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Why you shouldn’t hate maths



Why do some people absolutely hate maths? Is it really because it is a difficult and boring subject? Or is the perceived difficulty just an illusion? Let’s list a few points about why you should not hate it as much as you do:


Maths is about problem solving

When you see a problem, what is your first instinct? To run away from it or to try to solve it?

If the latter option is your preference, then you should not hate maths because it is a subject that develops a logical thinking process. A maths problem requires you to think logically and hones your problem solving skills.

Solving a problem is a vital skill – from a teacher arranging students in groups for a class activity to astronomers deciding the best parameters for an optimal trajectory of a satellite to be launched, every person will always encounter a problem and will have to solve it by logical thinking and some calculations.

Maths is about patience

Maths requires patience. Yes, it is very possible that you will make mistakes and not reach the correct result in the first few tries, but is it really worth leaving the subject to your hateful negligence just because you didn’t get it right the first time? Good things take time, so stay right there and don’t give up! It could just be that you were overlooking a simple yet important fact that was messing up your result.

Maths is about understanding

Maths is not about memorising facts, it is about understanding them. Every concept requires you to understand it and feel it, not memories each step in the proof of a theory. Every step has a meaning and can be replaced by another step if it provides the same result. You need to think and understand and understanding things is not a bad trait.

You can practice your concepts here to improve your understanding and build confidence.

Maths is not only about calculations

If you’re one of those who believe that maths is tedious and only about boring numbers then you are wrong. Maths is about a lot of things – patterns, shapes, games, functions, relations, routes and a lot more! Maths is not only about calculating numbers, it is also about finding logical solutions to most common as well as not so common problems in numerous ways.

Maths is used almost everywhere

Maths is used in almost every domain of life. From your daily activities like shopping from the nearby grocery store to various career paths, from business to fashion designing, maths is unavoidable.

Fashion designing looks fun, colourful and creative and it requires the designer to design according to the measurements of a model, adjust the parts of the design to match others not only in colour but in shape, length and size as well. Maths, we found you here too!

Maths is fun!

And last but not the least, maths is fun! Once you start to understand it and see how interesting it is, it is actually quite enjoyable. Maths based games are fun and so is understanding a new, cool concept.

 

If maths look tedious and uninteresting to you, you only need to give it a chance. Be patient, be understanding, be thoughtful: these traits are not just useful for maths.

Author: Gunjan Vyas
Gunjan is a college student who likes to write as a hobby. She has contributed to internationally acclaimed anthologies and also published a well-received collection of short stories.

Conquering the Fear of Maths


School kids may be divided into two broad categories: those who love maths and those who hate the maths subject.

Students who love maths need little or no guidance. Clear explanation and a few maths practice sums are enough to help them get better at the subject. However, things are not so easy with the other students. Student who dislike maths do so because they don’t understand it. This makes them fear the subject and that fear ultimately leads to dislike. As the parent it is important that you help your kid get over that fear so that child changes perspective and starts taking interest in maths.

Listed below are a few simple tips that you could adopt at home:

Remove the Negativity

Often times the parent’s perception of the subject reflects on the child. If you don’t like the subject and have showcased it quite a few times, your child will automatically dislike it as well. This is why it is highly advisable that you create a positive environment at home, which welcomes maths and problem solving. Talk about the advantages of learning maths and how maths will be useful in the future. Be enthusiastic about the subject so that it encourages your child to make an effort and voluntarily engage in maths practice.

Use Real Life Examples

Kids learn better with real life examples because they instantly connect with them. You should take advantage of this and present such instances. For example, you may ask your little child to cross the groceries and then verify the grand total. If your child is a little older you may also ask him to calculate how to split the restaurant bill among 4 people. You could also take chocolates and purchase into consideration and ask questions such as, “If one chocolate costs Rs.10, how much will 20 chocolates cost?”

Such connecting questions will spur interest and inspire them to practice maths regularly.

Play Games That Relate To Maths

Kids usually don’t like being directly taught. This holds true especially when you are trying to teach a subject they don’t like. This is where games come in. Today, the market has many interactive and educational games that will not just provide entertainment but will also help your child learn. Kids learn best when they are interested and games cater to that.

