Why Mathematics

Why should anyone study mathematics? Should those in high school or college be forced to take math courses, even if their intended future profession does not require higher level mathematics?

A common argument in favor of forcing math classes to be taken is that it is a necessary part of educational process to make the individ- ual well-rounded in all aspects including science, humanities, writing classes, language, and the other basic fields of study. While this as- sumption is true, this is not the main reason why mathematics should be a required part of a school's curriculum. First of all, simply re- moving the requirement for math classes would lower the standards for everyone either educating or being educated. Simply giving up on a generation of kids who are not good at math is definitely not the right way to go. If anything, people should be pushed harder in mathematics to do the best as possible even if that means "failing." Hopefully failure would lead persistence to succeed and motivation to do better.

In math, one only has to know the basic operations, and symbolisms. With this limited knowledge, one can solve an infinite number of prob- lems. Theorems may require a certain amount of memorizing, but even these can be derived from previously gained knowledge. In other words, gaining math skills does not just mean that one knows how to do math, but rather opens up the brain to all kinds skills and development.

Yet another reason why mathematics should be studied is the fact that basically anything that happens in the world can be related to mathematics. Gaining an understanding of this concept can greatly affect how one perceives the world around them. New enlightenment may come about with this understanding. Math is also the only true universal part of human culture.

In high school, math should be required for at least three years. This is because during the high school years, a student rarely knows what future profession he or she may have. Entering high school, one may have dreaded mathematics in previous years, but upon being exposed to higher levels of math, the person might gain curiosity or even enjoy- ment for mathematics. Dropping the requirement may steer students away from something that they may develop to be very good at or have a future profession in.

Another reason that mathematics should be a required course is that fact that it helps to develop the problem solv- ing process. Although one may not directly use mathematics in their everyday lives, math plays an indirect role in how they make many day to day decisions such as finances or time management. The ability to problem solve is not something that can be directly taught, but is rather a discrete skill learned over many years through trial and error, past experiences, and exercises that might help to develop such a skill. Mathematics is certainly one these exercises. Math is one of the few fields of study where many facts are not necessarily memorized. Such a field where this is necessary is history, or a high school English class.