> So I bit the bullet, and for the first time, applied myself
This is what I would tell people, but just use a weight lifting analogy. If you're out of shape, of course you will struggle to do any sort of exercises. But if you keep working at it in a disciplined way, while being kind to yourself and praising your progress, eventually you can get good at it.
Calculus is a tiny bit of new material plus a shit ton of rote algebra. Even undergrad prob and stat was 80% algebraic manipulation.
This is what I would tell people, but just use a weight lifting analogy. If you're out of shape, of course you will struggle to do any sort of exercises. But if you keep working at it in a disciplined way, while being kind to yourself and praising your progress, eventually you can get good at it.
Calculus is a tiny bit of new material plus a shit ton of rote algebra. Even undergrad prob and stat was 80% algebraic manipulation.