Thread by @drinkderiver, I was thinking today about the fact that the new academic year [...]

I was thinking today about the fact that the new academic year is coming, and coming quickly, and about how this is going to impact incoming mathematics first years severely

perhaps even disproportionately

there's a perception that mathematics is a solitary subject, and to some degree, maybe that's true in the vacuous way that any subject must be solitary: if you do not understand something, nobody can understand it /for/ you

but mathematics, in my experience, is inherently social

I do not think there is a subject out there where you are thrust so suddenly into the deep end as you are with mathematics, or where the learning curve is as steep

of course, anything at the university level is difficult, but we already struggle to retain students

i can't speak for worldwide statistics, but out of my entire circle of close friends, only three are continuing with a major in mathematics

(most are crediting their maths ECTS towards a minor and transferring)

I struggle daily with impostor syndrome and I'm open about it, but I don't think most mathematics students actually see others struggle with the material they're struggling with

I barely register that my peers don't actually understand everything that goes on in the lecture

imagine now not having the opportunity to turn to the person next to you at the end of two hours and going "did you get any of that?" because you don't get the chance?

so much of what I can now understand is because my peers pulled me into the nearest empty classroom and grabbed a piece of chalk

imagine not meeting your peers for a whole term – for the foreseeable future?

imagine tutorials continuing in the online form they now take

tutors I know personally and here on twitter have all talked about the lack of engagement, but we also know this isn't anyone's fault

a lot of how tutors realise their tutees are lost is nonverbal (confused glances exchanged, blank stares, heads dropping into the table) and a lot of the affirmation tutors get (nods, the undeniable lightbulb moment when someone's eyes light up) is similarly lost

everyone loses, because you can tell me "if you have a question, someone else will probably be glad you asked it", but I will still feel like it's too trivial or elementary to voice out

especially when there is anonymity lost (looking confused is different from confessing to it)

tutorials are less effective and less rewarding for both parties, which is unfortunate because I learned more from my tutors (and I was lucky enough to have truly excellent tutors in my first term) than I ever did from my professors

and that's how it's meant to be!

tutors are more familiar with what new students are likely to stumble over, more able to give individual attention to things that lectures may necessarily have to gloss over due to time constraints

tutorials are also possibly my biggest source of friendship – smaller more intimate environments intended for people to bounce off each other where you don't feel like the only idiot in your lecture hall?

they're necessary! and make one feel validated, and show others struggle!

"what do you have after this tutorial?"
"I've got two hours free, actually!"
"wanna get lunch?"

is how I made my dearest friends in this course, and began playing tichu regularly, and got involved with the student council

I'm not sure how common this is in other universities but here, it's common to submit homework in pairs (the workload is impossible otherwise, imo)

this kind of "forced interaction" is so important for making friends, and to see approaches to problems you might not have yourself

I've had a lot of insight into problems from reading corrections on other people's work and I can only assume it goes both ways

I've learned habits to adopt and habits to avoid, how to structure proofs, etc

and all from reading comments on my partner's work!

talking to my tutors (outside of the tutorial) has also been massively helpful to me – they're a wellspring of support and useful advice

my analysis tutor this term made it a point to stay in the voice chat on our discord server for 15 minutes after the tutorial, which was GREAT

social activities were also vital to keeping my spirits up in my first term – I'd have gone stir-crazy if I had studied my way through but game night, wine and cheese night, karaoke night (note that mathematicians actually really can't sing) were my saving grace

they were also how I made friends I wouldn't otherwise have met – there's nothing like drunkenly singing "O Vektorraum" (tr: O Vector Space) to the tune of O Christmas Tree with a total stranger, you're best friends after that without a doubt

also very cool way to see your professors (and perhaps a stray fields medallist) in christmas hats, just hanging out and having fun

it's humanising, seeing your comrades and professors outside of the classroom, running for the bus, holding the bus door open for you and getting yelled at by the bus driver

it's the small things I miss, and it's the small things that make the university experience worthwhile

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