After reading this article you won’t be able to escape Math anymore. If you want to function in today’s society, the basic knowledge of arithmetic, algebra and geometry can give you a huge advantage. Even high Math surprisingly can come in handy.
Many struggling students throughout the world discredit the importance of Math just because it can be a pretty hard and abstract discipline. However, it is crucial to learn it if you want to make informed adult choices and not just follow the tide.
Math Helps to Budget
You probably anticipated that I would start with it. Math is commonly associated with counting, and counting is a part of everyday financial routine. Whether you are trying to calculate how much you are going to pay for groceries or how much interest you are going to get over the course of the year, it is the Math that you are using.
Even if you make enough money not to care so much about minor shopping expenses, you would definitely want to understand how your loan/mortgage works. That is a huge expenditure and getting it wrong can turn your life into pure hell. If you cannot comprehend compound interest, you run a risk of signing for a very shady deal which could deplete your bank account at an exponential rate.
Being able to plan such enormous financial commitments is a key to your stability and independence. You do not want to end up losing your lifelong possessions just because you were not capable of making a simple calculation.
Math Fosters Critical Thinking
It is one of those arguments teachers use. However, many students then would need clarifications why exactly critical thinking is so important.
People are bombarded with tons of information every day. Those who possess critical thinking skills can sift through it and see the falsehoods others may not notice. So many ads promise miracles, but the smart people see though the external veneer and understand what is really going on.
If you know Math, then if the ad says that people switched to their product in 90 % of cases, you would wonder how many of them were questioned (or as the statisticians would say – what the sample size was), what’s up with the other 10 % and how diverse was the pool of interviewees. If you know Math you would be able to calculate how this number correlates with the overall population and whether this argument is legit or just a bluff to get you to splurge on something silly.
Maths helps understand why people do not see the difference between 560 and 550 dollars, but see it between 10 and 20 dollars, even though it is the same. Thanks to Math you will be able to think critically and spot logical inconsistencies in your reasoning.
Math Improves Living Conditions
Whether you live in a house or an apartment, things are bound to break down there at some point. You may get a dripping faucet or your wall paint may come off. In this case the knowledge of Math can go a long way in helping you find effective solutions.
For instance, in case of paint, thanks to Math you can figure out the wall area and how much paint you would need for it. With a dripping faucet you can calculate the drip rate and estimate how much more you would pay for a utility bill as a result. Knowing how much electricity is utilized with each bulb or how much wire you need to install new outlets can preclude unnecessary spending and help you avoid stress and uncertainty.
Of course, you may not do everything about the house, sometimes resorting to professional services. However, it is always nice to save a penny on minor improvements, and knowing Math you can do it fast.
Math Makes Healthier
Most people are having weight problems at some point in their lives. The first instinct in this case is to go on a diet, but the latter can only be successful if done the right way. So, it is crucial that you count your calories and maintain the right Body/fat percentage, and not just starve yourself to death.
Moreover, Math can help you do sports. Whether it’s as simple as counting your steps per day or estimating how much weight you can lift per day without straining yourself, Math can make your exercise much more productive and bring fulfillment as it can also be used to monitor progress.
Math Assists with Travelling
Even if you are not a passionate globetrotter, you would most likely need to move at some time in your life. If you do your Math correctly in this situation, you can avoid many stress inducing problems.
For instance, if you are going by car, it is critical to assess how much fuel you would require for the trip. It is also helpful to know the miles per hour ratio in order to understand how well your car performs. You probably do not fancy the idea of being stranded in the middle of the road waiting for some random car to show up out of nowhere.
If you are travelling internationally, of course, Math can aid you in determining the budget. The cost of tickets, hotel, souvenirs, and unexpected purchases should also be taken into account. Math will accompany you every step of the way whether you like it or not. Even after you arrive at your destination, you may need to do conversions between the metric and imperial system which would also require some calculations.
Conclusion
People can make silly mistakes if they did not grasp the important Math concepts. For instance, they can exaggerate the discount amount or do something on their own to save money, not realizing that normally they make more per hour which means that they are actually losing money.
If you can do Math, life becomes easier in so many aspects. Only knowing Math can one make informed decisions with their brain and not just with emotion which is easily manipulated by marketers and public opinion?