No matter how good you are at math, there’s always a level beyond your skillset that will humble you.

I found that out firsthand during the spring of my freshman year of college in Calculus III. In high school, I was among the best math students in the building. I did all of my assignments, but didn’t need to study much, and never really felt stressed by math. I took that same approach in college, and received a D on my first test.

I had a meeting with my college advisor, and told him about that first test. He looked me in the eyes and said “You’re not trying hard enough, and if you don’t change, math is just going to keep slapping you in the face. Figure it out, or change your major.” Those less-than-kind words woke something up inside of me though. I did indeed figure it out, but only through substantially changing my approach, and working on a level I never had before. 

Now, my math ability and accomplishments are certainly better than the average person. Yet at the same time, there are students in this building who take Calc III as sophomores or juniors in high school, and do it successfully without any of the angst or struggle that I experienced myself. In contrast, there are also a huge number of students who are challenged by Algebra 1, and every class after that. The cool thing about math is that the feeling of being challenged is universal if you find the right math class. Don’t worry about the label of that class – if you find it difficult, then it is making you stronger.  Math helps us develop grit and resiliency, and changes the way our minds operate. This is something that every person should experience.