What math or programming knowledge is required? Please guide.

Quote from naifwonder:
I find it interesting that so many people start out in this business because it has an allure of "tons of easy money". Admittedly, that is why I got involved with trading. I let myself get distracted from school by this allure, and realize now that attaining success through the academic route would have been considerably easier and much safer. The fact is that trading is far from easy, and it would have probably been easier for me to pursue a career in virtually any other field. The broad range and amount of knowledge I had to gain to become consistently profitable is absurd in itself. The difficulty I had to go through to get this knowledge was immense on another level.
Am I the only one who sees the inconsistencies between your two posts? You begin by noting how difficult trading is and how it would have been easier for you to pursue another career. Then, you advise that you have been trading for 3 years. Further, you will be graduating in 2010 instead of 2009, with the delay being attributed to your trading. Finally, it will be another 9 to 12 months before you will be making the "big bux" from trading because you are risk averse.Quote from naifwonder:
...I was 17 years old when I started trading, and was very much blinded by the allure of "easy money". Although I read a lot of trading books, attended the seminars, and took all the "standard starting out steps", I look back on it now and realize I was an idiot compared to the person I am now. In another three years, I might very well be saying that about the same thing about the present me...
...I have also realized the value of a good education. I am twenty years old, and was supposed to graduate college by 2009. However, since I shifted my efforts more towards trading then school, my graduation date is now in 2010. At my current rate, it will take me another 9-12 months to compound to the point that I'll be making "the big bux" (I prefer to reduce risk as I grow, contrary to what many other traders do). However, if I had just focused on school, I would have still been making good money in 9-12 months with my degree...
Quote from Thunderdog:
Am I the only one who sees the inconsistencies between your two posts? You begin by noting how difficult trading is and how it would have been easier for you to pursue another career. Then, you advise that you have been trading for 3 years. Further, you will be graduating in 2010 instead of 2009, with the delay being attributed to your trading. Finally, it will be another 9 to 12 months before you will be making the "big bux" from trading because you are risk averse.
I agree that trading can be much harder to do successfully than it looks. But your posts seem to defy that view, despite the initial sentiment of your opening post. What other "career" can you commit three years to, delay academic graduation by only one year, and then go on to make the "big bux" in another year or so? That's your story, right? Am I missing something?
Frankly, trading anywhere near profitably came a lot harder to me. What you have described sounds like a breeze.
You need to get a gripQuote from Jasonn:
some people sit down and learn to trade in few years and laugh at corporate rat race types
