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How Can Mathematics Help Us in the Real World?
Mathematics is the language of the universe. It is what scientists use to explain almost any phenomenon that occurs and may occur. Mathematics can help drive a country’s economy forward or can cause it to crash overnight. Math can even help painters get the proportions of their subjects correctly by using scaling methods.
The beauty and purpose of Math lies beyond the complex calculations and formulas you have to solve on a daily basis which can make your head feel like it will crack. It is like beautiful scenery that lies beyond a rough and undeveloped terrain. You have to get past the vast amounts of obstacles and obstructions in the path in order for you to truly appreciate its beauty.
Mathematics is a technical subject and has a myriad of applications outside of your answer sheets. But what makes Mathematics such a disliked subject? And on contrast, what makes Mathematics such a lovable and useful subject? If you want to find out, then continue reading the article to learn more.
Why Math is so disliked
Before we delve into why and how Mathematics can be useful for you, we must first discuss why Math is on the bad side of most students’ list of subjects. There are already a few reasons that may have popped up in your mind as soon as you heard the phrase “why Math is so disliked” and here are a few other reasons why:
The difficulty increases as you progress into higher grades
Aside from the obvious fact that Math is so hard to wrap your head around, the difficulty also increases as you progress upward into higher grades. This is due to the vast number of subfields in Math such as trigonometry, algebra, and calculus.
Most of these subfields are quite difficult for the regular elementary student or middle school student, which is why they tend to teach the hard stuff at high school or when your brains have developed enough for you to grasp abstract ideas properly, hence the progressing increase of difficulty in the topics discussed.
You may have been good at addition and subtraction while you were still young and considered yourself a Math wizard back then, but are currently having difficulties today with algebraic expressions or trigonometric functions. That just means that your brain hasn’t been fully accustomed to abstract and theoretical situations or the use of placeholders. And this is no reason for your milk to sour on the subject.
Lack of real-world applications
Back when you were younger, the problems in the questions would often include real world situations where you are tasked to calculate the total expenditure or time it takes to finish a task. These situations would often be easy to solve as you have experienced them first hand and you may even apply what you have learned from your studies into real activities. In contrast, higher level Math lacks the real-world applications needed to ingrain the lessons you have learned into your brain.
While you may have applied the basic principles of counting and the value of money before, you cannot apply the ax2 + bx2 = C2 all that often while buying for your favorite juice drink or by playing games with your friends. Even more, you do not have the time and energy to think about the derivative of the curve of the helmet you want to buy and instead would just fit the helmets one by one to see what fits you. These complex yet seemingly useless topics can often be a headache to lean and have little value to the real world, which is another reason why a lot of students dislike Math.
Too fast paced for the common individual
Because the curriculum demands for the constant progress of topics to be taught to the students, this could often lead to a new topic being introduced when you have just started to wrap your head around the previous one. You do not have time to review the previous topic, and now you have a new topic which is just as hard, if not more difficult, than the previous one.
This fast paced teaching can often lead your brain to go all mushy and make it harder for you to understand what your teacher or professor is trying to teach you. It leads to your thoughts being scrambled up mid-air and you having a hard time to get them together to finally understand what the topic is all about.
How can Math be relevant?
Now that we have discussed why Math is so disliked by most students, it is time to be fair and state what good Math can bring to your life. The benefits of Math in our life can often be subtle but can greatly affect our way of living and even the financial state we will have in the future. So here are a few reasons on how Math can be relevant in the real world.
1. Math teaches you the concept of counting
For starters, you are often taught how to count when you first started school in an attempt to teach you the basics of Mathematics. This is often the first thing you master when you start out with Math and is one of the most important concepts to grasp. Sure it may seem effortless to count up to a million now, but say that to your previous 6 year old self and he/she would freak out.
Counting allows you to become knowledgeable in currency, time, and just numbers all in all. Without being able to count, you cannot expect to be able to pay your bills, let alone read those scribbles written on that piece of paper. You wouldn’t be able to know how much money you have and how much money it takes to buy a slice of cake. Without the concept of counting, you would be left in the dark for most of the common activities we seem to take for granted today.
2. Allows you to do calculations
Calculations are the next thing they teach you right after you have finished mastering how to count. They work as a pair to allow you to be able to live and survive in this currency driven world we live in. Back when people just used to exchange goods for other products, this wouldn’t have been that important, but in a world where money makes the world go round, this is not the case.
Calculations such as deducting your monthly rent from your salary to budget your expenses for food, or determining if you will still receive change if you pay $10 to a toy that costs $9.41 are what you can do effortlessly now, but will be a total headache when you do not know how to do calculations. This is another thing taught to us by Mathematics that is taken for granted by most individuals.
3. Math allows you to train your brain
On an academic standpoint, there is nothing that can sharpen your brain more than by solving Mathematical problems. This is another reason why Math can be relevant to our daily lives. If you want to keep your brain in tip top shape and not be filled with rust, then consider solving Math problems regularly.
4. Allows you to pursue various career paths
Another reason why Mathematics is relevant to our live is because it opens doors to certain career paths that you may want to pursue. Almost all of the courses have a little bit of Math mixed into them. The most common example being accountancy where Math and numbers are literally what you have to face every say. Engineers are also a prime example to this as they often deal with complex calculations to make sure that whatever they make doesn’t end up failing in order for them to keep their jobs.
However, there are other career paths which include Mathematics subtly such as aeronautics where the pilot has to make sure that they cruise at the right altitude and speed in order for them to arrive at their destinations at the right time and avoid delays. There are a lot of career opportunities which can be opened up by the subject of Math, you just have to be aware of them.
5. Start your own business
Mathematics, especially the topics that deal with finances and percentages, is especially good to learn when starting your own business. Without the general skills to count, calculate, and take care of finances, you would not be able to keep a business running, let alone start one.
Without the knowledge needed to make your business generate a profit and keep it afloat, then your dream business would just be a pipe dream. This is why it is important for you to become knowledgeable in Mathematics if you want to become your own boss.
6. Allows you to save money
Want to save up for a new pair of shoes? Or do you just want to have savings which you can easily get when the going gets tough? Too bad you can’t do those things without Mathematics. Saving money requires you to be able to count and make calculations to make sure you have enough money to last you a whole month while still being able to save a little bit of it.
Conclusion
The examples above are about as vague as they can get but that is because they are aimed for a wide range of readers. There are also specific examples as to how Math can be relevant in the real world. For instance, an engineer uses Mathematics to make sure that the building you are inside has enough tension resistance for it to stay upright and not topple over itself. An architect also uses Mathematics to make sure that the same building has the right proportions and occupies the exact amount of land as in the blueprint.
If this article has somehow sparked an interest for you to start being interested in Mathematics again but is confused as to how to catch up to your peers? Then fear not for we have just the right place for you. FamilyTutor, Singapore’s number one home tuition agency. We have thousands of highly skilled and capable tutors ready to teach everyone from pre-school up to university level students. We offer tuition on various subjects as well including Maths, Science, Chemistry, Physics, and English to make sure all of your needs are met.
Visit our Math Tuition blog section today too!
Carelle
Carelle is a teacher who has been through the ups and downs of the teacher and learner life. She wishes for every learner to gain educational satisfaction that will help embody the people they want to be in the future.
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