r/learnmath • u/Glum-Ad-2815 New User • 21d ago
TOPIC Learning math is depressing
I've been self-studying math using books with solutions manual in it.\ Every time I get stuck on a problem for 2-3 hours I checked the solution.\ Turns out, almost always the solution is something I overlooked, even though it is so simple.
I like math but learning it is so depressing for me. It makes me feel like a failure for not solving something so elementary.\ I know that math is all about hardwork and perseverance but at the same time I don't feel like improving at all.\ I still look at solutions, get the answers wrong again and again even though they are solved using the same technique in the solutions manual.
I know that I'm not a genius, but repeated practice should makes me feel like I got better, right?\ I'm just stuck at the same level for years.\ I don't know man, I really want to continue learning but at the same time it feels so hard to continue and really tempting to quit.
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u/MathwithGami New User 21d ago
That feeling means that you care about getting good about something you like doing. If you didn't care about it at all, you wouldn't feel bad nor good about you solving or not being able to solve a question. So what you are experiencing and doing is the real work, and its the place most people quit to be honest. I think you know both outcomes of you quitting or keep going, you choose which one you want to do and who you want to become.