--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I did maths for a year at university. I…" description: "\"I did maths for a year at university. I don't think I was very good at it. And some people would say it shows.\" — Gordon Brown" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/gordon-brown-8917_math_i-did-maths-for-a-year-at-university-i-d_2893703.jpg" --- # I did maths for a year at university. I don't think I was… ![“I did maths for a year at university. I don't think I was very good at it. And some people would say it shows.” quote by Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/gordon-brown-8917_math_i-did-maths-for-a-year-at-university-i-d_2893703.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/gordon-brown-8917_math_i-did-maths-for-a-year-at-university-i-d_2893703.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/gordon-brown-8917_math_i-did-maths-for-a-year-at-university-i-d_2893703.jpg) > “I did maths for a year at university. I don't think I was very good at it. And some people would say it shows.” [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He struggled with maths at university, acknowledging personal difficulty despite external judgments. **In simple terms:** He admits math difficulty despite others’ opinions. Key Takeaway Accept personal limits and seek supportive learning. Themes education self‑assessment humility Mood honest self‑critical Type advice personal When to use this quote - tutoring - skill development - career counseling Key Concepts growth mindset academic support Questions to Reflect On - How can you reframe academic challenges? - What resources help improve weak areas? A Different Perspective Self‑labeling as “bad” may limit potential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Maths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maths/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/) ## Related quotes > [I was quite into biology and chemistry at school, and I did well in my maths GCSE – I really liked it and got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sanderson/i-was-quite-into-biology-and-chemistry-at-school-and-i-did-well-in-my/) [Nikki Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sanderson/) > [Sometimes political correctness runs amok in our public education system where we think that every kid can go to a four-year university.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-bush/sometimes-political-correctness-runs-amok-in-our-public-education/) [George P. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-bush/) > [I did a deal with my parents to take a year out before university at the end of 1992 to try and forge a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-horner/i-did-a-deal-with-my-parents-to-take-a-year-out-before-university-at/) [Christian Horner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-horner/) > [What happened was, in my final year of university in Australia, there was a campus comedy competition, and I felt like it was something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronny-chieng/what-happened-was-in-my-final-year-of-university-in-australia-there/) [Ronny Chieng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronny-chieng/) > [By the time you're 18, 19, you know yourself, and you shouldn't go against your gut feeling, which is a temptation in the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberley-nixon/by-the-time-you-re-18-19-you-know-yourself-and-you-shouldn-t-go/) [Kimberley Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberley-nixon/) > [ \[The whole first year at university\] was a great time for me and great time of awakening. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/the-whole-first-year-at-university-was-a-great-time-for-me-and-great/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [The reason why we do maths is because it's like poetry. It's about patterns, and that really turned me on. It made me feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/the-reason-why-we-do-maths-is-because-it-s-like-poetry-it-s-about/) [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) > [Every culture has contributed to maths just as it has contributed to literature. It's a universal language; numbers belong to everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-tammet/every-culture-has-contributed-to-maths-just-as-it-has-contributed-to/) [Daniel Tammet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-tammet/) > [With English literature, if you do a bit of shonky spelling, no one dies, but if you're half-way through a maths calculation and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/with-english-literature-if-you-do-a-bit-of-shonky-spelling-no-one/) [Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/) > [Maths is totally done differently to what I was teached when I was at school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-beckham/maths-is-totally-done-differently-to-what-i-was-teached-when-i-was-at/) [David Beckham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-beckham/) > [Some things in life are not pleasant but they have to be done. For instance, German and maths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-rennison/some-things-in-life-are-not-pleasant-but-they-have-to-be-done-for/) [Louise Rennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-rennison/) > [And what he meant was that maths wasn't like life because in life there are no straightforward answers in the end](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/and-what-he-meant-was-that-maths-wasn-t-like-life-because-in-life/) [Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/) > [All I wanted to do was put together one of the best home maths systems in the world, and that's what we've done. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-vorderman/all-i-wanted-to-do-was-put-together-one-of-the-best-home-maths/) [Carol Vorderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-vorderman/) > [In short, with Sarri football is maths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalidou-koulibaly/in-short-with-sarri-football-is-maths/) [Kalidou Koulibaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalidou-koulibaly/) > [There's no reason for men to be better at maths than women - it's just about our perception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/there-s-no-reason-for-men-to-be-better-at-maths-than-women-it-s-just/) [Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/) ## More by Gordon Brown > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [Jubilee 2000 is a broad coalition which has moved the earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/jubilee-2000-is-a-broad-coalition-which-has-moved-the-earth/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [We are entering an era in which national government, instead of directing, enables powerful regional and local initiatives to work, where Britain becomes as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-are-entering-an-era-in-which-national-government-instead-of/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [I understand that in the UK there have already been 10,000 complaints from viewers about these remarks, which people see, rightly, as offensive. