Math in the Real World
Do you remember the days in middle school math class when all you heard was “why do I need to learn this,” “when am I going to use this,” and lastly, “I am not good at math.” At the time it was more socially acceptable by our peers to say I am not good at math than anything else. I am sure other subjects heard this phrase too, but none nearly as much as the despised math.
You Use Math Every Day (Even if You Don’t Realize It)
Then we blinked, and we are now in the real world. Math is just about everywhere. Yeah, you may not need to be calculating any slope; however, valuable problem solving skills are necessary for success in the little things that sure can add up.
I want to repaint my bedroom, do I buy the small can of paint or the big can of paint? My favorite store is having a 40% off sale but I’m only allowing myself to spend this much, can I buy this top? My running trail is in kilometers. I know I only want to run this many miles. Applying for that 30-year mortgage, what is that interest about to be? My family likes to eat a lot. We’re going to need to double this recipe. This list could go on for ages.
So math is everywhere and we use it every day; we might as well make it fun. (Cue the math jokes!) We’re adults now, so the “I am bad at math” no longer needs to feel like a socially acceptable statement. Be proud of knowing how much food you need to buy your dog Spot to last him the entire month.
Getting Better at Math
So that’s when we say, well where do I begin to improve my math skills? Start at the little things. Buy a conversion chart. Whether you put it up on the fridge, or have it available in a pants drawer, a conversion chart is an easy way to learn the conversion tables of kilometers to miles, grams to ounces, or liters to gallons the more you use it. They’re skills that don’t come up often, but are extremely handy to know – especially when hiking or cooking.
Take the time to learn supplementary or complementary math skill sets. If there’s something mathematical that you don’t know, it can only benefit you to seek out a way to learn and understand it for next time. Google can always be anybody’s friend free of judgement. I’ll do algebra, I’ll do trig. I’ll even do statistics. But graphing is where I draw the line. 😉