Happy new year!
Having now spent the last two years(ish), blogging my path through maths and physics study; It is sometimes too easy to loose a little perspective. The daily or weekly difficulties and bumps in the road, can make you think that you are not learning anything.
But, it only takes a glance back for me, through posts from 2011, to help me realize that I could not have hoped for a better start to my journey into academia.
There have been kinks in the journey. For starters, I based this experiment on some slightly shaky assumptions. For example, who could have known that my interests and skills appear better suited to pure mathematics, rather than physics or applied maths?
It certainly took me by surprise, and I did have a period, in December, where I thought that I had cocked up my study path, messed up my plans and panicked about not being able to complete studies in quantum mechanics and electromagnetism, next year. However, it often takes an outsider to make you realise, with fresh eyes, exactly how far you have come.
It was on speaking with a good friend, that I found myself maudlin about how I couldn't stomach two years of applied maths, and pined for some pure maths modules; but had left it too late to get on the courses for 2013.
At that point, my friend halted my diatribe; "let me get this straight. You just scored distinction level marks on two university applied and pure maths course, after studying just a GCSE in maths, and you are f*****g moaning about it?"
Ah, point made!
You see, I remember a cold February night this year, when I was lying in bed, worrying and almost in tears, as I couldn't understand any of the M208 material on equivalence relations. Yet, after 9 months, it is now second nature. It just goes to show, that Perspective is everything; time is a wonderful teacher; and I am now reinvigorated and excited about 2013.
A very happy new year to you all.
Changes of direction are always likely as you find out more about the subject and what it can involve. You haven't really explained what it was that has given such an antipathy to Applied maths or physics especially as you seemed so enthusiastic at the start. Anyway I take it it is going to be M381 and M337 come October and then possibly the OU Msc after that concentrating on the Pure strand. I shall be joining you for M381 in October not so sure about the MSc given other commitments
ReplyDeleteHappy New year anyway
Best wishes Chris