First off, I have decided I should be writing not only about books I read but also about articles I read. If I am going to spend time reading something, I damn well better actually learn something useful from it. Organizing my thoughts afterwards into key points or reactions cements the learning.

How I Rewired my Brain to Become Fluent in Math talks about how a young woman who studied language rewired her brain to learn mathematics. Her main argument is that rather than focusing on understanding of a concept, one must be fluent. Fluency, she claims, is achieved through repeated and varied interaction with the subject matter. In the case of mathematics, for example, you must integrate different functions, over and over again, before you are truly proficient. When learning a language, you must use a word in a variety of situations, over and over again, before that word becomes natural to use.

I agree with the author. Many times we discount rote memorization, but repitition and variety are critical to learning. It must be combined with a deep, fundamental understanding. I especially connected with the author’s example of a student, who upon failing an exam, exclaimed, “But I understood and followed everything in the lectures!”. Unless you repeatedly apply what you think you understand, you will never truly learn it.