Why is algebra important in High School to College?
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So much of the “useless” stuff we learn in grade school and high school is exercise that primes our brains for different modes of thinking.
We know that kids who grow up in musical households have a better ear for music when they’re adults. We know that if kids don’t learn language before they’re five or six years old (as has been observed in cases of severe neglect and in feral children) their brains are much less able to learn language later on.
Even if you’re not going into a technical career where you have to be “doing math” on a daily basis, it’s still good for your brain to be exposed to it. Even if you aren’t good at it on a test, it’s good for your mental development to think about it and play with it. Later in life if you do find that you have to “do math” you’ll be better able to get your head around the basics than if you’d never been exposed to it when young.
Unfortunately institutionalized schooling focuses on test results and university admissions, so we think anyone who gets less than 70% on a math test is a failure, but they were still exercising their brains. Being able to run a mile in ten minutes is great, but being able to run a mile at all is still better than nothing.
A lot of people here have excellent points about how algebraic concepts are used in lots of modern professions, but I do want to point out that learning is about stretching your muscles, so to speak.
When you want to run a 5k, do you train just for a 5k? No, you work on running 10k. You lift weights in the gym when you are practicing for a football game even though you won’t be lifting on the field.
You may never need more than basic arithmetic in your adult life, but if you’ve practiced with higher concepts, the lower-level stuff is easier for you.
So much of the “useless” stuff we learn in grade school and high school is exercise that primes our brains for different modes of thinking.
We know that kids who grow up in musical households have a better ear for music when they’re adults. We know that if kids don’t learn language before they’re five or six years old (as has been observed in cases of severe neglect and in feral children) their brains are much less able to learn language later on.
Even if you’re not going into a technical career where you have to be “doing math” on a daily basis, it’s still good for your brain to be exposed to it. Even if you aren’t good at it on a test, it’s good for your mental development to think about it and play with it. Later in life if you do find that you have to “do math” you’ll be better able to get your head around the basics than if you’d never been exposed to it when young.
Unfortunately institutionalized schooling focuses on test results and university admissions, so we think anyone who gets less than 70% on a math test is a failure, but they were still exercising their brains. Being able to run a mile in ten minutes is great, but being able to run a mile at all is still better than nothing.
Because it’s the math you will use in real life situations and most jobs will require some of it
A lot of people here have excellent points about how algebraic concepts are used in lots of modern professions, but I do want to point out that learning is about stretching your muscles, so to speak.
When you want to run a 5k, do you train just for a 5k? No, you work on running 10k. You lift weights in the gym when you are practicing for a football game even though you won’t be lifting on the field.
You may never need more than basic arithmetic in your adult life, but if you’ve practiced with higher concepts, the lower-level stuff is easier for you.
Frankly IMO everyone should learn college level linear algebra, calculus and statistical analysis. It’s such important tools for so many things, pretty much regardless of what you plan on studying.
Because it’s the math you will use in real life situations and most jobs will require some of it
Frankly IMO everyone should learn college level linear algebra, calculus and statistical analysis. It’s such important tools for so many things, pretty much regardless of what you plan on studying.
Because algebra is a formal method for how actual math is done. Before algebra you’re just learning simple stuff like numbers and simple operators–you’re not really doing actual “math” solving problems.
You need 5 lemons for your recipe. You have two at home. How many do you need to buy from the store? That’s algebra. You may not realize it as algebra, but it is.
Because algebra is a formal method for how actual math is done. Before algebra you’re just learning simple stuff like numbers and simple operators–you’re not really doing actual “math” solving problems.
You need 5 lemons for your recipe. You have two at home. How many do you need to buy from the store? That’s algebra. You may not realize it as algebra, but it is.
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