For middle school and high school students, math classes and online math tutoring lessons can be very challenging. Math is one of the most polarizing topics that children learn at school because so many children struggle with it, and many don’t see it as an important subject outside of school. Too often, you hear students talk about how they will never use math after they leave school, but this could not be further from the truth.
In fact, math is probably the most important subject that we all learn at school. From their teenage years right through adulthood, people will use math on a daily basis, whether they realize it or not. There are uncountable ways in which math plays a vital role in our everyday lives, and learning to properly master even the most basic mathematical concepts will help students enjoy a more comfortable, successful, and even healthy life.
Budgeting and Financial Security
More often than not, by the time children reach their late teenage years and prepare for life beyond school, these teenagers are excited by the prospect of more freedom and control over their own lives. One key element to this freedom is the ability to have control over your own money and sources of income. As any adult will tell you, math becomes extremely important as soon as you become responsible for your own budgets, taxes, and other financial matters.
Learning how to properly create a budget involves some very basic math skills. Adding and subtracting are, of course, central, but so too is the ability to weigh up options and make informed financial decisions based on needs, wants, and priorities. Whether you are saving up for a new cell phone or planning your weekly grocery shopping, using math correctly is key to allocating funds wisely and fostering responsible financial habits.
Beyond these simple arithmetic concepts, other topics come into play. Percentages are important when calculating discounts on products and analyzing interest rates on savings accounts. Such skills will equip young adults with key life skills that will set them up for financial stability throughout adulthood.
Today’s Top Skills
Unlike most adults over the age of 40 or 50, understanding the language of computers is an important skill for the majority of young people to grasp. Teenagers around the world now have the option of learning coding at a very young age.
Learning to code involves logical thinking and problem-solving, two skills that are deeply rooted in mathematical concepts and are honed during middle and high school. With enough practice coding and gaining a better understanding of algorithms, teenagers can begin creating programs, developing apps, and diving into fascinating industries such as video game development and design.
Such skills are highly sought after by employers these days, and math students will see just how valuable these skills can be and how many doors they will open for them as soon as they enter the working world. When people become masters of these topics, they often gain a deeper appreciation for the precision of the mathematics involved in the processes they will now use every day at work.
This knowledge will set young adults on the road to extremely lucrative careers in technology, but will also enable them to comfortably navigate the increasingly digital landscape of everyday elements of modern life.
Art, Design, and Healthy Living
For children who aren’t too keen on a life focused on technology and prefer art and design, math may seem totally irrelevant. However, this is simply not the case. As we’ve seen in a previous article, principles of symmetry, proportion, and geometry play a vital role in various forms of art and design. From creating visually stunning graphics on a computer to understanding the symmetrical balance in a piece of architecture, math provides the framework for creative expression.
This means that whether they aspire to be graphic designers, architects, or simply appreciate the aesthetics of the world, math is a silent collaborator in their creative journey. Similarly important to gaining skills that will help young adults get a good job and begin a prosperous career is learning the importance of healthy living
Whatever your career plans, whatever your hobbies, and whatever your age, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial. From calculating nutritional values to monitoring workout progress, teens can use math to set and achieve health-related goals. Understanding the mathematics of calorie intake, portion sizes, and fitness tracking empowers teens to make choices that contribute to their overall well-being.
At OMC
As we’ve seen, mathematics plays an important role in our lives far beyond the four walls of our classroom and the lessons from our private tutors. At OMC, we understand that using math beyond the classroom will not be helpful if students leave school without a fundamental understanding of math concepts and the ability to use the techniques that they’ve been taught.
Contact OMC today to make sure your child leaves school with a full understanding of the most important mathematical concepts by signing them up for classes that are tailored to their specific math needs.
