Why STEM Majors Need Their Textbooks — Study Habits, Integrity & Career Preparation

Based on the supplied transcript. Punctuation and paragraph breaks have been added, with repeated fillers and false starts reduced for readability. Personal observations, estimates, allegations, and opinions remain attributed to the speaker; they have not been independently verified here.

All right, kids. Today I’m going to talk about why, if you don’t use the textbook in college as a STEM major, you’re going to fail. Probably in any major, really.

Let’s first address statistics. Fifty percent of STEM majors either don’t graduate or change to an arts degree. STEM means science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The S means Bachelor of Science.

Basically, the Census Bureau data tells you half of Bachelor of Science students fail or switch to an arts degree.

For mathematics, physics, engineering, and other intensely mathematical science degrees, I think the numbers are different—more like 20%, with only around 5% of those getting jobs.

Let me explain my personal observations. At Richland College in the Dallas County Community College District, I took university-level, calculus-based physics.

The class had 40 students studying mathematics, physics, engineering, and related sciences. Four remained at the end of the semester.

That wasn’t an anomaly in my experience. I tutored students and saw similar things in other courses.

That was at a community college. I bring it up because the Census Bureau data I’m discussing concerns bachelor’s degrees, not associate degrees.

Suppose a thousand students attempt engineering and half begin at community college. Perhaps only a small portion of those 500 reach the university.

Then consider the 500 who begin at a university. When they reach calculus, students with integrity read the syllabus and code of conduct, open the textbook, attend lecture, and study.

They look at their family, friends, and activities and think, “This will take hours. I’d rather have dinner with my family, see friends on weekends, and do things I enjoy.”

They read the instructions and realize they don’t want this workload.

The syllabus explicitly says to use the textbook, lecture, lecture notes, and professor—not classmates, private tutors, solution manuals, the internet, Khan Academy, Wyzant, or AI.

Those students change majors, perhaps to business, medicine, or something requiring less intense mathematical work.

Starting with a thousand students, after community-college attrition and later changes, perhaps we’re down to around 400 who might continue.

Integrity matters. When someone asks a question, answer it. Students ask, “What’s wrong with tutoring?” I ask, “Did you read your syllabus?” They say, “That isn’t what I asked.”

I answered the question: your syllabus says you can’t use a tutor. If you don’t understand that response, you don’t understand English.

Over nearly 20 years, I’ve seen students with integrity change majors in first-semester calculus or physics. Others think they’re smart but never read the syllabus.

If you haven’t read the syllabus or code of conduct, you aren’t smart. If you think arithmetic makes you intelligent, you’re like someone copying a piano performance from a video and pretending to be a master pianist.

You copied and mimicked someone’s work. You’re a poser. Some get angry hearing that. I see that as denial.

If you’re studying mathematics, physics, or engineering and haven’t read those documents, you’re a child getting a natural high from solving puzzles.

People feel brilliant when they’re intoxicated. When I drink, I think I’m smart; when I sober up, I realize I wasn’t.

Solving puzzles makes you feel good, but that feeling doesn’t establish intelligence.

Continuing the example: out of 400 students, perhaps 200 change majors because they don’t want to cheat and don’t want this kind of work.

Some go toward medicine or other sciences involving more memorization. I’m capable of memorizing, but memorizing thousands of anatomy terms under course pressure isn’t how I prefer to learn.

I memorize through doing. There’s a difference between memory-based and process-based learning. I think of the brain as a processor and a hard drive.

I enjoy reading anatomy leisurely, but being forced to memorize it for a course would be a nightmare. Doing mathematics and physics on demand is enjoyable to me, so I gravitated there.

Now, out of the remaining 200, half may cheat and half may have integrity.

If you’re struggling in calculus, the tutors provided by your school are acceptable because they guide you. I’m not talking about campus tutors. They aren’t there to complete your homework; they point you in the right direction.

I’m talking about hiring a private tutor through a company like Wyzant. I worked with them for years helping people cheat.

I gained knowledge by doing students’ homework. I went through linear algebra, differential equations, and physics repeatedly using many books. It improved my abilities and damaged their education.

I eventually stopped accepting mathematics, physics, and engineering students. Others sometimes only needed to complete calculus.

If you’re a medical student who only needs calculus or introductory physics, do what you have to do—but remember integrity and morality.

I cheated in a winter macroeconomics course. I copied the questions, searched for the information, and completed the course quickly with an A.

Shouldn’t that have raised a flag? They wanted the money; I wanted the grade.

Nobody is perfect. Have integrity. I can’t advocate cheating, and I’m not giving permission. Sometimes people do what they have to do, but that isn’t permission.

If you’re in mathematics, physics, or engineering and your response to difficulty is having a tutor, AI, or a solution manual do the work, that’s a problem.

At UT Dallas, I read a syllabus saying possession of the instructor’s solution manual could result in being asked to leave.

I had accepted manuals a friend had pirated. The syllabus warned that instructors knew what was in them.

Professors may assign questions whose manual solutions contain errors to identify copying. You think you’re clever, but instructors can recognize the copied work.

Why do you want to spend your career thinking about mathematics and physics? That isn’t something everyone wants.

In our example, a hundred of the remaining 200 cheat into junior year and fail. Some return as adults; others remain resentful and say they could have graduated if a professor hadn’t failed them.

They leave out that they copied a solution manual. I know older people who still speak that way.

