Don&#x27;t worry. If I were only taking one course in mathematics, this would be the one. Not because it is the most interesting math, or the most beautiful, but it gives you the most bang for the buck, followed by, maybe, the probability&#x2F;statistic domains and then abstract algebra (basically the Latin of mathematics).<p>Discrete Mathematics is basically counting and algorithms, both of which you already know how to do, even if you didn&#x27;t know it.<p>If you don&#x27;t want to waste your time, follow these simple rules:<p>-Work out (don&#x27;t copy answers) ALL assigned problems, including extra credit problems.<p>-If you spend more than 30 mins stuck on something, stop and re-read. In maths, you cannot skim. It all necessarily builds on previous work. That is the nature of the beast and there is no getting around it. If after re-reading you are still stuck, go get help. Do not continue to stare at the problem. 80% of the time you&#x27;ll simply reinforce your confusion and frustration. Do not go online for help either. That is, more often than not, an endless rabbit hole where the vast majority of material will have nothing to do with your problem.<p>-Just refer to the assigned book, and if that isn&#x27;t enough, maybe one supplementary book on the subject, as recommended by a grad student specializing in that area of math and that also (super important) thinks like you. (You&#x27;ll actually need to talk and interact with them to determine this.)<p>-Unless you are already acing the material, NEVER miss class. Math professors are infinitely more likely to assist a student they see in class. I think that is because most people have an aversion to the subject that they think is the greatest thing in the world. So dissing the subject makes them pretty irate.<p>-If your answer doesn&#x27;t match the books, initially it&#x27;s easy to think the book has a mistake. The sooner you can squash this impulse the better. Go back and write out your work step by step, in the most exacting detail. If you are still not matching the book, go to office hours and have the professor look at your work. They will be able to see where you went wrong almost at a glance. Plus, you&#x27;ll look like a badass for doing math like math is supposed to be done. The alternative is to look like an ass emphatically arguing that the book has an error, and then when the professor spends 10 mins walking you through the problem till they can extract where you went wrong, you&#x27;ll be embarrassed and the professor will be irritated.<p>So. That sounds like a lot of work, but, unless you&#x27;re a math wiz, that&#x27;s actually the easy way. There are two alternatives. One, randomly go through the material only when you think it&#x27;s important and make a frustrating mess out of the whole exercise. Or, two, do the minimum amount of work required to get a C. Math professors often make getting an A difficult but doable, a B imminently doable, a C super-doable just so they don&#x27;t have to hassle with that group of students which would otherwise make their life a living hell if she were to give them a D or F. You generally have to work your ass off to get an A+ or F, especially in the 101&#x2F;201 level classes.<p>If you take only one thing away from reading this, let it be, discrete math is actually a super useful, almost indispensable tool for the CS tool-chest.