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by criticas 697 days ago
My wife was a great example of this. She was an undergraduate math major, then went on to get her master's and PhD in engineering. The first year of the master's was largely remedial engineering courses - statics and dynamics, thermodynamics, controls, simple electrical circuits, etc.

I asked if she found them difficult. She quipped, "If you already know the math, it's just nomenclature."

3 comments

As a sophomore, I took the "barrier" physics intro for my distribution requirement. Sunday night before our first Monday morning exam, I found my professor in a phone book (1970's) and phoned to ask for an extension, explaining that I hadn't started studying. Denied.

That test was just multivariate calculus I'd already aced, with funny names. I got one of the top scores in the class. So I decided to study an extra hour next time, just to be responsible. Oops! I flunked a test that was differential equations with funny names.

I didn't really learn ODE's till Columbia assigned me to teach them as an assistant professor.

Ahh, the very definition of isomorphism :)
Love this quote.