How to be Wu: Pinoy math genius spills secrets
MANILA, Philippines — Farrell Eldrian Wu, the 20-year old Filipino math wizard, recently graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), with a perfect grade point average of 5.
To speak on behalf of those who are struggling to pass in their Mathematics subject, “sana all” – but do not lose hope, because Wu got you covered as he shared some of his habits and tips to excel in Mathematics.
How to be Wu
1. Have strong academic and problem-solving foundation for the future
Wu said in his interview with ANCX that the “strong academic and problem-solving foundation” that he acquired from the math contests that he participated in high school prepared him for college.
“Excelling in mathematics, just like excelling in a sport or music, involves regular training,” said Jumela Sarmiento, former president of Mathematical Society of the Philippines.
The experiences and learnings that you have will mold what you are to become. You have to align your mindset and act on your vision, so that you can turn it into reality. If you want to excel in Math, you have to keep on studying and to grab opportunities that will enhance your skills.
2. See every new day in class as a new learning opportunity
Wu said that he viewed every class as a whole new learning opportunity.
During college, he was active in his classes, and he interacted with his classmates and professors.
3. Go beyond the basic level of understanding
“I usually go beyond a basic level of understanding in each class by making sure that I have a grasp of all the ins and outs of each topic, to the level of being able to teach the material,” he said.
Back in MIT, he explored topics and readings that were related to their lesson in class. It was important for him to master the materials and to understand how they are applied.
“To develop mathematical skill, students must struggle in problem solving on their own and not just watch teachers or instructors solve problems.” Sarmiento said.
You need to put an effort and to invest time and energy to reach your goal to excel in Mathematics. The “learning by doing” method is effective if you apply it to absorbing lessons in Mathematics.
4. Keep a high level of interest in class
“By keeping a high level of interest and being personally invested in the material, it was then much more straightforward to complete each class’ requirements toward good grades,” Wu said.
There are times when your attention span is not long enough to consume all the lessons in class. There are also some subjects that we do not like, but you have to get out of your comfort zone to succeed in your goal. You have no choice, because all the courses in college have a Mathematics subject. Just sit on the front row or on the seat nearest to the aisle, so that there are fewer distractions. Focus on your goal.
“This focus on problem solving, rigorous reasoning and accuracy, is what mathematics gets distilled into,” he said. “Simply put, studying mathematics opens many beautiful windows to the world.”
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