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/i-understand-that-in-the-uk-there-have-already-been-10-000-complaints/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [I'm a great supporter of the European Union. I didn't support entry to the Euro, not because I'm against it in principle but because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/i-m-a-great-supporter-of-the-european-union-i-didn-t-support-entry-to/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [There is nothing that you could say to me now that I could ever believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/there-is-nothing-that-you-could-say-to-me-now-that-i-could-ever/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [56,000 companies have already benefited from the schemes that we have brought in. If we have taken the advice of the Conservative Party, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/56-000-companies-have-already-benefited-from-the-schemes-that-we-have/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [Sometimes it takes a crisis for people to agree that what is obvious and should have been done years ago, can no longer be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/sometimes-it-takes-a-crisis-for-people-to-agree-that-what-is-obvious/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [I am happy for there to be a leadership contest. I think there should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/i-am-happy-for-there-to-be-a-leadership-contest-i-think-there-should/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [...in just 25 years the glaciers in the Himalayas which provide water for three-quarters of a billion people could disappear entirely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/in-just-25-years-the-glaciers-in-the-himalayas-which-provide-water/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [Think for a moment: what is the British equivalent of the U.S. Fourth of July, or even the French 14th of July for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/think-for-a-moment-what-is-the-british-equivalent-of-the-u-s-fourth/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [What is gained by debt relief and aid can be lost if we don't get a proper trade agreement in Hong Kong,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/what-is-gained-by-debt-relief-and-aid-can-be-lost-if-we-don-t-get-a/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [So another challenge for our generation is to create global institutions that reflect our ideas of fairness and responsibility, not the ideas that were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/so-another-challenge-for-our-generation-is-to-create-global/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [My favourite sport at school was rugby. All sports are teamwork, but rugby particularly is about teamwork and I think teamwork is the essence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/my-favourite-sport-at-school-was-rugby-all-sports-are-teamwork-but/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [Britain and Pakistan will jointly fight the menace of terrorism .. Both the countries are facing a common threat of terrorism and we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/britain-and-pakistan-will-jointly-fight-the-menace-of-terrorism-both/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) [Explore all 77 Gordon Brown quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) ## More Math quotes > [I worry about Las Vegas schools. I hear in math, they only teach them to count to 21.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-rudner/i-worry-about-las-vegas-schools-i-hear-in-math-they-only-teach-them/) [Rita Rudner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-rudner/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [They look at what's more important, like subjects to help with the SAT's, etc. They miss that music is vital. It offers a break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-guarini/they-look-at-what-s-more-important-like-subjects-to-help-with-the-sat/) [Justin Guarini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-guarini/) > [For a physicist mathematics is not just a tool by means of which phenomena can be calculated, it is the main source of concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/for-a-physicist-mathematics-is-not-just-a-tool-by-means-of-which/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [In school math and science were my favorite subjects, but I probably in my true self I'm more of a people person. At the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/in-school-math-and-science-were-my-favorite-subjects-but-i-probably/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [“When one day Lagrange took out of his pocket a paper which he read at the Académe, and which contained a demonstration of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-biot/when-one-day-lagrange-took-out-of-his-pocket-a-paper-which-he-read-at/) Jean-Baptiste Biot > [Most people who open restaurants will fail, because they lack the fundamental understanding of restaurant math. Either they think they're superstar cooks or they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/most-people-who-open-restaurants-will-fail-because-they-lack-the/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [Our eyes met in the math class. How were we to know that trigonometry would lead to matrimony?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/our-eyes-met-in-the-math-class-how-were-we-to-know-that-trigonometry/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [Math is easy; design is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-veen/math-is-easy-design-is-hard/) [Jeffrey Veen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-veen/) > [Arithmetic is numbers you squeeze from your head to your hand to your pencil to your paper till you get the answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/arithmetic-is-numbers-you-squeeze-from-your-head-to-your-hand-to-your/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [I'd like to be able to do complex math in my head. Any kind of adversity and I become very anxious, but if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-woods/i-d-like-to-be-able-to-do-complex-math-in-my-head-any-kind-of/) [Zach Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-woods/) > [Christians remind me of schoolboys who want to look up the answers to their math problems in the back of the book rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/christians-remind-me-of-schoolboys-who-want-to-look-up-the-answers-to/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [Proof is an idol before which the mathematician tortures himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/proof-is-an-idol-before-which-the-mathematician-tortures-himself/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [I'm not a plumber who accidentally blew up or a math professor who accidentally backed into notoriety. I have a master's from Yale drama,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-richman/i-m-not-a-plumber-who-accidentally-blew-up-or-a-math-professor-who/) [Adam Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-richman/) > [ “Mathematics had never had more than a secondary interest for him \[her husband, George Boole\]; and even logic he cared for chiefly as a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-everest-boole/mathematics-had-never-had-more-than-a-secondary-interest-for-him-her/) [Mary Everest Boole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-everest-boole/) [Browse all 2,003 Math quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I did maths for a year at university. I don't think I was very good at it. And some people would say it shows.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gordon Brown" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/i-did-maths-for-a-year-at-university-i-don-t-think-i-was-very-good-at/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Math" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/i-did-maths-for-a-year-at-university-i-don-t-think-i-was-very-good-at/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/gordon-brown-8917_math_i-did-maths-for-a-year-at-university-i-d_2893703.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/gordon-brown-8917_math_i-did-maths-for-a-year-at-university-i-d_2893703.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/gordon-brown-8917_math_i-did-maths-for-a-year-at-university-i-d_2893703.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I did maths for a year at university. I don't think I was very good at it. And some people would say it shows.” — Gordon Brown", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gordon Brown", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I did maths for a year...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/i-did-maths-for-a-year-at-university-i-don-t-think-i-was-very-good-at/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/i-did-maths-for-a-year-at-university-i-don-t-think-i-was-very-good-at/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```