Why is math such a difficult subject?

Question

Math is very difficult for me. I cannot pass math without tutors and long hours of study. What's funny is that I get straight A's in the rest of my classes. Is math harder for some people than others?

English is a piece of cake for me!!! I LOVE IT!

Answer 1

Wait a minute until I find my Psychologist hat (I really do have an undergraduate degree in Psych as well as a couple of graduate degrees in Math ☺)

A lot of how 'easy' or 'difficult' a subject is can be traced back to two significant factors. The first (and usually most important from a 'conscious' point of view) is how 'interested' are you in the subject in the first place? I, myself, can't think of too many things that I'd find more boring than collecting coins or stamps. But I know several people who are avid coin and/or stamp collectors and they certainly seem to derive many hours of enjoyment from their hobbies. I certainly can't fault them for that. But I'll never understand it. I'll forever be 'on the outside looking in' as far as that world is concerned. Now, does that make me somehow 'weird' or a 'bad person'? I don't think so. If everyone had exactly the same likes, dislikes, interests, hobbies, etc. it would make for one deadly dull, monotonous, and boring world. So I think it's pretty obvious that all of us being 'different' in various ways is a very *good* thing. I, personally, have always been fascinated by the 'patterns' and 'structures' and 'relationships' that exist in mathematics. To me, mathematics seems like a huge 'toy' that is always revealing new 'tricks' that it can do. And, best of all, it has a way of 'tantalizing' you with "Is this always true?" kinds of questions. In some ways it's like a gigantic jigsaw puzzle. In other ways it's like a work of art (if you've had any 'Analytic Geometry' you'll really appreciate the art bit ☺) But that's just *me*. It isn't (nor should it *have* to be) anybody else. There are others like me and we certainly enjoy our common interest(s) and spend lots of time talking about our favorite subject, comparing notes, sharing a new discovery, etc. etc. But so do coin and stamp collectors.

The second (and even stronger from a 'subconscious' point of view, since it strongly affects the 'conscious interest') factor affecting a persons ability to learn a particular subject is early life experiences (good or bad) with that subject. If, for example, a pre-school child hears an older sibling saying, "I *hate* this mathematics stuff." over and over again, it's going to bias them against the subject before they're ever even exposed to it. (It doesn't make any difference that the older sibling is lousy in math because they prefer to watch TV and don't study) Another lamentably common experience is the math teacher in 1'st or 2'nd grade who has a miserable attitude (for whatever reason) and takes it out on their students. It only takes a few times of being belittled or embarrassed in front of your friends (especially at that age) to permanently alienate a person from that subject. Frequently it happens at such an early age that the student doesn't even remember it by the time they're a few years older. All they know is that they don't 'like' the subject. And note that everything I'm saying can be applied to *any* subject. It's not unique to math. But mathematics does have one characteristic that sets it apart from most other studies; It builds upon itself. That is, there is a 'progression' that must be gone through (and mastered) before the next area can be attempted. If a student can't add, multiplication will be quite difficult to learn. Without multiplication and subtraction, long division will be a complete mystery. Without understanding basic arithemtic, there's not even a prayer of understanding algebra. And so it goes. A very few, long-forgotten, experiences can be 'leveraged' over time to make mathematics a totally bewildering and baffling subject. Does that make someone a 'bad' or 'stupid' person? No. It makes them 'human'. Unless you want to get into a long discussion about deviant psychology, it's safe to say that *nobody* likes to be embarrassed or belittled in front of their friends. And they'll do whatever it takes to avoid such situations. I'll tell you a story: I'm not terribly fond of tomatoes and I never have been. But it wasn't until my brother mentioned something (20-some years later) that I understood why. My Father loved tomatoes and, as a result, there were always a dozen or so tomato plants in our back yard. And, at the age of 4 or 5, guess who got to go out and pull all of those nasty green caterpillars off of the tomato plants (and who got his butt paddled if he didn't )? And, after my brother made some offhand comment about how I hated that job and was so happy when it was passed to him, I also remembered thinking about what it would be like to bite into a tomato and see *half* of one of those caterpillars wriggling in it. Just the thought made (and still makes) me want to do some serious projectile vomiting. But here's the most interesting part. Even today (and I'm 61 years old) I *still* don't like raw tomatoes. And I've known about that experience in early childhood since I was mid-20's. I can force myself to eat raw tomatoes (which I couldn't even do until I was mid-30's), but I *don't* like them. And not only do I *know* where that dislike comes from, I also have a Psych degree and know a fair bit about how the human mind works. Now imagine what it would be like for someone who didn't have that knowledge and those tools. Get the picture? Our lives are shaped in huge ways by events that happened in our early childhood and which we've long since consciously forgotten. But the subconscious remembers *everything*. Without exception. (Want to know what you had for breakfast on your 3'rd birthday? Get in tune with your subconscious and, sooner or later, it will tell you ☺) When does the human brain develop a subconscious? Opinions vary from as early as the middle of the 2'nd trimester of gestation (and yes, there is experimental evidence to suggest that it really *is* that early) to about 4 months of age. It's amazing, isn't it, to think that between 75 to 95 percent (again, opinions vary) of our personalities and our lives are 'cast in stone' by the time we're only a few years old ☺

