As some of you might know I am a molecular biologist specializing in Genetics. That part is all honky dory I even teach some of the freshmen at university. Then there is my doomsday. Mathematica and General Physics. These are two freshman courses I still have to pass. There is no way around them. This is my third go and last nonetheless and there is no way I can pass those. I just don't understand higher levels of Mathematics. :( Physics perhaps. But not Mathematics. I have to pass it or I am out. Pretty simple.

I passed the flight executive education a few years back but dropped it for this education and army service. I could go that way again but I don't know if I'll fit into a life where everyday is the same... almost the same. And it will take a few years to find out about that, and I am already 25 now. I am thinking of applying for Philosophy or something far far away from mathematics which I sadly have to pass.

But what to do! I am in a mental deadlock. I can't think straight and would welcome any insight or help. Are there any philosophy students here who can tell me a little personal experience with the education?

In short. I am panicking! :eek:

[This message has been edited by ArchAngel (edited May 31, 2002).]

Freshman mathematics? What are we talking about here that you find so difficult? I wouldn't have thought that a mandatory math class would be terribly difficult for a molecular biologist, but I'd have to say learning the math would likely help you with the physics...

In a way yes, BTA :)

We are using a blasted book called "Calculus"
By Robert A. Adams.
Learning (except me) things like;
Chain rules
Mean-value Theorem
Deriviates of Tigonometric systems
Transcendental Functions
trippel integration
Polar curves
And on an on and on like a never ending nightmare.

It is irritating me more and more that I can figure that out and that I have to, since my genetics studies go so well. It is tearing me apart.

/me goes of to kill him self. Not literally though. :sosad:

As I thought. Hmmm... Not knowing why these topics give you trouble, it would be difficult for me to give you any advice, but learning these things would definitely help you with the physics since Calculus is pervasive in that subject.

Mainly those topics are memorization of rules and algorithms. Perhaps you are just having difficuly with the language of mathematics. They can really pack a LOT of meaning into a small space, and it takes time to understand the full meaning of any generalized equation, but I would have thought similarly for molecular biology (not knowing much about it of course :) )

Hmm.. I've taken a calculus course from Robert Adam's book. In fact this year I was a TA (teaching assistant) for a calculus course using that book and a TA for a general physics course for physics majors. :)

First off, as you already know, panicking doesn't help one bit. It just makes it harder. All you need is to spare time to study. Get the math book (which is huge btw) in front of you, get a solutions manual or a friend, and start solving the problems (as I recall there are just types of questions, solve at least one or two questions of the same type in the end chapter problems). Seriously though, as I see it, that's all there is to it. As you go over the problems, you'll gain that general sense of how to aproach the problems, which method to use, and how to take care of the integrals, derivatives etc. And make note of the key topics in chapters if you like as that makes reviewing the topics much easier and faster.

The calculus will help you solve the physics problems but you'll need to understand the logic and physics behind the problems. Which may be an obstacle at first but you'll gain that insight to the problems and the physics behind them as you solve more.

This coming from someone as lasy as me :D Yet still, the very least I did was to just read the questions, then figure out a way to solve it in my head and then on to the next one. That is very fast and effective assuming of course, you know how to carry out the calculations.

Heh I'm sure you already are aware of all this stuff but hey, we all know you can easily do it don't we? ;)

BTA's dead-on Nobleman. The physics will be almost entirely predicated on the calculus (calculus having been created as a means to explain physical laws). But don't feel too bad! My first time through calculus, I very nearly bombed it. Not because I can't handle math, but because I cruised through all of my earlier math courses (back to Junior High!) without actually doing any work. When I hit the *big time* courses, I was floored because I didn't know a lot of the fundamentals that they were predicated on. I spend a few months reviewing the fundamentals of algebra, etc, and then took on calculus again - and aced it the second time.

I'm in no way a math wiz, but I can certainly offer morale support ;) What part of the calculus (and the physics) is it that gets you? Reading the problems, grapsing and applying the theory, understanding the algebra behind the calculus, memorizing algorithms?

I don't have a clue about what your talking about cause I'm only in gr. 6 but my cusion who is in Univertisey says that spark notes help him alot. You might want to check them out at www.sparknotes.com (http://www.sparknotes.com) . Hope it helps.

I completely understand how panicked you feel- I was afraid I wouldn't be able to finish my Masters' degree because I didn't have the calculus pre-requisite for many of the courses and it seemed impossible to learn it. But I did it! What worked for me, is that I got a book that promised to teach the essentials of calculus as simply as possible- and it really did that. It had lots of metaphors and examples and illustrations like a children's math book. Once I had got through it, it was so, SO much easier to teach myself the rest of the calculus I needed- my comfort level had gone up, which was probably the most important thing (very hard to learn while having a panic attack, isn't it?) and having a strong understanding of the basic stuff is of course the key to grasping the more complex ideas.

You probably need more advanced calculus knowledge than I did, so maybe this isn't helpful for you. On the other hand, if you would like the (paperback) book that helped me so much I will mail it to you. I would be thrilled if it helped someone else as much as it helped me. Just PM me your address.

ArchAngel, please do not panick. I have done some searching and found some sites for you. Most are on how to do calculus. Some one with more experince then me will probley know which of these is better. But from my limited knowege I have brought you these.

Ask Mr. Calculus (http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/6432/)


http://integrals.wolfram.com/

http://www.math.uakron.edu/~dpstory/e-calculus.html

http://www.jtaylor1142001.net/index.html

http://www.ma.iup.edu/projects/CalcDEMma/Summary.html

http://hmco.tdlc.com/

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~nmorris/math265H/project.html

Hi, Nobleman!

I will try to put in my two cents because I am defending my Masters Degree in Math in 16 days :) and planning to take on the PhD in Applied Mathematics.

1) Gnolyn is absolutely right - to be able to succeed in higher math you need to have strong foundations. So if you can find time, please review the High School math.

2) The biggest problem with your Math is that you don't like it (because you can't do it). But truly you don't like it because you don't understand it. The more you get into the math, the more you will like it and therefore you will be more willing to learn it and thus you will do better. What I said is a bit messy, but here's the main idea: I don't know s**t about Molecular Biology, and I don't like it at all. But I am sure that if I will deliberately start to learn it, I will start enjoying it at some point. So my advice would be - get into math, get into learning it, and eventauly you will know it well and find it to be one of the most exciting and brilliant subjects in the world (as I do :D).

3) Physics is a lot easier when you know the math.

4) And last but not least: Calculus is not as applied to real life as Chemistry, Biology, or Physics. It requires a big deal if imagination and abstract thinking. When you look in your Adams' book, don't stare blindly at the formulas or try to learn them by heart - try to look through and above them and see what they are representing. When you will see the logic and the idea behind, it will become much easier to learn.
Btw. the same advice goes for Physics.

Hope that helped.


[This message has been edited by Modjahed (edited June 01, 2002).]

Thx A lot people. I have physics exam tomorrow, so I am busy absorbing all your knowledge and links.

Sprite I might PM you later about that book. Great :)

Good luck! :1eye:

(not fair:almostmad: Mathematics is precisely the reason I went in for biology in the first place...)

I know that I'm going to have to learn all this some time in the soon.

Good luck ArchAngle!

'May the Force be with you!' as Big B would say.

hehe - vuklodak - avoiding maths is the reason I got into biology :) I haven't had to do any for three years! :):)

:book: :mad: :toofar: :help: :sosad: :wave: :angel:

*insert heavy drinking*

[This message has been edited by ArchAngel (edited June 03, 2002).]