Let''s stop hating Math

**Romulator** · 04-26-2014, 07:07 AM

I've found mathematics to be tough because answers which are marked must have an exact answer, unless it is considered acceptable because of rounding or hypothesizing. This year I'm not exactly finding Maths difficult though because everything is the same as last year, and we're only really doing Financial Arithmetic, Statistics, Matrices and Algebra this year.

Every other subject I have done, it falls under a means of applying various things to contribute a final mark.

Spoiler below!

**Froge** · 04-26-2014, 07:17 AM

(04-26-2014, 07:07 AM)Romulator Wrote: I've found mathematics to be tough because answers which are marked must have an exact answer, unless it is considered acceptable because of rounding or hypothesizing.

OP isn't saying that people should get better at maths, he's saying that maths should be appreciated more like literature and art.

**Alardem** · 04-26-2014, 07:21 AM

Good god. :p How many people on this forum are college-level math majors?

**Froge** · 04-26-2014, 07:23 AM

Very few, given the low amount of activity in Bandrew's maths puzzles thread

**Ghieri** · 04-26-2014, 07:56 AM

TBH unless you're an engineer, researcher, or math teacher, you'll only ever need Algebra.

For those of you still in highschool, you're welcome. You should definitely appreciate what those engineers do for you, though.

**Romulator** · 04-26-2014, 08:50 AM

(04-26-2014, 07:17 AM)Froge Wrote:
(04-26-2014, 07:07 AM)Romulator Wrote: I've found mathematics to be tough because answers which are marked must have an exact answer, unless it is considered acceptable because of rounding or hypothesizing.

OP isn't saying that people should get better at maths, he's saying that maths should be appreciated more like literature and art.

Understandable. I appreciate that I can do math at my expected society level, but don't entirely respect mathematics' complexity and need to remember specifics. I also don't like being marked to the exact, rather wanting critique to be variable, as I myself can never make up my own mind.

Sorry if I sorta threw it off topic though. Disregard my comments if so. Smile

**Yuhaney** · 04-26-2014, 09:00 AM

If I can drop my own two cents in why I hate math, then here you go:

To put it simply, it's because I have always find it hard and easy to fail at, yet other kids seemed to do everything without a problem. Maybe I was just lazy, I don't know...
Now, I can understand the basic stuff; but when numbers, letters and weird signs start to get involved together, it goes into the area which I have absolutely no idea about.

Also, since this has always been a must in school to succeed - or you won't pass - I found it to be least appealing to me.

Today if I go to YouTube, take a look at Numberphile's channel, I can see that it does look fun and interesting although I don't understand anything.

**Nice** · 04-26-2014, 10:38 AM

I hate math because:

I am not interested in it and its still being forced on me to complete it even though i have already grasped all the knowledge I will need it my life therefore i'm not passionate about studying, which leads to bad grades, and those bad grades lead to ruined holidays and just a major cause for stress.

I can understand why someone would enjoy it and love it, so I dont judge those people but unfortunatly i'm not one of them

**Bridge** · 04-26-2014, 11:36 AM

I think the main reason why most people hate it is because they are forced to learn it before they actually know why they should learn it - it has a very alienating effect. It's not a problem unique to math, I'd say it's the same story with all subjects whose benefits are not intuitively obvious. The fact that you have no choice makes you hate it all the more. Then, of course, when you go out into the world and your education becomes applicable you discover for yourself exactly why you were forced to learn it - but by then it's too late.

Growing up I always resented the idea of learning Danish because it is by all rights a remnant of Danish colonial rule. I hated the way it sounded and the fact that I couldn't utter a single correct sentence so I always got low grades. Immediately after graduation when Danish was no longer mandatory - I wanted to learn Danish. It's very useful especially as an introduction to German (or even the other Scandinavian languages because they have more in common with Danish than Icelandic) because it lies more or less halfway between Icelandic and German, and (the reason why we are taught it) Denmark is actually a pretty badass place. A lot of people go there to study or work and while I don't think I will do that it is certainly not bad to have the option. Now I regret hating Danish lessons even though I was fully justified in doing so.

**BAndrew** · 04-26-2014, 12:26 PM

(04-26-2014, 06:51 AM)Alardem Wrote: Good lord, everyone here's a math nerd. :p

I dislike studying mathematics because it's completely at odds with my inclination towards abstract/creative thinking. Requires a different side of the brain, which ends up making me feel like I'm going in two directions at once.

Quote:"I suck at Math" , " I am so bad at Math", "Math is so hard " and so on and from students that are really good on other subjects so definetely lazyliness is not the problem here

Apply logic here. They're good at OTHER SUBJECTS. Wonder why? Maybe because they care about those subjects, and dislike math because it's just not their interest.

Froge Answered for me:

(04-26-2014, 07:17 AM)Froge Wrote: OP isn't saying that people should get better at maths, he's saying that maths should be appreciated more like literature and art.

I didn't mean this in terms of how good they are at it or how much they like it, but in how they disrespect it. I am aware of the diversity around me. But I never find people whining about other subjects as much as Math. (like art or music)

(04-26-2014, 09:00 AM)IIPEE Wrote: If I can drop my own two cents in why I hate math, then here you go:

To put it simply, it's because I have always find it hard and easy to fail at, yet other kids seemed to do everything without a problem. Maybe I was just lazy, I don't know...
Now, I can understand the basic stuff; but when numbers, letters and weird signs start to get involved together, it goes into the area which I have absolutely no idea about.

Also, since this has always been a must in school to succeed - or you won't pass - I found it to be least appealing to me.

Today if I go to YouTube, take a look at Numberphile's channel, I can see that it does look fun and interesting although I don't understand anything.

Then you really don't hate Math. You are just bad at it which is a different thing. I am bad at drawing and music (I mean REALLY bad, I can't draw Tongue

) but that's not a reason for not appreciating the subjects.

(04-26-2014, 10:38 AM)Dogfood Wrote: I hate math because:

I am not interested in it and its still being forced on me to complete it even though i have already grasped all the knowledge I will need it my life therefore i'm not passionate about studying, which leads to bad grades, and those bad grades lead to ruined holidays and just a major cause for stress.

I can understand why someone would enjoy it and love it, so I dont judge those people but unfortunatly i'm not one of them

The point is you don't have to be good at Math or love it. As Froge says:

(04-26-2014, 07:17 AM)Froge Wrote: OP isn't saying that people should get better at maths, he's saying that maths should be appreciated more like literature and art.

You know (roughly) what DNA is, you probably have heard about quantum mechanics, einstein's theory of relativity, black holes, our solar system, etc. but I bet that (this doesn't go for you personally) can't name and describe a single theorem in Math.