Is It Possible to Have Too Much Math?

geomom
Mon, 17 Mar 2014 15:07:38 +0000

Similar story here. Son did EPGY math and programming sporadically in elementary school, self-studied math and physics in middle and high school, and took eight state university math and physics courses during high school before enrolling at MIT. We never even heard about MathCounts, but he started a math circle in high school when he got interested in contest math.

He’s finishing degrees in physics and electrical engineering now, and all the math background early on was definitely a help to him, and he’s glad he followed his math interests.

My advice? Just try to support your son in finding whatever level of learning he wants, and try to find like-minded people to do it with. Never let anyone tell you that learning something is inappropriate because of age, or because it doesn’t fit into an institution’s preconceived notions about how children “should” learn. Find friends and allies. And since he is so far ahead, let his interests wander.

I like something my son told me at the end of high school. He say all learning should be “play” the first time through, and then you should go back and learn it seriously.