Use Technology

We live in a world of advanced technology and thanks to the advent of Internet maths practice has become fun and feasible. You have plenty of choices to practice maths online and to improve your child’s maths skills. Kids love moving out of books and pencils, and using the mouse or track pad. A change in the environment and medium of instruction will definitely have a positive impact.

These are four very simple ways of helping your child overcome his fears of the subject. Encourage him to practice maths online and/or buy him interactive games based on his age. Gradually, you will see progress.

Author: Shatru Naik

Shatru is start-up specialist with experience in education and IT domains, currently he Founded maths9.com. Shatru is interested in education research. He can be reached at shatru (at) maths9.com. You also connect him on LinkedIn.

Learning Mathematics – Important or not ?



“Maths is the worst thing ever invented by man. What were they thinking? Language is too easy, so let’s make up some creepy symbols and manipulate them to haunt every generation of kids.”

On January 21, 2014, on the Facebook fan page of the renowned author, Chetan Bhagat, the above statement (from 3 Mistakes Of My Life) was published posted on a Facebook status. This gave rise to a numerous positive and negative comments from people throughout the globe. A few people appreciated the statement, whereas a few completely disagreed with the statement.

Few people, in fact expressed contentment stating even Chetan Bhagat actually thinks of those lines as they think! Whereas a few more people stated that “mathematics occupies an important place in various branches of studies” and the statement was not agreed upon.

Among the numerous comments that followed the statement a comment indicated that “maths is a language of scholars”, whereas there was another comment, which stated that Maths annoys that person a lot. There was one  more comment, which stated that “maths is like sweet and a few like it and a few people do not. This clearly tells as to how people are biased about this subject.

Even though the opinions vary among people, I feel Mathematics is an important branch of study and have put across my personal views herein.

Well! Maths is often considered a tough subject of study. Too many calculations, formulas, method of working out and such other things are really not a child’s play. The previous night of the Maths examination is truly a nightmare for many. But, what about life without mathematics? Learning only languages may help you to interact with people.

Even in various subjects of study like geography, physics or chemistry, various numerical calculations will be included and hence, mathematics can never be ignored. Apart from the usual arithmetic study, students will also be subject to study of algebra and geometry, with which mathematics is made interesting. Considering all these aspects, maths can certainly be considered ‘magic’. However, by following the below mentioned tips, maths can be learnt effectively.

  • Practice maths daily – It is better to make it a habit. Students are required to dedicate at least two to three hours on a daily basis for this purpose. Practice only makes better at maths.
  • Group studies can prove to be effective. - Compete with friends so as to decide who can solve quickly and effectively.
  • Memorize the formulae – The formulae should be memorized well. It is ideal to make a chart of it and hang it against a wall, so that they can have a glance at it every day.
  • Consider it equal to any other subject – When the students think this way, it will not generate any kind of stress. However, it is suggested to give a little more importance.
  • Be confident – Solving the math problems confidently is extremely essential. Try to find new methods of solving a particular problem. Understand the concept well, so that it facilitates easy calculation.

If these things are followed, maths will never be a difficult subject of study.  Children can easily excel in it and score well!

The author Chetan Bhagat’s statement, does not actually fit in the current competitive world. May be he feels that for a writer it is not that essential as most of the time and efforts are revolved around thinking on creative lines and putting across good language. However, considering the needs of the current world, knowing at least the basic concepts of mathematics is essential.

         Image credit:  Chetan Bhagat Facebook fan page.

Author: Priyanka Kamath
Priyanka is a successful content writer and has written various webpages, blogs and articles and has contributed greatly to the content writing field. She has completed her Bachelors in Commerce from Mangalore University and has set up a wonderful career in content writing. Apart from being a prosperous homemaker, her passion for writing is tremendous.

What is mathematics?

"Mathematics is a way of thinking. It's a way of solving problems."

An excellent video by Prof. Dor Abrahamson, Professor of Mathematics, University of California, Bereley.


 

Souce : Edutopia