Chuyi Ke

Professor Zugnoni

UWP1

HatingorLovingMath

Iturnonthelampandopenthenotebook.Then,Ibegintowritemathhomeworkformy

AdvancedCalculusclass.Suddenly,Istopsolvingcalculationsandfrownbecauseofsometough

problems.TheseproblemsareaboutproofswhichIhaveneverdonebefore.Ihavetothinkabout

themforawhile.Itrytoprovethestatementbyusingthecontradictionandthecomposition

methods.However,Ifailout.Ifeelanxiousandstressedout.Then,Ireviewthelectureslices,

textbooksandgoogletheproblemtogetsomeclues.Afterseveralhoursandusingdozensof

draftpaper,Ifinallyfinishtheseproblems.Stretchingout,Ifeelsatisfiedandproudofmyself

becauseIindependentlyfinishedtoughmathproblems.ThisiswhyIlovelearningaboutmath

becausemathbringsmesatisfactionandhappinessofsolvingchallenges.

(Studentsareaskedtodomultiplicationonthechalkboardandhavenoideashowtosolvethem.)
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 However,inthepast,IcouldntimaginethatIwouldbeimmersedinmathoneday.

Once,mymathteacherinelementaryschoolaskedmeandotherclassmatestosolvesimple

multiplicationproblemsontheboard.Onlytwostudentsincludingmedidwrong.Myteacher

wassoangryandshouted:Whydontyouknowhowtosolvesuchsimplemultiplications.

Dontyoulistentome?Myfaceblushedimmediately,andIfeltshamefulbecauseIlookedlike

afoolandeveryonewaslaughingatme.Myteacherrequiredmetogotoherofficeafterschool

topracticeproblemsandreciteformulasunderhersupervision.Itwasreallyamiserableand

terribleexperienceforme.Afterthat,Iresistedtostudymathandwasafraidoftakingmath

classes.ThishorriblefeelinghadhauntedmeuntilIwenttojuniorschool.

(Awomanisoverwhelmedandisdrivencrazilybycomplexmathproblems.)
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 Injuniorschool,Istillhatedmathbecausemymathteacherdiscouragedme.Inorderto

improvetheclasssaveragescore,mymathteachergaveuspiles ofhomeworktopractice,

whichtookmefourhourstofinish.Once,IfellasleepintheclassbecauseIstayeduptofinish

homeworkthedaybefore.Mymathteachercaughtmeandcriticizedmeinfrontoftheclassthat

Iwasabadexample,andIwouldhaveanawfulandfailedfuture.Iwassoangryandtriedto

controlmytremblingshouldersandtearsrunningout.

DeterminedtoprovethatIwasntabadexampleandIwouldhaveawonderfulfuture,I

startedtoworkhardbydoingextramathexercises.IlearnedlessonsasIlookedbackatmy

mistakes on exams and homework. I learned that I needed to spend more time on reading

problemsandcheckmycalculationsandresults.Sometimes,itwasdisappointing.Ithought

about problems for a long time, but I didnt find solutions to problems; sometimes, it was

upsettingIstillreceivedbadscoresonquizzeseventhoughIputalotofeffort.Eventhough

thesefrustrationsmademecryandwanttogiveup,Istronglybelievedmyhardworkwouldbe

paidinreturn,andIcontinuedtopractice.Godhelpsthosewhohelpthemselves.

Themidtermwascoming,andIdidalotofmathexercisesandwenttoofficehours

frequentlytoaskquestionstoprepareforit.Finally,Iachievedmygoalonthemidterm;my

mathscorewasinthetoptenoftheclass.WhenIknewmymathscores,Iwassoexcitedand

satisfied.Mymathteacherpraisedmyimprovementandapologizedtomeforhismeanwords.

Althoughtheprocessofimprovingmymathwaspainful,theresultwassatisfyingbecausemy
effortwasreturned,andIpersistedinpracticingratherthangivinguphalfway.Thisiswhynow

whenIfacecurrentdifficulties,Icontinuallypersistinsolvingthemwithoutgivingup.

