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Why do people generally hate Maths?

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Original post by sabana
It's largely because of how maths is taught in this country like some posters have suggested. In a book by Jo boaler she talks about how maths lessons need to have more problem solving, where kids figure things out themselves using open ended and rich tasks. Learning maths this way is not only enjoyable but has been proven to increase mathematical ability.


But how long this mathematical ability lasts? after school, the most of the mathematical lessons are forgotten, unless some aspects of those are important for University or the job, am I right?
Original post by Kallisto
But how long this mathematical ability lasts? after school, the most of the mathematical lessons are forgotten, unless some aspects of those are important for University or the job, am I right?


It depends on the child and how good they are at retaining the information. I suppose after school if you don't use much of the maths learnt you are likely to forget it.
Original post by sabana
It depends on the child and how good they are at retaining the information. I suppose after school if you don't use much of the maths learnt you are likely to forget it.


Do you thnik it is easier to retain informations in mathematics and so mathematical abilities, if someone is so much interest in it?
Original post by Kallisto
Do you thnik it is easier to retain informations in mathematics and so mathematical abilities, if someone is so much interest in it?


Yes I do think interest is partly to do with it. This is because if you find it interesting your more likely to spend more time learning it hence why it'd stick longer.
I very much dislike maths. I'm taking the GCSE for the third time and I'm hitting the D mark as usual. I may just have to settle with my functional skills because I'm really struggling.

Why do people generally dislike it? I suppose it's because a lot of the stuff that's in the curriculum acts as a test of one's numerical ability, though, much of it will never be used in the future, so it consequently feels like an exercise in futility.
(edited 7 years ago)
I find it has little application to the real world and just not much substance to it like sciences I did only study it to gcse so I guess it may get more interesting at a-level ?


Posted from TSR Mobile
Where do I begin with my particular hatred for mathematics? Let's start with all my negative emotional reactions to the subject:

1) I was bored beyond belief with it
2) I was scared beyond belief with it ( thanks to all my teachers from my first one to my last, repeat all of them, being angry, cruel, cold, unfeeling, totally unsympathetic)
3) I was physically sick at the thought of doing it!
4) I couldn't for the life of me feel any relevance whatsoever to my life on a day to day basis, and my life beyond in the outside world
5) I loathed it. I loathe it
6) I was made to feel I was a lesser, less intelligent, less worthy human being without it. I know I am not. That increases my hatred for it, as I associate my parents and teachers comments concerning maths with a total hypocrisy and mega dishonesty
7) As a consequence of number 6) anyone who speaks of the "beauty" of maths has my undying contempt.

Right, that's got the negatives out of the way. Now the positives..

ah, there aren't any..

Steve, convinced and convicted maths murderer UK
Original post by Maths Murderer
Where do I begin with my particular hatred for mathematics? Let's start with all my negative emotional reactions to the subject:

1) I was bored beyond belief with it
2) I was scared beyond belief with it ( thanks to all my teachers from my first one to my last, repeat all of them, being angry, cruel, cold, unfeeling, totally unsympathetic)
3) I was physically sick at the thought of doing it!
4) I couldn't for the life of me feel any relevance whatsoever to my life on a day to day basis, and my life beyond in the outside world
5) I loathed it. I loathe it
6) I was made to feel I was a lesser, less intelligent, less worthy human being without it. I know I am not. That increases my hatred for it, as I associate my parents and teachers comments concerning maths with a total hypocrisy and mega dishonesty
7) As a consequence of number 6) anyone who speaks of the "beauty" of maths has my undying contempt.

Right, that's got the negatives out of the way. Now the positives..

ah, there aren't any..

Steve, convinced and convicted maths murderer UK


8) You made a TSR account dedicated towards your hatred for maths.
Don't blame the people, people in the UK usually learn maths through school and the education system when they're students and its compulsory. The Problem is its forced upon them just for the sake of pleasing exam boards, They don't see the purpose of it other than just to copy what they see on the whiteboard onto the exam booklet. Althought you have to give them some credits Students and children do know in their hearts of hearts that they need to know maths for bills and working out things you'll use in your practical life and for certain careers where a lot of it is required such as Coding and programming.

