Maths is easily the most hated subject among students. It is considered the most difficult with nothing to offer but X’s and O’s. But there’s more to maths than most students think. The subject originates in some of the oldest civilisations in the world, like Egypt, Mesopotamia and Maya, where it was used for tax systems, commerce and as a way to examine the natural world. The subject has remained relevant over the years because of its massive benefits and impact on society. That’s why every curriculum in the world teaches maths to a certain level because it is critical for every person to have a decent level of maths skills to excel in society.
Understanding the importance of maths can help students understand how the subject can impact their lives and encourage them to put more effort and focus into excelling in the subject.
It Helps Maintain a Healthy Brain
Your brain is like a muscle. The more you flex it, the more it grows and develops. Any challenging brain exercise, which includes crosswords, puzzles and math problems, helps protect the brain’s cells. Building math skills at a young age benefits the brain because it helps young people develop strong brain muscles.
Improves Ability to Communicate
With mathematics, students learn to be precise with their words and definitions. There’s a connection between verbal acumen and mathematical reasoning, which makes math a language at its core. There are rules for communication in maths, like any other language. Unlike other languages, maths has no ambiguity. You don’t get to use your tone of voice or body language to clarify the message. With maths, the message is precise, objective and without ambiguity.
A good example of a math language is computer programming. Each of the instructions in the computer program has a specific operation which tells the computer what to do. Something as minor as a missed colon, extra space or wrong case can keep everything from common. This attention to detail in math reflects in your daily life and how you communicate even without you knowing.
Math Teaches the Value of Process
The math objective is to prove why something works. You can only get the correct outcome by demonstrating the correct process used to arrive at that outcome.
The idea of “showing your work” is deeply entrenched in the math subject, even in lower-level math classes. Teachers will not allow students to come up with the right answer without demonstrating the right process.
Students are more likely to get more credit if they have a sound process but get the wrong answer than vice-versa.
This approach helps students appreciate the importance of processes not only in achieving the right outcomes in maths but also in their attempts to arrive at the right outcomes in life.
It Encourages Analytical Thinking
Analytical thinking is when you can identify problems, gather information and data and use these to work through solutions. Analytical thinking is essential in solving math problems. It also helps people to grow skills that help in solving increasingly more complex math problems. It’s a crucial skill because it allows people to think logically, sort through data and think of problems from all angles.
Strong analytical thinking skills also make it harder for people to fool you. Think of yourself sitting in a pyramid scheme pitch. As the speaker shares details, you can quickly tell the numbers don’t work, as everyone else is ecstatic about the pitch.
With Maths, You Can Make More Money
Maths and money are closely linked. Without maths, balancing a budget would be almost impossible. Having poor maths skills is the leading cause of spending too much money or spending money you don’t even have. Large business corporations use maths to calculate their salaries and expenses and make projections about the future. You’ll need math if you want to be on top of your money.
You will also notice that most majors in college and universities requiring you at least one maths subject like calculus often have the best return on investment. Most math-based courses have excellent salary packages, which shows the importance of math not only in school but also in the workplace.
Math is All Around Us
When you look around you, you can see math everywhere. From the architecture of the skyscrapers in your building to the cars driving around, maths is an important part of engineering which drives most aspects of modern technology.
Maths also applies to simple everyday tasks like baking cookies. You will need to measure the right amount of each ingredient, and processes like baking also require a lot of maths. Storage, transportation and testing of food on a commercial scale also require maths. Buying packaged products at the store, cooking at home or ordering a meal at the restaurant all have math involved.
Every Career Uses Math in Some Way
Literally every career you can think of uses maths. Some use math more than others, while others are more devoted to math and analytical thinking. Even if you work in fields that seem totally separated from maths, you will still find yourself doing math in some way, like creating invoices, budgeting or calculating raises.
Maths Helps Us Understand the Universe
Maths has helped us understand how the universe works. Revolutionary scientists like Albert Einstein and his theory of relativity changed how we think about time and space. The same theories also provided a blueprint for studying nuclear energy. Most scientists believe that maths is not only a universal language but also the language of the universe.
As you can see, it’s almost impossible to live a life devoid of math, as much as most students believe they are better off without math. Maths will play an essential role in your life long after school. It will help you manage your finances better, avoid scams, and understand most things in a way that most people don’t.
