Subjects That "Click" with You

[Debater Slayer]

A few days ago, I was looking up a political subject and came across a sociology paper in the Google results. I found it significantly cumbersome to read and take in. I wasn't sure whether that particular paper was poorly written or I was just not cut out for that kind of subject, so I googled again, this time specifically seeking sociology papers.

I felt the same way while trying to read most of the several others I skimmed. I can still understand the material if I focus enough and read it slowly, but it was extremely tiresome for me compared to most material I've studied in math, programming, or language (whether English or Arabic). I've had to study some mathematical concepts in as little as an hour and then use them to solve questions, and that usually hasn't been a problem for me. On the other hand, the sociology papers were just... not my thing.

Have you had any similar experiences where a subject just "clicked" and felt like a breeze while another rendered you blue in the face with little resulting progress?

 

[Rival]

I get religion and Theology, English and history based subjects.

But Philosophy I find very hard.

 

[Debater Slayer]

I get religion and Theology, English and history based subjects.

But Philosophy I find very hard.

I've always found philosophy dense but rewarding.

What about math or programming, by the way? The two most fun subjects in existence!

 

[Rival]

I've always found philosophy dense but rewarding.

What about math or programming, by the way? The two most fun subjects in existence!

I have always struggled with maths and never passed it at Secondary level (GCSE), despite trying 3 or 4 times. I've never tried programming.

 

[VoidCat]

History I find easy to grasp. So far anything to do with child psychology has been a breeze tho i may jinx myself on that i still have college classes to take on childhood development and such. I do struggle with math

 

[exchemist]

A few days ago, I was looking up a political subject and came across a sociology paper in the Google results. I found it significantly cumbersome to read and take in. I wasn't sure whether that particular paper was poorly written or I was just not cut out for that kind of subject, so I googled again, this time specifically seeking sociology papers.

I felt the same way while trying to read most of the several others I skimmed. I can still understand the material if I focus enough and read it slowly, but it was extremely tiresome for me compared to most material I've studied in math, programming, or language (whether English or Arabic). I've had to study some mathematical concepts in as little as an hour and then use them to solve questions, and that usually hasn't been a problem for me. On the other hand, the sociology papers were just... not my thing.

Have you had any similar experiences where a subject just "clicked" and felt like a breeze while another rendered you blue in the face with little resulting progress?

When I tried, many years ago, to learn Fortran and Basic, I fond it appallingly hard, essentially because I found it dull.

I also found it hard going to read physics and physical chemistry texts, because so much is written in the form of mathematics, where I have to go line by line to follow the argument. But that was not so bad as I was interested in where it was going.

I also had a dreadful experience with a novel called "The Da Vinci Code". That was so bad I threw it in the bin after struggling through a quarter of it, but for a quite different reason, namely that I felt my intelligence and my sense of taste were being insulted on almost every page.

 

[Debater Slayer]

I have always struggled with maths and never passed it at Secondary level (GCSE), despite trying 3 or 4 times. I've never tried programming.

See, I'd probably struggle trying to obtain your current degree, but math essentially carried my GPA throughout university.

This diversity in people's academic leanings is part of why I really dislike the notion that everyone has to go into a STEM field or else their degree is "useless."

 

[JustGeorge]

I'm somewhat reversed...

Studies that involve humans and their cultures came across fairly easy in school. Now, math...

Nope. Nope, nope. Don't understand it. Not at all. Occasionally I'd think I understood it, and then I would get wrong answers, so I obviously didn't.

When I took my GED test, reading:99%, language 99% social studies: 98% science 98% math 56%(if I'd have missed one more question, I'd have failed my math test!)

One year, I had the highest grades in the school(it was a small school).... because I didn't take any math classes that year.

 

[Debater Slayer]

When I tried, many years ago, to learn Fortran and Basic, I fond it appallingly hard, essentially because I found it dull.

I also found it hard going to read physics and physical chemistry texts, because so much is written in the form of mathematics, where I have to go line by line to follow the argument. But that was not so bad as I was interested in where it was going.

I also had a dreadful experience with a novel called "The Da Vinci Code". That was so bad I threw it in the bin after struggling through a quarter of it, but for a quite different reason, namely that I felt my intelligence and my sense of taste were being insulted on almost every page.

This kinda surprises me because I thought high-level chemistry included a lot of math. Don't chemists end up getting used to the math anyway?

We had an Arabic copy of the Da Vinci Code many years ago. I never tried to read it, though, and when I became older, I had the impression it was kinda the novel equivalent of a clickbaity YouTube video.

 

[Debater Slayer]

I'm somewhat reversed...

Studies that involve humans and their cultures came across fairly easy in school. Now, math...

Nope. Nope, nope. Don't understand it. Not at all. Occasionally I'd think I understood it, and then I would get wrong answers, so I obviously didn't.

When I took my GED test, reading:99%, language 99% social studies: 98% science 98% math 56%(if I'd have missed one more question, I'd have failed my math test!)

One year, I had the highest grades in the school(it was a small school).... because I didn't take any math classes that year.

They should have offered a course on cats. Then you'd have topped your entire state's grades!