However what they don't understand is why its Compulsory at lets say GCSE level to learn the quadratic equation or make an ordered stem and leaf diagram or memorise the Quadratic Equation or why Hannah needs to work out the probabilit of choosing an orange sweet at random rather than a yellow one using the formula provided when she can just look in the damn bag, they think for except the basics people should be given a choice. And Schools or the government dont do anything to make Maths seem appealing rather than saying "Right you have to do this for 10 billion (Just Overexaggerating the time here) hours a week, and you cant do anything about it"

Schools should do more to show the fun side of Maths the careers it could lead more practical work, talk to them. Don't just throw down a list of the syllabus they need to learn in their faces.

How can you expect someone to enjoy something if they're FORCED into doing it for 8 hours a day and more at home for those "Exams" we press onto children day in day out, it only has a negative reprecussion on them as they get older and make them despise and avoid maths. You have to guide them.
Original post by Popsiclez
or why Hannah needs to work out the probabilit of choosing an orange sweet at random rather than a yellow one using the formula provided when she can just look in the damn bag


Haha
I think what I disliked most about maths is that it gave me migraines when I did it for extended periods of time (I have dyscalula). When I did it in an inner city school where we did practical experiments, work with real applications (eg calculating compound interest which I am now boss at lmao, how interest rates and bills work). Yea there was a lot of stupid crap too honestly but not nearly as much (no compulsory exam at the end). I can't complain about my ability - I got a B in GCSE maths in 4 months of doing past papers instead of 2 years. But God is it dull and painful - migraines included!!
I remember hating functions because I thought they were useless in everyday situations. Don't get me wrong. I was very good at maths. I just didn't see the point of people who didn't want to study anything 'practical' having to do it for school.

Oh and 'numeracy' is a minute fraction of maths.

I guess it's more socially acceptable to be good at maths rather than english because maths are more associated with intelligence.

I think part of the reason that maths are difficult is because they are very abstract.
Cause I don't give a rat's arse on how to calculate the circumference of the sun.
(edited 7 years ago)
I've never liked maths, I'm not particularly good at it. I'm better at other things :smile:
Original post by niv1234
I've never liked maths, I'm not particularly good at it. I'm better at other things :smile:


I have often thought the same about the 'other things' when I liked mathematics as one of my favorite subjects. :smile:
Original post by Kallisto
I have often thought the same about the 'other things' when I liked mathematics as one of my favorite subjects. :smile:


What do you mean by 'other things'?
I study Computer Science at a top university and let me tell you this: math is hard. I have performed well on my IB exams but by far further mathematics has been the biggest challenge.

There's no reason to pretend that math is easy. It requires a lot of effort and hard work and consumes a lot of energy and cognitive power. The very fabric of problem-solving and ontology of mathematics means that you will need to invest more time in doing math than other things. Math is essentially the tool to discover and conceptualise the universe (wow that was deep)

[video="youtube;Xs9aGVUZ3YA"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs9aGVUZ3YA[/video]
Original post by niv1234
What do you mean by 'other things'?


It is the meaning of yours. I have quoted you, if have not noticed it. Whatever other things means for you, it is also mine.
Original post by Kallisto
It is the meaning of yours. I have quoted you, if have not noticed it. Whatever other things means for you, it is also mine.


I did notice. I just meant that I like other subjects in school more than maths and I'm also better at those other subjects :smile:
Original post by CompSciEngineer
I study Computer Science at a top university and let me tell you this: math is hard. I have performed well on my IB exams but by far further mathematics has been the biggest challenge.

There's no reason to pretend that math is easy. It requires a lot of effort and hard work and consumes a lot of energy and cognitive power. The very fabric of problem-solving and ontology of mathematics means that you will need to invest more time in doing math than other things. Math is essentially the tool to discover and conceptualise the universe (wow that was deep)

[video="youtube;Xs9aGVUZ3YA"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs9aGVUZ3YA[/video]


Yeah, it takes a lot of time.
I got bottom grade in Maths at school, according to my mum, I have what's called 'dyscalcula'. :lolwut:

Because of this when I worked for the council back in 2013, every Monday morning I had to attend an adult education maths lesson at a council run learning centre and all the others in the class were mid aged adults acting like nursery age children. :unimpressed: :colonhash:

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