And now, I'm going to let you in on one of the biggest secrets in the whole world of high-tech. Most (not all, but most) people who use a lot of 'advanced' math in their professions (engineers in all disciplines, chemists, astrophysicists, etc. etc.) don't really *like* math. But they have learned to just accept it as a 'necessary evil' that they have to tolerate in order to do what they *really* enjoy doing. Again, does that make them bad people? No. It just means that they had to force themselves to learn something that they didn't really like all that much (very much like me with tomatoes ☺)

And where does all of this leave *you*? I'll be damned if I know. I'm just a simple mathematician. But I *do* know that you have the answers locked up inside yourself. And I also know that pretty much anyone (excluding those with organic brain damage and/or serious psychological problems) can learn mathematics. But even if you never learn math much beyond arithmetic and balancing a checkbook, the *most* important thing to remember is that it does *not* make you a 'bad' or 'stupid' person ☺


Doug

Answer 2

One factor for being good at maths is just how your brain works,t hats why some people find it extremely easy and some just can't get it.

Anyway, to be very good at Maths, you need to understand your concepts well and practise a lot. With a lot of practise, you'll see the same patterns of maths questions over and over again. Most Maths questions are basically testing the same thing but having the questions changed here and there to look different. Once u can regconize the pattern, one look at a question and you can immediately identify what they're asking you so doing lots of maths questions really help a lot.

Answer 3

math is not a difficult subject for all students. My daughter flew through math with all A's right up to when she graduated high school. . It is a difficult subject for your child. And when a child has a lot of trouble with a subject, they are never going to like it. It is very frustrated to the student and can make them feel bad about them self. It is very hard to love or even begin to like an academic subject you always are fighting to understand

Answer 4

Math requires something more than just memorizing. You need to understand it. Try practicing more maths. Eventually your math skills will improve

Answer 5

Because it requires more practice than other subjects.

You're probably not putting in enough effort. Since you're weak, you need to put in three times the hard-work than your friends put in. Just see yourself with an A and you'll get there.

I used to have the same problem too.

Goodluck. (:

Answer 6

Math is harder for some than others.

Answer 7

math requires long trains of thought on a single line. it needs organized, logical thinking that most people just aren't used to doing. learning it is a good skill though, good for you that you get the help you need! :)

Answer 8

most females are bad at math. I have no problem with math but i suck at english. I failed 11th grade english 3 times, but passed trig with no problem. Everyone has their strenghs and weaknesses

Answer 9

for me math is just an easy subject coz i like it and i enjoy it. but im not good in english subject and also history. they bored me. i dont see any applications with those subjects except for communication.

Answer 10

Because it;s numbers....I am an expert an foreign languages but I suck at memorizing numbers and formulas. I dont know why but maybe because they have soo many numbers and different ways of memorizing and solving problems.

Answer 11

It'll come to you in a flash (player)