Mathematics

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I was given today to ponder on the fun world of mathematics. Many of my ELS students can't do very simple, non-english related problems (ie: I expressed the problem in purely mathematical terms and these people were LOST!) As a school subject, it seems to incite the strongest reaction from people. It seems to me that it is a very polar issue -- either people really like it and are good at it, or hate it with a passion. Where do you sit on this topic?

If someone smarter than me would like to make a poll on this, please do and then have a Mod shut this thread down, but until then, inform me of your position!

 

Smarter than I.

Teacher of what, exactly?

Actually, I'm one of those people who are good at math yet hate it immensely. I find that once I sit down and study the formulae, carrying that concept through to a series of problems is usually no big deal. However, since I loath solving math problems endlessly and prefer to do it as sparcely as possible, I've never felt the need to continue on to higher level math courses (like Trig and Calculus). Never had an interest or need. I'm familiar with both, though - just never took a class as it was never required for my field. i'm well versed in what I consider the useful-in-real-life areas, like advanced algebra and statistics.

Guess that's why I became a graphic designer. In school we get to draw naked people.

 

Same problem, DR - one is, not are.

Anyways, I think LKD is an 'ESL' instructor, or 'English as a Second Language' (you said "ELS" at one point; typo?) so I imagine it'd be helpful to people to have experience dealing with 'word problems' in the language they're learning.


As for the bigger issue, I tend to be similar to Death Rabbit - if pressed into it, I'll enjoy 'crunching numbers', but if I don't have to, I really don't mind missing it.

 

I despise math but I'm pretty good at it. Most people's problem with math is that it requires a methodical mind, and most people aren't methodical.

 

I liked maths but didn't like the way it was taught. I particularly hated having to dissect dumb tasks as if they were rocket science. The givens, the soughts, a drawing, a response, what the heck. All that for a simple task anyone could solve in his head sometimes. That was morbid and torturous.

 

Hate it and never was good at it. It's too bloody "cold" and too logic. I prefer situation where point of view and personal feeling are more important than some overly complicated formula. Guess it's no surprise then that I'm a student in art. I've the basics of maths, like algebra and statistic mind you, but I won't need any of that bloody stuff ever, so why bother? I think beside the very basics it should only be taught to people who like it and will be using it in their fields of studies/work. When, in my daily life, will I ever use algebra? The answer's never.

 

In high school, I hated maths to death and completly sucked at them.

When I began adult's education, things got better - I still don't like maths, but I finally grasped the cold hard logic behind them. Hey, for someone who was dead last in maths in high school, succesfully going through half of secondary 5 enriched maths is pretty damn good.

 

I loved it and was good at it... until about 3rd year in university. That's when the theory got too abstract and I decided this is not what I want to deal with for my career.

 

I don't mind math. I've always been good at it (except for Calculus), but don't have to use the more complex stuff (like Trig or Logarithms) very often.

 

I'm really good at math, but I don't like solving time filler problems (as with everyone), however I love the problems that require some thought.

 

i don't like math until i go to university. In high school (a common Asian high school in particular) you just do and do and do and practice and practice until you die, and everyone will recognize you as a good student. So when i go to Iowa State, i took Real analysis and Advance calculus. Real analysis analyze real number so it is very conceptual. Advance calculus is even way cool, integrate convergent sigma series. The technical integrating part is, well, just technical. The concept part of going about to integrate it is even important. So i wouldn't say it is an "either or" situation. It's just that you haven't touch the part that you might like.

 

My pet peeve is the way you guys call it "math". It just sounds weird. "Maths" seems to sound more logical. I know there is no logic to that feeling. Just sounding off really.

I have no preference either way on maths. I'm OK at it and I don't mind doing it, but I don't love it either.

 

It really depends on the context, I hate solving generic mathematical problems but if it's a part of a context I'm actually interested in then I don't mind.

I was never too good a maths though, the more advanced stuff bored me to death and I was never interested in even trying.

 

Rather similar to Montresor. I was always very talented at maths, but during secondary education, the teachers managed to kill it for me. Rather oddly, after swearing never to touch maths again, I'm now going to university and maths is forming half of my course.

I'm with you on this one.

 

I loved Maths at school and took Further Maths as a fourth A-level.

Unfortunately when I got to university this put me ahead, so I didn't bother with the lectures in the fist year - which put me behind - from where I never caught up. Intergrating SinhxCoshy/tan5z didn't really seem like it was going to have any use in the real world.

 

Maths is not my kind of thing to say the least. I was very good at problem-solving (you know, the ones described in actual language), but pretty much all the rest I sucked at. It seems like my brain is ill-suited to work with numbers and symbols. I've never managed to grasp the logic behind it. Which is weird considering I do well at linguistics, which is not that different from maths as it may seem.

It also seems to me to be immensely boring. Not the kind of thinking that appeals to me. These days, I just don't even try. Most uni studies here have the dreaded "statistics" course, thankfully, mine doesn't.

 

I think a bunch of people have already hammered the nail that's important to me - practical application. 'Pure math' just seems to esoteric; and that probably contributed to my declining grades in sec.edu.

(I could even see usefulness to derivative calculus in my interests - working with movement/velocities/acceleration and the like, but INTEGRATING? I just could NOT find any desire to determine the area under a curve...)

A lot of the 'complex' math I'll do is directly related to what I'm working on (some mmo has several crafting tasks I can do to grind a skill, and I want to rotate between them - respawn of materials - and how many 'cycles' will it take to make the next level? for one example)

 

If "math" troubles you so, then call it by the full name - mathematics. The nickname "math" is an abbreviated version of the already plural "mathematics".

 

@ jaded,

LKD and I go way back. I knew what kind of teacher he was, I was just being a smartass.

Kinda my thing.