 

[ChristineM]

I am not the best of readers so anything that doesn't click is soon shelved. Some subjects though...
Cosmology i found particularly easy to read and understand.
Quantum mechanics are for the most part, a fog.
Roman history, (fall of republic and rise of empire) fascinates me.
Parts of the new testament simply do not make sense to me given the lands were under Roman rule.
I devour books, studies and papers of the Cro-magnon (early modern humans) period.
I'm simply fed up with modern politics.
Finally, Disc World, the first book i ever read was a Disc World novel, I've read all 41 based on that first experience

 

[JustGeorge]

I also had a dreadful experience with a novel called "The Da Vinci Code". That was so bad I threw it in the bin after struggling through a quarter of it, but for a quite different reason, namely that I felt my intelligence and my sense of taste were being insulted on almost every page.

We had an Arabic copy of the Da Vinci Code many years ago. I never tried to read it, though, and when I became older, I had the impression it was kinda the novel equivalent of a clickbaity YouTube video.

We have the series around here(all bought second hand) because my husband likes the idea of it(like he'd sit down and read... ) I tried reading one of them... got about 5 chapters in, and...

Well, I'd have thrown it in the bin, but he'd have been mad at me, so I just put it back on the shelf and found something else to read.

 

[exchemist]

This kinda surprises me because I thought high-level chemistry included a lot of math. Don't chemists end up getting used to the math anyway?

We had an Arabic copy of the Da Vinci Code many years ago. I never tried to read it, though, and when I became older, I had the impression it was kinda the novel equivalent of a clickbaity YouTube video.

Oh yes I got used to it but it was never an easy read. 3-4 pages would often take me 15minutes or so.

On the clickbaity video simile, you are not far off the mark. It was so badly and lazily written, the characters were were clichéd and preposterous (who ever heard of a British academic don with a butler and a private plane?) and the scenario was obviously plagiarised from something called "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail", written years before - and which was, itself, utter ballocks.

 

[Debater Slayer]

(who ever heard of a British academic don with a butler and a private plane?)

Ah, I see he knew about @Rival before we did.

 

[pearl]

namely that I felt my intelligence and my sense of taste were being insulted on almost every page.

And they were. Did you find any difference with the following 'Angels and Demons' by the same author?

 

[Quintessence]

Not really.

I could tell some sort of story about the hows and the whys of that, but to put it simply? That's not how the household I was raised in shaped me.

 

[Psalm23]

A few days ago, I was looking up a political subject and came across a sociology paper in the Google results. I found it significantly cumbersome to read and take in. I wasn't sure whether that particular paper was poorly written or I was just not cut out for that kind of subject, so I googled again, this time specifically seeking sociology papers.

I felt the same way while trying to read most of the several others I skimmed. I can still understand the material if I focus enough and read it slowly, but it was extremely tiresome for me compared to most material I've studied in math, programming, or language (whether English or Arabic). I've had to study some mathematical concepts in as little as an hour and then use them to solve questions, and that usually hasn't been a problem for me. On the other hand, the sociology papers were just... not my thing.

Have you had any similar experiences where a subject just "clicked" and felt like a breeze while another rendered you blue in the face with little resulting progress?

I really loved art class but different math classes have been hard.

 

[Debater Slayer]

Not really.

I could tell some sort of story about the hows and the whys of that, but to put it simply? That's not how the household I was raised in shaped me.

Do you mean that you have no difficulty with any subjects? If so, that's quite impressive!

 

[Mock Turtle]

There certainly seems to be a difference between those for whom Maths is a doddle, and generally quite easy, and those who don't find it so, and it is hardly down to intelligence. Not sure what it is, but I was in the former category and have always enjoyed it. I can appreciate the lack of enthusiasm for programming too, given it usually is rather dull in the writing, but the problem-solving often saves it and gives some satisfaction. I was never particularly good but reasonably competent and could usually get programs to work. So perhaps these two subjects did click. Others that saw me becoming rapidly more interested were psychology, anthropology, and animal behaviour.

The subjects that never really clicked were religions of most kinds, given that I never really knew how valid or authentic they were, and of course, they just take up too much time, when what was gained could have been gained much quicker elsewhere, in my view. And although I did have some early interest in philosophy, I can't say I found it that easy, and this was probably down to a not particularly good education. Politics and economics, with the latter studied a little, were and still are the dullest of subjects in my view, and could safely rot or be used as doorstops - if I had any books on the subjects.

 

[SomeRandom]

A few days ago, I was looking up a political subject and came across a sociology paper in the Google results. I found it significantly cumbersome to read and take in. I wasn't sure whether that particular paper was poorly written or I was just not cut out for that kind of subject, so I googled again, this time specifically seeking sociology papers.

I felt the same way while trying to read most of the several others I skimmed. I can still understand the material if I focus enough and read it slowly, but it was extremely tiresome for me compared to most material I've studied in math, programming, or language (whether English or Arabic). I've had to study some mathematical concepts in as little as an hour and then use them to solve questions, and that usually hasn't been a problem for me. On the other hand, the sociology papers were just... not my thing.

Have you had any similar experiences where a subject just "clicked" and felt like a breeze while another rendered you blue in the face with little resulting progress?

English and Math were subjects that I found extremely easy. Though I found math boring.

I didn’t mind English though I largely “bluffed” my through when I was in school (thanks thesaurus function!!).Became more interested in it after school when I started to actively seek out classical literature to read. Mostly out of curiosity.

IT was a subject that I found just didn’t “click” with me. Despite actually studying it for a while