with it. Ik your busy with schoolwork but try to put in a few hours a week. It'll be worth it. You won't have to take a year off like me just to learn the basics. Also, don't get into this mindset where you think "maybe I should read this basic introductory book about programming or this basic book about math first before really delving into the topic" they don't work. You end up reading those books and forgetting stuff afterwards. You have to DO the problems and code yourself to learn. That's why I'm taking these online courses where they give you problems to solve while also teaching you. Just my preference, but try looking up topics on Udemy and wait for a sale. The prices there are like $150 a course but when they're on sale they're only about $15. The python course I'm taking has the same amount of information that a $20,000 bootcamp offers but for only $15. It's insane. Here's some things to get started on (in order of where you should start): 1. Research and think about where you want to work. CS isn't a job; For most people, you don't get a CS degree and become a computer scientist. Jobs in the market nowadays can be a Data Scientist, Machine Learning Engineer, Artificial Intelligence Researcher, Software Engineer, Systems Engineer, Game Programmer, etc. 2. Learn ONE programming language. A high level programming language like Python, C#, Javascript, etc. 3. Then Learn a low level programming language like C or C++. 4. (do it alongside learning how to program if you can) Learn some math by yourself. Math in high school can suck because your teachers might suck at teaching or just the feeling of being forced to learn what you don't want to. I found it easier when I was learning for myself and not for some stupid letter grade. Try Discrete Math. It teaches you that math isn't just some numbers. It's really a language. Pre-Algebra beforehand if you REALLY need a refresher. and work your way up from there. 5. Research these topics (these make up the core of CS and are considered "the hardest" parts of the degree: Data Structures and Algorithms Operating Systems Automata Theory Calculus Anyways, sorry for such a long post. Hope it helps out.

@@Messi-rw9ng Hey thanks for taking out so much of your time and typing such a long post. It really helped me out and I'm sure it is helping out a lot of other people too!

You too!!

If you're determined, then the only thing that can stop you is you. If you're badass enough to be a marine, I'm sure you'll be just fine. Thank you for your service!

Did you get the cs degree?

how did it go?

How was it?

I'm here for you, you are not only talking to Forrest here.

Hey darell don’t worry man I was like you, I couldn’t talk in front of my class or people that I didn’t know and I tried to look for help because there is always a way to beat that fear. I first started to talk to close friends and family. And by the time I was talking a little bit more to unknown people, and when I had a presentation I just prepared for it very good and right now I dont give a shit if someone tell me something o laugh because that’s normal. Every body makes mistakes and maybe talk to people is not you strength but is something we learn by the time, don’t worry 😉 if programming is your dream Bro don’t give up, give your bestttt!!!

When the weekend comes up go out and destress. Do something local that you did at home and chill. Talk to a friend my first week of college is coming up and that’s how I was told to deal with the stress feeling.

Never give up Darell, go for your dreams!

Just know you have everyone hear to lean on. It's heartwarming to know you're comfortable enough to express yourself and how everyone has been so kind and helpful in the comments. I failed multiple classes in college, to be completely honest. As for presentations, I would always get nervous. I even got nervous for when the teacher would say "alright let's go around the room and introduce ourselves." I didn't like that too much haha but I think I was just too stubborn to let my nerves overtake me. I did my best to just deal with it, and I always made sure I prepared. I would rehearse what I wanted to say for the presentation out loud in my room, or while walking, or just in my head. Generally, I'd do all three to be as prepared as possible. I don't really like talking in front of a class of people, but I do enjoy talking to many people. Just make sure you sound confident in your words. And don't hesitate to continue this line of communication. I'll be here.

Great advice! And good for you for putting in the work.

I'm a junior in high school and wanting to be an ethical hacker/ software engineer. Rn I'm taking geometry and it is a little hard but u use algebra all the time. All last year I made the honor roll and I did good at algebra 1 accept for one lesson and that was some graph lesson idk which one it was.

@@r3dcl0udzz20 Make sure your trignometry/precalculus knowledge + algebra skills are TOP notch. They are incredibly important in the math you'll be taking. Literally having STRONG algebra and trig skills made calc a breeze. They're like your tool set. Having a good toolset will make it easier to build something (higher level math)

@@MonsterhunterFTWWTF thanks man, but yea I agree; I'm just wanting to study cyber security and really there's not that much math envolved, just some algebra and discrete math. But yea, there's free courses on Khan Academy which I will take advantage of.

@@r3dcl0udzz20 doesn't ethical hacking require a understanding of cryptography?

Quick mafs

Every day man's on the block

@@isaacvaz9819 smoke trees

@@firstname1317 see your girl in the park, that girl was a uckus

Kinda what im going through rn. Im almost 21 and im ready to transfer out of my community college after 3 years. I just wanna start my career already. Im tired of being overworked and underpaid, but idk if im just leaning toward cs for the money ☹️

Just added it to the list!

Hey mate how is your course going? i'm about to start a cs degree. Feeling the same way you were writing this comment. Hope your degree is going well.

If this is what you really want, then move forward. I've failed classes before but kept moving forward.

How’s it going?

@@hlokomani I have done top of the class in foundation year and going really well in first year :) got 92% on my first game development assignment :D

@@holowichigo1 well done man! I’m starting CS too this year

@@hlokomani Awesome mate :) Have fun and good luck to you :)

Oops, I forgot! It's in the description now.

Oh god I'm a incoming freshman at UCSC majoring In computer science 😭 let's hope it's not too bad

I’m not sure how things work in NZ, but I don’t think it will be significant at all. You got it.

You could, but the IT program probably won't include many programming courses. IT degrees are generally if you're wanting to work on the IT side of technology, like working on servers, networks, PC. You're not really going to be programming in these kinds of jobs. The closest may be scripting in something like BASH or PowerShell.

Damn, what school did you go to, Godel Escher Bach?

Same haha and no, but a Computer Engineering minor, yes.

Good luck!

How was Calc 1 ?

Tech Dragon it started hard but got easier along the way. Once you did something the hard way theres almost always a shortcut that can be used. It sounds like out of calcs 1 to 3, Calc 2 is the hardest and 3 is the easiest.

ForrestKnight Thank ya!

Good luck with that!

My advice is what I stated in this video. You'll just have to work harder to understand math, but make sure you actually understand the material.

ForrestKnight i shouldve been more specific. i was looking for more of a starting point. i took a look at mits math for cs and was completely lost. in school ill be taking "college algebra" --whatever the hell that is. is there something like codeacademy (that isnt khanacademy) where you can brush up on your high school math?

@@sam.0021 yes u can learn coding on code ademy but also on Khan Academy's RU-vid channel they have some computer science math and other math u can look at

Not too sure of the curriculum in that exact course, but see if you can find what book they actually use for the course and go from there.

And I'm also scared that he will not meet up until this semester end.

:O

It can't get worse than Calculus ...

I mean..... I didn't struggle with either of them so it's supposed to get hard now?

matrix algebra fml

Wait till you get to analysis I, analysis II, modern algebra, topology, differential geometry, Theory of PDE, functional analysis

Math helps you excel at your job.

For beginners precalc. You could actually start discrete math with just basic algebra whereas precalc is a hodge podge of algebra 2 geometry and trig

Much appreciated! I checked out your first video and I like your honesty and openness. It makes things very relatable. Good luck on your degree and your channel! PS - The quality wasn't bad at all. I'd just recommend recording in a horizontal format.