Originally Posted by
shadowofwind
If it brings attention or sells a book, someone somewhere has claimed it. But if you had a living, breathing Einstein sitting in front of you and you mind melded with him, I doubt it would help very much. You'd get an experience of what it feels like to be him, and something of his outlook, but it wouldn't be the next step for you.
Most people have trouble learning math just from a book. For me the main problem is motivation. Learning math in terms of definitions is also hard. People who have math PhD's have learned to think in terms of definitions, theorems, and proofs, so then they often try to teach that way because it is what they know. But most people don't think that way, and it is not the right approach if you just want to do algebra or pre-algebra. Of course you need to understand some definitions, but it is important that the definitions make intuitive sense to you, or at least enough sense that you can work problems correctly and build your intuition through repetition.
If you have the time and money, it might be helpful to take a math course. These are offered at times that fit around your work schedule, and are usually taught by adjuncts who have a relatively good idea of how to teach people like you. There are also always department tutoring centers where other adjuncts and students are available to help, and sometimes they're better than whoever your teacher is. Taking a course doesn't guarantee success, but might be the best way.
I think this is a hard problem. I think that college can make sense if it is part of a definite plan to become qualified for some kind of job that fits who you are. For example, I had a friend who got a communications degree as part of transitioning from waitressing to a doctor's office receptionist job. But college can cost a lot of money, can be very difficult if you are working full time or have kids, and doesn't always lead to a better job. It really depends on who you are and what you are naturally interested in and good at. Even in my friend's case, and even though the career change was positive for her, I guess she probably could have increased her income more just from moving to working dinners instead of lunches. Many people always have career trouble because their personalities don't fit the modern job market very well. I'd guess most people who post a lot on this site are like that. There are a lot of different kinds of careers, I guess I can't say anything in general without knowing what kind of degree you'd try to get and why.
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