Best way to do 6.042J/18.062 J Mathematics for Computer Science ( MIT OCW) & get best out of it

Solve problems. Lots and lots of problems.

You cannot learn this material from watching lectures or passively reading. To a certain extent, this is true of every course in every subject, but it is especially true of the material in this course. You can only learn to do this stuff by doing it. You can only learn to solve problems by solving problems. You can only learn to write proofs by writing proofs. You can only learn to write code by writing code.

Solve every recitation problem.

Solve every problem in the problem sets.

Do not look at the solution to any problem until after you have put in a good-faith effort to solve the problem yourself.

And by “solve” I don’t just mean “Yeah, I think understand how to do it.” “Understanding” is a trap! If you actually want to learn this stuff, your goal should be mastery. By “solve” I mean actually writing down a complete, detailed solution, exactly as if you were going to submit it to Tom Leighton Himself to be graded for credit. Expect to spend an hour or two per problem, especially when you’re starting a new topic.

As motivation: Buy yourself a large glass jar. Every time you look at a recitation or homework solution that was written by someone else—anyone else, including you three months ago—put money into the jar.

• If you haven’t spent any time on the problem at all, put in $10.
• If you’ve worked hard on the problem but got stuck, put in $5. (“Working hard” includes rereading the textbook/rewatching the lectures, walking through solutions of problems presented in the textbook/lectures, asking for general advice on StackExchange, etc.)
• If you understand how solution should work, but you haven’t written anything down, put in $5. Until you write it down, it doesn’t exist.
• If you’ve already written your own solution, and it turns out to be completely wrong, put in $1.
• If you’ve already written your own solution, and it starts with the right idea but has some problems in the details, put in 25¢.
• If you’ve already written your own solution, and it turns out to be correct, take out $5. Congratulations! You got it! Now move on to the next topic. (Don’t worry, you won’t run out of money.)

-Jeff Erickson, Ph.D UC Berkeley