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so, because i hadn't taken a math class since 2002, when i started a new major last semester i was required to take a class called math 098, which is essentially 12 years of high school math in one semester. it started at decimals/fractions/percents and is now at systems of equations and by the end of the semester we'll be at trigonometry/pre-calc.

anyway, i've always been terribly afraid of math. i got consistently bad grades in it as a kid and it was just sort of understood that i could and would never be able to do it. the thing is, this math class totally changed that. i now love math, it's my favorite class, and i'm interested in pursuing it as far as i can. i honestly enjoy working through problems (though i often get them wrong) but i'm just flat out not good at it. i'm slower than everyone else, i have a harder time paying attention to tiny details that vastly affect the final answer (combining like terms always gets me). i guess my question is, even though my brain is obviously not math oriented, can i still pursue it if i love it?

tl;dr: i'm terrible at math, but i absolutely adore it. is this just a side effect of suddenly learning relatively easy math and feeling accomplished, or should i try to pursue it? i need to learn some pretty advanced math for the MCAT, but that's not my motivator.

thoughts about math or math oriented brains? looking for some discussion here.

Math

When you get it you go "YEAH"
When you don't get you go "FUCK THIS"

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You asked this question before and the answer is the same now as then.

The answer is the same as with benchpress. Keep reducing the difficulty until you find a level that is challenging but doable.

-You need to focus on the fundamentals - learn the times tables.

-It is very important to develop the ability to write out organized and legible mathematical proofs. Having good proofs will make your math go much more slowly but it will remove the tendency you described to somehow get the wrong answer.

-Avoid using a calculator. This is so because the propensity to "get the wrong answer" you noted is also in part due to a lack of "math instinct", something that is an acquired trait. Using a calculator disassociates you from the mathematical process and allows errors to creep into your proofs that would have been caught.

-As petty as it sounds, use a mechanical pencil, not an organic pencil or pen or keyboard. Using a mech pencil will allow you to write more neatly and allow you to read through your own proofs more easily and erase errors without smudging or scratching.

-Take it very slowly. Don't advance to the next level until you fully understand your current level of progress.

-Consider taking a chemistry course, so you have to do real-world math problems - you may find this makes the subject more cogent for you.

Fwiw everything I described are things I learned the very hard way from experience and failure (especially the bit about having good proofs). I'm not proficient even now, but I have learned what does and doesn't work.

Aestu of Bleeding Hollow...

Nihilism is a copout.