Photo Credit: ALEXANDRA MADAR
BY BLUE KAUFMAN
Throughout high school, every individual has classes they like and dislike. However, one subject seems to be the least favorable for most students: Mathematics. In fact, many are familiar with the saying “When am I going to use math in my life?” It’s understandably difficult for students to ever picture themselves using inverse trigonometric functions after high school. However, that doesn’t mean that math is a waste of time.
Students who feel math isn’t used in the real world could not be more wrong. Engineering, construction, pharmacology, medicine, finance, insurance, and science are just a few jobs that require math skills. According to The National Center of Educational Statistics, the greatest numbers of degrees are conferred in the field of business. Also, almost every job that involves business somehow involves math. What students don’t realize is the same concepts that aggravate them in the classroom end up being applied in their future jobs.
Even if you don’t plan on having a business-related career, you will still end up using math on a daily basis. Say you’re grocery shopping and a packet of plates has 100 for $3.15 and another packet has 150 for $3.80. Which is the better deal? You’d use a proposition to find the answer. What if you’re cooking a dinner recipe that feeds 3 but you need to feed 14? You’re going to have to use math to adjust the amount of ingredients. And for those who like to gamble, calculating probabilities quickly and accurately are important skills if you want to win.
While it’s true that you may not need to know how to prove trigonometric identities, you will need to use the skills of applying one concept to another in order to achieve an answer. Math is a subject that requires a lot of focus, so by practicing these crucial problems you are helping to initiate smarter ways to problem solve. According to the National Council of Teacher Mathematics, math is about the ability to explore, conjecture, and reason logically.” Even if you don’t use equations in the future, they’re good practice for your brain, which will help you make better life decisions regardless of your career choice.
Students need to accept that math is essential and will be useful to them in the future. Not only will they use it in their careers and in everyday life but it also might be some of the most valuable pieces of information you learn in high school.
