If you have a "math phobia" like me, and consider your interests to have little or nothing to do with mathematics, rest assured because you are not alone.
We've all heard the saying "I'm bad at math" so many times, but as Stephen Hawkings would say, "mathematics is much more than equations." Mathematics includes logic (study of principles of reasoning), arithmetic (operations on numbers), algebra (working with unknown quantities), geometry (study of size and shape), trigonometry (triangles and their uses), probability (study of chance), statistics (methods for analyzing date) and calculus (study of quantities that change).
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Ears hissing yet?
Many harbor a fear or loathing of mathematics, when in reality, it is not as dry as it seems while we're in school. Speaking for myself, I used to cringe at the idea of being able to do math in high school (plus I have to take a math course for a quantitative requirement). Math quiz? Hah! Good luck trying to get me to calm down. That was a highway for panic attacks. I second-guessed myself too many times, even when I knew many of the answers pretty often. Also, it took me longer amounts of time to solve some problems compared to other classmates. Part of the reason why was because I focused too much on getting the answer right instead of looking at the bigger picture.
Long story short, I struggled with math. I kept thinking I'm just one of those people who's not good at it, because it's too complex, it's killing my creativity, everything's either right or wrong, it's irrelevant to my life.
I CAN'T do it!
Whoa, slow down there tiger. Everyone can do math. All it takes is self-confidence and hard work--the same qualities needed to learn to read, master a musical instrument, or become skilled at a sport. Of course, different people learn math at a different speed, but no matter what type of thinking style you prefer, you can succeed in mathematics. True, only a few people receive the training needed to work with advanced mathematical concepts, but that doesn't mean you're not capable of understanding the basics of important issues, math or science major or not. The situation applies to other fields too. Speaking as an English major, it takes years of study and practice to become a proficient writer. Mathematics is no exception. You can still understand enough about it to succeed as an individual.
Also, if you think mathematics has nothing to do with creativity and the arts, oh-ho, you have much to learn. Understanding mathematics that explains the colors of a rainbow or the geometric work of art only enhances aesthetic appreciation. It's no coincidence that people trained in mathematics find elegance and beauty in math and make contributions to art, music, and many other fields. Look at Lewis Carroll (author of Alice in Wonderland, a mathematician), James Cameron (film director who studied physics before leaving college), Mayim Bialik (actress on The Big Bang Theory, who studied mathematics as a part of her Ph.D. in neuroscience), Natalie Portman (Oscar-winning actress and semifinalist in Intel Science Talent Search and co-author of two published scientific papers), Alexander Solzhenitsyn (Nobel prize-winning Russian author, who has degrees in mathematics and physics from the University of Rostov), Bram Stoker (author of Dracula, who studied mathematics at Trinity University, Dublin), and Hedy Lamarr (actress titled "the most beautiful woman in Hollywood," who invented and patented the mathematical technique of "frequency hopping").
Without a sense of how quantitative concepts are used in art, architecture, and science, you cannot fully appreciate the works of great artists. Mathematical concepts play a major role in everything from pop culture to works of art, film, or literature. Using mathematical tools takes creativity. Even, the design and layout of a building requires specific skills to lay the foundation and frame of a structure. Look at the Mayans and the Aztecs! How about the Parthenon? Tower Bridge. Chartres Cathedral. The Empire State Building. Taj Mahal. Creativity is needed to develop the architectural design and factor in constraints based on budgets.
Another common misconception: math answers are never so clear cut. This is especially the case when working on your bills. Will your balance be the exact result at the end of the year or will it be affected by service charges or taxes on interest earned? What other factors could affect your balance?
You will have heard these many times (believe me, it was hammered into me by my Algebra teacher), but it's true. No matter what your path in college, career, and life, you will find mathematics involved in many ways. Whether it's daily financial decisions or global issues such as the economy, politics and science, quantitative reasoning is essential to understandings issues that appear every day. Mathematics can be as simple as predicting how the money in your bank account will grow. It can also be used in areas such as business management, economics, engineering, biology/ecology, computer science, artificial intelligence, physics, chemistry, medicine/physiology, psychology, and sociology. So, the next time you say to yourself, "I can't math," think again. Start by changing your attitudes towards the subject.
