embracing learning

I have a desire to share something today, so I’m here to express my thoughts.

In the last few weeks, I’ve decided to get back into math. I used to excel at it in high school, always getting A's on exams. Even though math wasn’t my favorite subject, I still enjoyed working on it. Now, as I get older, I realize that I’ve forgotten much of what I once knew. Things that used to seem simple are now a bit of a struggle. Since switching my major to music and considering it’s been a decade since I last studied math, I’ve noticed that concepts I once found easy are now more challenging. My math skills were definitely affected by this long gap and change in perspective.

    The other day, while watching my students work on their math worksheets, I felt a sudden urge to dive back into it myself. It was just a regular day, but I decided to print out some old worksheets and start solving them. To my surprise, it turned out to be really fun, so now I’ve been doing it every day. Whenever I have some free time or a break between classes, you’ll find me working on math problems. It’s not a big deal to me—just a person in her mid-20s enjoying math. But some of my students find it unusual and think it’s kind of funny. When they ask me, "Why?", I simply answer, "Why not?"

    I don’t just do math on my own—I also join my colleagues’ classes to explore the topics further and ask my students for help. I believe that by helping me understand math, they’re reinforcing their own knowledge. In a way, by teaching me, they’re learning more themselves. One day, a student asked if I felt embarrassed that a younger student was teaching me math. My answer? No.

    Why should I feel ashamed? I’m genuinely proud of myself. What matters is that I’m learning something. I don’t care who’s teaching me or how old they are—what’s important is gaining knowledge. As long as someone helps me learn, I respect and appreciate their efforts. It’s all about valuing the learning process and being open to insights regardless of age or background.

    So, no, I’m not embarrassed at all. In fact, I find it empowering. I see it as an opportunity to sharpen my understanding and improve my skills. Being open to learning from others shows a commitment to self-improvement and respect for their knowledge.

To sum up, I’m thrilled to be revisiting math. I’m still proud of myself for being willing to learn. Compared to anyone who just sits back and does nothing, I’d say the real embarrassment is their lack of effort. It’s kind of fun to think of myself as a passionate learner who’s not deterred by age.

Anyway, that’s all for today. I hope this inspires you to embrace learning, no matter where you are in life. It’s never too late to start. If you have the chance, make the most of it. Now, I’m off to finish my math worksheet. See ya!