In school, you will often hear from students that math is one of the most challenging subjects. Just ask any student what the hardest class they are taking is, and you will probably hear most students list one of their math classes. There are even a lot of students who despise math with a passion. Believe it or not, I used to be one of them. It wasn't until I took a high school algebra class that I realized that I had always secretly had a passion for the subject but had never been able to enjoy it due to a number of reasons.
The main reason was that I had always seen math as a subject not to be enjoyed but to simply get a good grade in and finish. Eventually, I decided I wanted to pursue a teaching career in math. A lot of people ask me, "How can you like math?" Well, here are eight reasons why math is not the worst subject.
1. Math is one of the most engaging subjects.
The best part about math is that it's engaging! You are always looking for solutions to problems, and your brain is always trying to solve equations through a variety of methods. When I took algebra in high school, I found that even though I had a morning class, I was always wide awake after solving a few math equations. Math always keeps your brain fully working which helps to keep you fully engaged in your learning.
2. Learning math is like learning another language.
Math uses numbers, equations and symbols that each have some sort of meaning or represent a problem that needs to be solved. If you hear someone talk about math, it often sounds like they are speaking another language! When you are learning math, you have to decode what certain symbols or numbers mean in the context of the problem. There are also certain rules that you can't break in math unless given in certain situations just like with grammar.
3. It requires a lot of practice.
One thing that often makes people dislike math is that it requires a lot of practice. However, I've always seen this as something that makes it similar to learning how to play a new instrument. Anyone who is learning how to play an instrument knows that playing an instrument requires a lot of practice regardless of how skilled you are. Math requires work and devotion just like any other subject. You can't simply take a test in math without practicing using the concepts on the test first.
4. It's applicable to the real world.
I cannot express how many times I've heard other students say, "When are we ever going to use math?" It turns out the answer is a lot. When you get older, you find out very quickly that you are always using math in everyday life. Even if you are not planning on choosing a career related to math, you are using math for a lot of things, whether it's to pay bills or simply give a tip to the waiter. Even when you go shopping and find a sale, you are using math to calculate the final price on a clothing item. This is one of the reasons why math is such an important subject, and with more jobs requiring math, it's become even more important.
5. It uses cognitive thinking.
Every math teacher will tell you that math uses a lot of cognitive thinking skills. Math, in other words, requires you to think about thinking. Math requires you to understand what problem you are trying to solve and how you solve a problem. It also requires you to think about how the way you solved the problem makes sense. It's one of the reasons why math can be very challenging. It requires you to sometimes go beyond memorization or basic understanding in order to truly understand the context of solving a problem and finding the solution.
6. It’s fun to use.
A lot of people usually think math is one of the most boring subjects. This is because they have never had a math teacher who has taught math using more fun or engaging activities. I found in algebra that it was fun to be given challenging equations and to find a solution. In class, we would have races of who could solve an equation the fastest on the whiteboard in front of the class. When you use math, you find that always being given a new challenge every day can be a fun way of learning!
7. It can be very challenging.
Just take one calculus course and you'll realize just how challenging math can be. It's one of the reasons why many people say that they hate math. Even I struggle with certain areas of math such as calculus and geometry. However, just because it's challenging doesn't mean you should hate it. When you take a math course, you know that it may not be easy, but it will challenge you to use a different way of thinking. It pushes you to new limits which can help you expand your learning and thinking.
8. It can help your brain work faster.
Even if you are slow at math, your brain learns to work faster at solving problems. If you've ever had to learn mental math, you will find that you will be able to solve problems faster than you knew you were capable of. Math helps your brain understand how to look at the problem and find the solution faster, which can help with everyday life when you're presented with a real-life problem.
As you can see, there are so many reasons why math is one of the best subjects! People often don't enjoy math because they don't fully understand its benefits. And in a world where math is becoming more needed, it's more important that students begin to enjoy and understand the importance of math as a subject.
