How to Get Extremely Good at Mathematics

Summary

The speaker shares what he considers the best math advice he ever received: “Just do a little bit every day.” The advice came from a brilliant, now-deceased mathematics professor who had won the Putnam competition twice. The professor gave it to a student who asked how to learn linear algebra.

The speaker admits he struggled to follow the advice. He would study for many hours a day over several consecutive days, then burn out and feel he needed a break. He compares this to exercising intensely for days in a row: sustained effort without enough balance can leave you exhausted. His central lesson is that steady practice is more sustainable than relying only on occasional marathon study sessions.

Suggested approach

• Keep your usual study schedule if it works for you. Daily practice is an addition, not necessarily a replacement.
• Choose a regular time for a small amount of math. The speaker prefers mornings, but any suitable time is fine.
• Start with a manageable amount, such as 10–30 minutes a day. Solving one or two problems—or working through a single integral—counts.
• Avoid making the daily session so demanding that it causes burnout or disrupts your other study.
• Keep going consistently. Progress may not feel dramatic at first, but regular practice builds skill over time.
• Treat the routine as a way to develop discipline and focus, habits that may carry over into other parts of life.

The speaker emphasizes that common obstacles include burnout, not wanting the goal enough, or not trusting the process. His conclusion is that consistent, modest practice helps you improve at math—and that you can learn math if you stick with it. He also briefly promotes his textbooks and courses.

Speakers and sources

• The video’s narrator: Shares the advice and his reflections on study habits.
• An unnamed mathematics professor: The source of the advice, quoted by the narrator; described as a two-time Putnam competition winner.
• The narrator’s friend: Asked the professor how best to learn linear algebra and is not heard directly in the subtitles.