Reddit mentions of How to Study as a Mathematics Major

How to Study as a Mathematics Major by Lara Alcock
https://www.amazon.com/How-Study-as-Mathematics-Major/dp/0199661316/ref=nodl_

This book was given to me my senior year of high school and it secured me as a mathematics major. I think it gives an excellent introduction to university mathematics and advice on how to think when approaching problems. Really I think this is exactly what you’re looking for.

Your professors really aren't expecting you to reinvent groundbreaking proofs from scratch, given some basic axioms. It's much more likely that you're missing "hints" - exercises often build off previous proofs done in class, for example.

I appreciated Laura Alcock's writings on this, in helping me overcome my fear of studying math in general:
https://www.amazon.com/How-Study-as-Mathematics-Major/dp/0199661316/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0198723539/ <-- even though you aren't in analysis, the way she writes about approaching math classes in general is helpful

If you really do struggle with the mechanics of proof, you should take some time to harden that skill on its own. I found this to be filled with helpful and gentle exercises, with answers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0989472108/ref=rdr_ext_sb_ti_sims_2

And one more idea is that it can't hurt for you to supplement what you're learning in class with a more intuitive, chatty text. This book is filled with colorful examples that may help your leap into more abstract territory: https://www.amazon.com/Visual-Group-Theory-Problem-Book/dp/088385757X

I'm also planning on doing a Masters in Math or CS. What do you plan to write for your masters?


> Anybody else feels like this?

I think its natural to doubt yourself, sometimes. I dont know what else to say, but just try to be objective and emotionless about it (when you get stuck in a problem).

The following books that helped me improve my math problem solving skills when I was an undergrad:

• How to Think Like a Mathematician: A Companion to Undergraduate Mathematics
  
  
• Thinking Mathematically
  
  
• How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method
  
  
• The Art of Problem Posing
  
  
• How to Study as a Mathematics Major
  
  
• How to Read and Do Proofs: An Introduction to Mathematical Thought Processes

Read this book.

I recommend this book, https://www.amazon.com/How-Study-as-Mathematics-Major/dp/0199661316. Cambridge University has a well-known math program, and they have made several resources on how to study math public. Ideally, you'd want to get various ideas and test them out.

Like Ptolemy you've probably heard there aren't any secret study hacks or Royal road, see how much help your department advisor is, poke around mathSE soft-question tags and focus on what you can learn in the next hour: https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/self-learning?sort=votes&pageSize=15

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books on how to study math: Kevin Houston, Keith Devlin etc https://www.amazon.com/How-Study-as-Mathematics-Major/dp/0199661316/ and https://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/studyskills/studyskills.pdf

Maybe this helps http://calnewport.com/blog/2012/10/26/mastering-linear-algebra-in-10-days-astounding-experiments-in-ultra-learning/

Read this book: http://www.amazon.com/How-Study-as-Mathematics-Major/dp/0199661316/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

And work through this book in its entirety: http://www.amazon.com/How-Prove-Structured-Approach-2nd/dp/0521675995/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463201632&sr=1-1

Lara Alcock How to think about Analysis, How to study as a Mathematics Major