<p>I just started Cal 1 and I’m noticing that I’m learning a lot of non math things while doing math problems. People change their regular behavior while doing mathematics. They step out of their comfort zone, they use problem solving skills, they understand limits. My observations are endless, but one thing is for sure: There is more than just calculus going on in that room.</p>
<p>Stepping out of comfort zones
The professor starts a problem on the board, but stops in the middle waiting for someone to give the next step. There is silence. People look around. The professor is waiting. Someone gives an answer. The teacher says “I see how you would arrive at that, but I don’t think it’s going to work.” Then the strangest thing happens; 3 or 4 different people give an answer. I’ve never seen anything like this. Usually people aren’t so open to giving answers in my experience. But this was different. Everyone wanted a piece of the action. We were working against the problem. There was no awkwardness, no nervousness, no embarrassment; just a mission to conquer the equation. It was an amazing experience.</p>
<p>Using Problem Solving Skills
This is another crazy thing going on in that classroom. People are willing to try anything to solve a problem. This is the type of attitude or mentality that we should all have in every aspect of life. I could see it in their eyes, the gears were turning, anything plausible would be tested. It’s the same problem solving strategies we used as children, we were willing to try anything that might work, and even a couple things we knew wouldn’t, just to see what happened. This mentality allows us to explore more aspects of problem solving than our regular methods. We just need to learn to harness these skills outside of math class.</p>
<p>Limits (Limiting ourselves)
Comparing limits to life is a little more abstract then the other things I’ve talked about, but no less relevant. Consider, if you will, that we are all functions; any type of function; I’ll be y=x for example. What limits are looking for is the y value, as x approaches a given number, for now let’s say 100 (for giving 100%). Now if I plug 100 into my function of y=x I will get a y value of 100. Simple enough, huh?</p>
<p>The problem with limits in real life is that since we chose our own ‘function,’ even when giving 100% we only get a certain number of output. (for y=x its 100; for y=x/5 its 20, etc). Whichever ‘function’ we defined ourselves as has limited our maximum output. We chose what we thought we were capable of, and unless reassessed we will never achieve higher (you rarely hear of someone doing more than they were capable of doing , right?).</p>
<p>Once you realize that you are the greatest limiter of your own ability you will be able to better gauge your skills and reassess your output. You’ll never make $1,000,000 if you are only seriously aiming for $1,000. There aren’t any accidental billionaires. These things don’t happen by mistake. You must shoot for the stars. If you can seriously aim high into the sky you might never achieve that level of greatness, but even if you fall short you’ll be standing much higher than average.</p>
<p>Want to be great? Fantastic? Amazing? Learn about people who made it, what they did, how they did it, what their philosophies were. Mimic greatness long enough and it might rub off.</p>
<p>At least that’s what I’m hoping…</p>