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I'm currently self studying (non-rigorous) mathematics, I've already finished a few books on topics such as calculus, linear algebra and differential equations, now I'm trying to go through a book on probability, but I'm having quite some trouble going through it.

As I read each chapter, I can understand the basic concepts, can follow through the reasoning in each example and proof, but when I get to the exercise sections, I'm completely clueless about how to apply what I've learned to solve the problems.

Of all books I've read so far, probability books are the only ones that go right to word problems where you need to apply what you've learned, whereas other books had many computational exercises and only latter on they moved to applications. So I end up with those conceptual tools, but I can't cast the problem in their terms.

I've tried a few books on probability, and I'm having this same trouble with all of them. I'm currently in chapter 7 ("Joint Distributions") of Blitzstein and Hwang's "Introduction to Probability", great book, but I still have the same problem.

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    I think most people have this problem in most areas of math. You just need to start slow, be sure to check and double check each step of each problem, ask lots of questions (like this one!) and always ask (such as here!) for clarification when you need it. You seem determined enough. – 2017-01-24
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    Probability, like many fields in mathematics, is something where we all talk in the same terms, but ultimately, I suspect we each visualize it, or conceptualize it, subtly differently. There are several kinds of broad strategies, however. It would help if we could see a kind of problem you're having problems with framing in terms of the mechanical tools you have, so as to help you translate them into symbolic language. – 2017-01-24
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    @BrianTung Here are the problems I'm currently dealing with (page 55-72): [answers](https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/stat110/files/selected_solutions_blitzstein_hwang_probability_01.pdf), but I don't like to look at the solutions before, at least, having a tentative answer. – 2017-01-24

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