My dad says I'm a lot better at algebra than I give myself credit for but...?

Question

I just don't get WHY I have to do algebra!!! I don't understand half the stuff I'm doing in my book and it doesn't help that I have no clue as to why exactly I have to learn it. My dad (who is also my teacher...yes, I am homeschooled!) says I'm better at it than I think and I can't understand that either. WHY am I so good at it and WHY CAN'T I UNDERSTAND THE BLOODY SUBJECT?! It's driving me insane! Why can't I just go write a nice looooooong story in my notebook instead? Words like me more than numbers....

Oops! I forgot to mention........My dad is an electrical engineer, so he doesn't really grasp how anyone could have a tough time understanding algebra.....if that helps anything......

Answer 1

I'm guessing you want to be a writer, that's good

but algebra is a necessary subject to be taught to everyone because it has useful applications for science, engineering, and business. As a writer and a person, you will need to keep track of your money, and if you ever switch careers it will be instrumental for you to have a mathematical background.

Answer 2

Your question is not an unusual one. A lot of students wonder about that, and I can give you several reasons. Let me limit it to 2:

1) Practical reason: if you plan to go to college, you'll have to take entrance exams, including the SAT and/or ACT. Algebra is covered on those exams, so you'll need it there.

2) Slightly more theoretical reason: Up until just recently, you reasoned as a child. Children aren't stupid, but they are inexperienced, and the whole concept of working with abstracts escapes them. You've recently become capable of doing that, but (again) you're inexperienced. Algebra is just one way of giving you the experience you need to learn to reason well and quickly. Depending on what you do with your life, you may never use algebra again once you get into college, but we all hope very strongly that you'll use the reasoning abilities you learn there every day of your life. Think of it as training in how to analyze a problem and find a solution, or at least an understanding of it. The general term for the kind of reasoning you use in algebra is "symbolic reasoning", and it's one of the abilities that make you human.

Answer 3

maths and more specifically algebra is important in ways you cant even begin to imagine. the computer you used to write this question is driven by maths as an example. even if you don't use maths regularly if you ever need to write a formula in excel it will be useful to be able to check it and algebra is very handy there. i am told I'm good at maths but half the time im not really sure whats going on. understanding comes only with repeated use. just because you can do it doesn't mean you have to understand it (although it helps). i will give a very quick example and try to explain what is going on to see if that helps your understanding

2x = 6

all this says is that 2 times an unknown quantity is equal to 6. so how do we find x. simply we divide both sides by 2 (as its like scales and to keep it balanced what ever you do to one side you must do to the other). so that

x = 3

i don't know to what level you have studied so maybe try posting an example question and let us try and explain it to you

Answer 4

Mathematics is tremendously empowering. People who know math can do things and be things that others can not. Don't have math? Well that rules out your ever being a video game designer, a doctor, an astronaut and thousands of other things. Don't know math? Then you'll never understand the economy well enough to know when business or the government is lying to you. Don't know math? Then hope your future life partner (husband, whatever) will do all the family finances and budgeting and will never cheat. The other truly wonderful thing is that if you keep at it then, at some point, the beauty, the aesthetics of mathematics, hits you. And I say all that as someone whose job is teaching history.

Answer 5

Yeah, I sympathize...algebra, and math in general, was always my least favorite subject, since words like me better too, LOL. I have been out of college for 5 years now, and as far as I can see, the only thing you really need algebra for is to get a good score on college entrance exams, but that is a very good reason in and of itself, isn't it? People who end up with jobs in architecture, computers, etc. probably have to use algebra on a regular basis, but it wouldn't be fair to just make them learn it, because colleges want their students to be well-rounded. I'm sure there are people out there who excel in math subjects but absolutely hate to write stories, but they still have to in order to get into college, right? I am glad your dad thinks you are better at algebra than you think, because it's much easier to simply hate something than it is to truly not get it. Just plug along until you graduate, and I promise you'll never have to see another quadratic equation again, LOL.

Answer 6

don't get stressed, some yers of math are harder thaan others and try even harder than a regular student. Geomatry is next I think and I wasn't great at Algerbra, but I do very well in geomatry.

Answer 7

You'll need these subjects if you want to get into a good college, so stop complaining.

Answer 8

I agree
I hate math!
=/

Answer 9

OMG i'm homeschooled too!!!