That leaves a hundred out of the original thousand. I’ve met those students. They read the syllabus and textbook and do the work.

The funny thing is that, when you use the textbook properly, you can study less and understand more. Instead of 40 or 50 hours, perhaps 10 to 20. Follow the guidance, and you can become more successful.

It took me time to see that too. I was a child into my 20s, into my 40s, even today. I still struggle with things you do.

You think I’m here to insult and shame you. I’m saying that, if you’re capable, put aside the internet and use the textbook. If this isn’t the work you want, another degree might make you happier.

I want to help. As much as I feel like slapping you for being annoying, I know you’ll grow and become someone worth talking with. I have a genuine interest in your well-being.

The short clips on Instagram are selected as rage bait through Substack. It’s marketing. I want teenagers to remember me when they reach college and need the books.

People email years later and say, “I hated you, but you changed my life.” I receive those messages.

It’s difficult because social media companies don’t like conflict, but I think the message matters.

If you continue cheating, you can damage your future. I distinguish private tutoring from the school’s tutoring service.

Possessing an instructor’s solution manual is a felony in my view because you aren’t entitled to that copyrighted material. You may not be penalized, but I say it’s still illegal.

Using someone else’s work and submitting it as your own is plagiarism. If the assignment is to read and interpret the textbook, but you submit AI’s, a tutor’s, or a video creator’s explanation, that’s cheating.

If you don’t understand the terms, look them up. If you respond to every question with another question, I think you need help.

The textbook is your salvation. You’ll study less, understand more, and get better grades. I’ll explain how to use it.

My lessons on this channel show how to use textbooks. I’m not here to do your homework.

The Math Monthly research group is different. We solve advanced mathematics problems together, including problems that take a long time.

We find unusual mathematics, physics, and engineering books, investigate questions and formulas, and work to understand them.

We also examine famous unsolved problems to understand why they remain unsolved. This exposes us to material we might not otherwise encounter.

Once you learn to read these books, you may find them enjoyable. For me, it’s like listening to classical music.

If you don’t want to open a textbook, this field may not suit you.

You need experience reading complicated technical material because you’ll encounter it at work. Some will be confidential and unavailable on the internet, and you’ll have to interpret it.

You may need familiarity with languages such as C++ to work with older systems and convert material. Pay attention to the skills employers request.

Look at job postings and what they want on your résumé. I’ll show you examples so the employment objective is clear.

If you can’t follow a syllabus and code of conduct, consider how that relates to following corporate policy.

The professor becomes a manager; classmates become coworkers. Employers need people who can follow guidelines and do their own work.

If you get through a degree without the skills, you won’t be prepared for the jobs it suggests.

I drove for Uber while studying, along with tutoring and other work. I’ve worked in sales, retail, restaurants, bartending, waiting tables, grocery stores, stocking, and construction.

I dropped out of high school, completed only part of middle school, and worked full time while taking care of myself from a young age.

I began grocery shopping and cooking for myself around 12. In many ways, I lived independently before other people did.

Being older or having more money doesn’t automatically make someone more intelligent.

Most people didn’t start taking care of themselves when I did. That’s why I cook the way I do. I’m 42 and think my health reflects those habits.

Parents should teach children responsibility early. Instead of only providing video games and snacks, start with doing their own laundry and making their beds.

Figuratively, give them a wake-up call. If you do everything until they’re 19, they may never become independent.

I see adults living with parents who are stuck in unhealthy dependency. That’s what I’m warning about.

This is step one in the importance of using a textbook. You’ll study less, understand more, and get better grades. I’ll show you how. Subscribe, become a member, leave a tip, or buy a book. I’m broke. Having integrity isn’t good business.

Author Jonathan David argues for a textbook-centered approach to studying mathematics, physics, and engineering. He draws on personal experiences as a student and tutor to explain why independent reading and problem solving are central to his teaching approach.

Read the Course Instructions

Jonathan repeatedly emphasizes reading the syllabus and code of conduct. He connects following academic instructions with the reliability and accountability expected in professional settings.

Develop Your Own Understanding

The discussion distinguishes obtaining an answer from developing the ability to interpret technical material and explain a solution. Jonathan describes completing work for students during his tutoring career and says he came to view that behavior as harmful to their independence.

Use Support Within the Course’s Rules

Jonathan distinguishes campus tutoring intended to guide students from having someone complete assessed work for them. Whether a particular tutor, collaboration, website, or tool is permitted depends on the course and assignment instructions; the location or provider alone does not determine whether assistance is misconduct.

Consider the Work You Want to Do

He encourages students to consider whether they enjoy sustained mathematical and scientific work rather than choose a degree solely for status or salary. His examples reflect his own preferences and observations, rather than a universal prescription for choosing a major.

Connect Study Habits with Employment

The video links textbook reading, technical interpretation, communication, software familiarity, and following instructions with workplace preparation. Jonathan recommends examining job postings to understand the skills an employer requests.

The Math Monthly Research Group

Jonathan describes the research group as distinct from homework assistance. Activities include exploring unfamiliar textbooks, working through extended problems, examining formulas, and discussing unsolved questions.

The transcript’s numerical attrition examples and references to Census Bureau data are not accompanied by an identifiable study in the supplied material. They should not be treated as verified statistics. Claims about automatic criminal consequences or guaranteed grades are likewise not established by this discussion.