XPost: soc.college.admissions, misc.education, sci.math   
      
   At 24 Oct 2004 08:38:10 -0700, f000000000000bar@netscape.net   
   (f000000000000bar) wrote:   
   >drstrangeglove99@yahoo.com (Tron99) wrote in message news:<5751   
   31e.0410231246.   
   >4e333f65@posting.google.com>...   
   >*snip*   
   >> Most students are not mathematically mature enough to excel in school.   
   >>  This is not a problem of competition but one where some students have   
   >> been exposed to and/or thought about math sorts of problems more than   
   >> others.  My suggestion is that to fully take advantage of the college   
   >> environment that the person take off from school for a few years,   
   >> living at his parent's house, working on and studying about math sorts   
   >> of problems.  There simply is not enough time to go into depth in math   
   >> problems if he is not highly mathematically mature BEFORE he goes to   
   >> college.  The ones who are mathematically mature, the subject level is   
   >> very low level, and they don't spend much time on it.  Rather, they   
   >> spend their time researching math.   
   >   
   >Interesting... do you know any one who has tried this?   
   >   
   >Some people obtain such backgrounds: (1) a lot of math exposure during   
   >high school beyond their regular courses (e.g. self-learning, math   
   >competitions, college courses), and/or (2) attendance at a   
   >math/science high school where they are in this kind of environment   
   >for four years.   
   >   
   >It's kind of like the difference between a virtuoso performer deciding   
   >to study music at the college level and someone who is still at a   
   >beginning/intermediate level who is expecting college to bring them up   
   >to the virtuoso level.  The former would likely get a lot more out of   
   >college.   
   >   
   >Of course, how do you explain for pure talent?  Surely there are   
   >talented youngsters without a particularly strong exposure to math who   
   >develop an interest in the subject *during college* and decide to   
   >major in it.  Lots of math majors used to be EE or CS majors, but   
   >others come from just about any type of background.  Many of these   
   >people do quite well upon choosing math as a major, despite having a   
   >supposed lack of mathematical maturity.   
      
   It's possible that such students are engaged in pursuits that a   
   mathematician might recognize as mathematical, even though the students   
   aren't studying math formally.  Or perhaps the students had a good basis   
   in the fundamentals of math at an early age.  Or even that they are   
   able to thrive in the college/university enviroment, not being held   
   back by poor teachers, distractions to learning, etc.   
      
   --gregbo   
   gds at best dot com   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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