(Awomanthinksaboutmathproblemscarefullyandtriestowritedowncalculationsonthe
chalkboard.)
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Ihadtocontinuetostudymathinhighschool.Nevertheless,myattitudechangedfrom

hatingtolovingmathbecauseofmyhighschoolmathteachersinspiration.Inhighschool,my

mathteacher,akindandyoungwoman,trieddifferentpedagogylikeshowingusmathmovies

andtellingsomemathjokestodevelopourinterests.Moreimportantly,shepickedsometypical

andbasicquestions forustohelpus toprepareforexams andalsogaveus somedifficult

problemsthatrequiredcriticalthinking.Studentscouldchoosetodothem,andifstudentscould

solvethemandusedifferentmethods,shewouldrewardstudentslikeexemptingthemfrom

writinghomework.
 Manystudentsincludingmeweremotivatedandluredbytheteacherspolicy.During

thatperiod,Itookadvantageofmostclassbreaksandofficehourstodiscusswithpeersandask

theteacherquestionstogetsomehints.Iwastotallyimmersedinthinkingaboutquestionsand

sharingideas.Ihadtoreadthetextbookandreviewlecturenotestounderstandgivenproblems.

Atfirst,eventhoughIstaredatthequestionsforalongtime,Ihadnoideatoapproachthem.

Afterpracticingfortwomonths,IfeltthatIgraduallyfamiliarizedwithmath,whichwas

strangeformeatfirst,butaftergettingagaspofunderstanding,Ifoundsomecommonpatterns.

Icouldnotonlyfinishhomeworkquickly,butalsocouldthinkaboutmorethantwosolutionsto

problems.

MymathteacheronceaskedmehowdidIfeelforthesedifficultproblems.Ithought

about for few seconds and answered, When I finished all problems, I felt successful and

satisfied.Mymathteachersmiledandreplied,Iamsohappytoseeyoutoimprove.IthinkI

amasuccessfulteachertoletmystudentsenjoymath.Undermyteachersencouragementand

mysuccess,Ifoundthatmathisactuallycharming,mademeaddictedtoit,andevencuriousto

knowmoreaboutit.

(ThisisaMathDepartmentbuilding,andstudentscanaskmathquestionsanddiscussmath
problemsandresearchhere.)
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(TheboyholdsaboardwithIloveMathwords.)
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Now,IamasecondyearstudentatUCDavis,majoringinAppliedMathematics.This

majorrequiresstudentsinterestedinmathtofurtherstudyadvancedmathindepth.Studentswill

learnAppliedLinearAlgebra,MathProgramming,andanalyzemathresearch,whichtheycan

applytoeconomics,engineering,andstatisticsfields.IaminterestedinthismajorbecauseI

thinkitspracticalandusefultofinancefieldinbachelordegreeandmyfuturecareersuchas

investmentandinsurance.

Iamalwayscuriousaboutadvancedmaththeoremsandstatements;Ienjoydiscussing

problemswithpeerswhohavedifferentperspectivesthanme.Forme,learningmathdoesnt

onlysuperficiallymeanthatIenjoysatisfactionandsuccessfromsolvingproblems.Moreover,it

helpsmetobecomeabraverandstrongerpersontoovercomechallengesbynevergivingupand

beinclinedtothinkaboutquestions.Specifically,inthepast,whenIscannedovermath

problemsandthinktheyweredifficult,Iwouldimmediatelygiveup.Iwasafraidtosolvethem,

andmyabilitywaslimited.Therefore,mymathabilitywasntimprovedbecauseIalways

escapedfromthem.Now,Iaminclinedtothinkabouttoughquestionsforawhileandtryto

solvethembyusingwhatIhavelearned.EventhoughatfirstIfailout,Icontinuewriting
calculationsandproofingonscratchpaperwithoutgivingupeasily.Sometimes,professorsalso

gaveussometoughquestionsonlectures.Ireallypayattentiontoprofessorsthoughtsandlogic.

Ialsolikeaskingprofessorsquestionslikehowdoyouproofconvergenceforsequenceswithout

givingaboundarypoint.Therefore,whenIsolvetoughproblems,Ialsoaskmyselfquestions

andthinkaboutthemindepth.Thus,whateverchallengesthatIface,Iwillstillpursueon

solvingthemandthinkingaboutquestions.ThatisanimportantlessonwhichIhavelearned

sinceIdeveloptheliteracyofmath.