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Why is math so seemingly hated?

Authors note

Amongst students, math seems to be a very popular option for what could be a least-favourite-subject-contest.

For the longest time, I as a person have wondered why.

Sure I get why someone might not like math, I mean, I don't either, but I hate something like Home ec just as much.

What ever could the dichotomy be between math and everything else...?

Well, I set out to do just that by researching the nature of math itself, hope you enjoy!

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A Palmer math classroom

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A Peanuts math cartoon

Math is a very all-or-nothing topic. There is no room to meet in the middle.
 
Every answer is always precise, every calculation double checked, there is always a "right" way to do things.

This might not seem like much, but it's because of this strict and rigid nature that many students have come to look away from enjoying the subject.

Unlike English where certain concepts are up for the writer to decide, everything in math comes back to some sort of formula to memorize.

Most students can probably recall a formula that had given them even a slight bit of trouble to learn, making everything extremely repetitive.

This isn't well suited to the sheer amount of creativity that youth have, often bogged down by school.

At least in English students can show their own writing style, in math, nothing can foster creative expression.

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A  standard Math 9 workbook

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Standard Math homework

Another potential unappealing aspect can be with found within societal pressure.

Now, I don't necessarily mean that society expects one to be good at math, but rather that there are many negative experiences that are usually associated with math.

It might not be the case for everyone, but math just so happens to a subject that parents and/or guardians of a student happen to look for proper marks in.

Most guardians think of math as one of the most important subjects because of the merit that one will receive.

Logical thinking skills, critical decision making, analytical prowess, all of these things are highly essential for even the youngest of children to adapt to.

Thus, parents often teach their children to keep an eye out for math.

In some cases, children might even be driven to tears over attempting to learn math, some of those tears stemming from parents themselves.

This in turn, displays a sense of apprehension when it comes to math, and students usually goes as far as utterly despising the subject.

Instructors and teachers also might not explain things properly, or not be able to describe math.

This leads to students not being able to understand properly, writing off math as something they just "can't do".

This article is but a mere description of what youth might experience when it comes to the topic, but I hope that you still can find it fascinating.

Authors note continued

All in all, don't let your impression of math be bogged down by all of the expectations that are present in society.

Trust me, everything will be worth it if you work hard.

If you'd like to find effective study methods, you can look here.

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