Question: What made maths interesting for you and do you have any tips to get interested?

Cathal Cummins answered on 18 Nov 2013:

What made it interesting was the fact that I was learning not just about numbers, I was learning how to solve problems in general — it’s a way of thinking. I used to love fixing things like bikes and the same enjoyment I got from that I got when I solved maths problems in school. My advice is that we all have our own way of doing things and sometimes the way other people do a certain thing is not the way that we see it — don’t be afraid to try your own way of doing things, but always seek advice and be open to change how you do things. I wasn’t doing very well in maths in first year because my teacher said I had to do things his way but then I got a teacher who understood that my way was equally as good and let me do it my way — I became confident in my own way of doing things, and this carried over into all sorts of other things, which built my confidence in them too actually.

Tips: hmmmmm, see the maths problems as something that you should explore and see as a little challenge… don’t see them as something that you _must_ do but see them as little puzzles. The more you do the more you get into the mathematics mindset and eventually you _will_ master it!!! 🙂