Do you hate math class? Do you loathe numbers, fractions, division and multiplication, and/or the elusive “imaginary” number? I’d like to suggest that you learn to love them, or at least get along. One of the most useful skills to have, even in day to day situations, is the ability to think in and utilize numbers to your advantage. If the constant progression of humanity has left us anything at all (and it has) math is one of the most valuable of those skills.
You see, numbers are important. I’ve recently been teaching my son to count (kind of) and throughout my life I’ve found numbers valuable. What makes this all the more interesting is that I’m an artist. You wouldn’t think a guy seeking a PhD in “pretend” would have much use for math but I use it every single day. There are so many examples: simple calculations at the supermarket (is buying the bigger can really saving me money?), budgeting for additional or unexpected expenses, or hanging picture frames evenly spaced on a wall. Math is so useful for everyday purposes.
Math is also useful for long term planning as well. How much do I need to save each month if I want to buy a car by the time I turn sixteen? What will my yearly salary be if I work twenty hours a week at my part-time job after school? What percentage of my income is spent on things I don’t need? If I cut my coffee consumption down to only one cup every week how much will I be saving to go towards the computer supplies I need? What if I just brew my own coffee? How much would that save?
If you’re thinking “I’ve done these things before” to yourself then you can thank math. There is a saying “If you can read this, thank a teacher.” I think this can also be said of math. The numerous uses makes math an important thing to learn. So if you’re struggling: get help. If you don’t care: start. If you think a calculator can do everything for you remember that in the real world you have to set up the problem properly before you can solve it (does this number get divided by the other one, or is it the other way around?). Math is important. I challenge you to prove me wrong (without using statistics). Make sure to check out these resources too.