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14 May 2020
4 Min Read
Shahmalarani Chandran (Guest Contributor)
Do you hate maths? Ever wonder how can mathematics help you in life? Here are 3 reasons to love maths!
Maths! That’s the first word my mouth utters without any hesitation whenever someone asks me about my favourite subject. And doubtlessly, I get either a ‘yuck’ or an amused face. However, of the many, I do come across one or two bright-eyed individuals enthusiastically nodding to my point. Meanwhile, those who disagree will start listing out all the reasons why they hate maths and begin charging me with questions such as, “Why should we learn those fruitless formulas which are not applicable in real life?” They describe maths as a static box of tools to be used by maths geniuses. This is when I will be piqued by their curtness.
Mathematics has always had a bad impression for as long as it existed. Honestly, not all of us are born with the skill to master maths and that's ALRIGHT! Not every one of us is number-obsessed, like Pythagoras, and I understand that it'll be frustrating to have a maths problem unsolved for hours! But that doesn’t mean you should hate maths or disregard its worth. If you are one of them, be ready to listen to my points on why I love maths before plunging to a conclusion that maths is a misery!
Besides, can you even say you've never applied maths in your whole life? The answer is obviously "No". Our lives revolve around maths. Some might breathe a sigh of relief having their SPM or IGCSE completed, believing that they're done with maths. If you think this is true, think again.
The knowledge of basic maths is necessary no matter what career you're thinking of pursuing. And if you're thinking of pursuing programmes such as ACCA FIA, ACCA or any business related studies, all the more you've to start bucking up your maths skills!
I’m quite sure you would have come across maths in your daily life. Planning to have a birthday party? Be ready to quantify the budget for your party expenses. Thinking of treating your guests with homemade finger-licking desserts and cakes? You’ll need to measure your ingredients to prepare an adequate amount of food for a large group. Thinking of going on a vacation after the dreadful restricted movement?
From purchasing flight tickets to dividing your expenses for a group trip, you will need the basic knowledge of algebraic maths. Don't be thrown off with the term ‘algebraic’, it is simply the calculations involving addition and subtraction with unknowns to be solved.
Since everyone is fussing about their income and daily expenses due to the pandemic, grocery shopping takes maths into account as well. How else are you going to calculate the percentages of discounts you’re getting at Tesco?
That’s not all, mathematics helps you to excel in some sports too. Learning the conceptualisation of angles will be a great advantage as an athlete to take that penalty kick in football or if you’re to take a deciding shot for your basketball team. Sir Isaac Newton's first law of motion (F=ma), which many might overlook during lectures, is an essential knowledge required to master acceleration and force to control the movement of the ball in pool games.
And now you know how maths becomes part and parcel in each and every bit of our decision making and makes our lives easier.
One reason why I love maths is that it is FULL OF FUN! Do you enjoy solving puzzles? I find it exciting and it makes me want to complete the puzzle as quickly as I can. Same goes for maths, where formulas and equations are given, you just have to find the right point to plug in their values and find the solution.
Another fun part about maths is that it is always black or white. There isn't a grey area to consider. If it is right, then that is the answer and that makes maths the most logical thing ever. Being able to solve a problematic mathematical question is the most satisfying feeling ever.
Have you ever thought about how maths could teach you lessons in life? It involves thinking in various perspectives. An equal sign shows that everything on the right equals the left with a different perspective. Both are true. It teaches us to learn to live life and understand from both perspectives.
Maths is simply a version of problem-solving but in numbers. The more complex questions you solve, the easier it becomes as you will get used to it over time. As with life, the harder the struggle you face, the more glorious is the triumph. Once you are used to the problem, you want to take on the challenge with trickier questions and the same goes in life when you achieve your goal and you begin to strive for a greater challenge, right?
You will be blown away with the fact that you’re addicted to accomplishing goals and thirst for more challenges.
I hope with these points, you're able to believe and understand why maths is useful for each and every one of us. Although some might find maths a difficult subject, it's worth it and should be appreciated for its uniqueness. Thanks to the beautiful universe for the existence of maths and these are the three reasons why I love maths.
Do you consider yourself a math whiz? You might be interested in pursuing Taylor's College ACCA programme. Check out both Taylor's ACCA professional studies here.
