Page 130 - A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science

COPING WITH LIFE’S TOUGHEST CHALLENGES USING MAGICAL MATH
MARINATION—MARY CHA’S STORY

“My father abandoned my family when I was three weeks old, and
my mother died when I was nine. As a result, I did terribly in middle
and high school, and while still a teenager, I left my adopted
parents’ house with $60 to my name.
“I am currently a 3.9 GPA biochemistry major, and I am working
toward my goal of going to medical school. I will apply next year.
“What does this have to do with math? Glad you asked!
“When I joined the army at age twenty-five, it was because my
life had become financially unmanageable. Joining the army was
the best decision of my life—although that’s not to say army life was easy. The most difficult
period was in Afghanistan. I was happy with my work, but I had little in common with my
coworkers. This often left me feeling alienated and alone, so I studied math in my spare time to
keep the ideas fresh in my mind.
“My military experience helped me develop good study habits. Not as in stare intently for hours,
but as in only got a few minutes here, gotta figure out what I can! Some issue or other was always
arising, which meant that I had to do my work in short bursts.
“That’s when I accidentally discovered ‘magical math marination’—the equivalent of diffuse-
mode processing. I’d be stuck on some problems—really stuck, with no clue about what was
going on. Then I’d get called out to respond to some explosion or another. While I was out leading
the team, or even just sitting quietly, waiting, the back of my mind was simultaneously musing
over math problems. I’d come back to my room later that night and everything would be solved!
“Another trick I’ve discovered is what I call active review. I’ll be straightening my hair or
showering, but I’m simultaneously reviewing in my head problems that I have already solved. This
allows me to keep problems in the forefront of my mind so I won’t forget them.
“My process for studying is as follows:
1. Do all the odd problems in a section (or at least enough of each ‘type’ to complete your
understanding).
2. Let the problems marinate.

3. Make sheets with all the important concepts and one example of each type of problem
you’d like to add to your toolbox.

4. Before an exam, be able to list everything on your sheets: the subjects, the types of
problems within the sections, and the techniques. You’d be surprised by what just
being able to list the sections and subjects will do for you, let alone the types of
problems and toolbox tricks. This type of verbal recall allows you to recognize types of
problems more quickly and have more confidence before you go into the exam.

“When I was younger, I thought that if I didn’t get something immediately, it meant I would never
be able to get it, or I wasn’t smart. That isn’t true at all, of course. Now I understand that it’s really
important to get started on something early, leaving time for it to digest. This leads to stress-free
understanding that makes learning a lot more enjoyable.”