Why Study Algebra?

[knight_shadow]

I work at a market research company, so statistics is a daily thing, but we have statisticians to deal with the heavy stuff. Things like this made me wonder why I needed all of the advanced math classes.

"Once I finish Math 101, 102, and 103, I won't have to take math anymore" was my motivation.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

"Once I finish Math 101, 102, and 103, I won't have to take math anymore" was my motivation.

Exactly -- that is the other motivation I forgot to mention, but that I've tried with him: "Because once you finish it, you won't have to take it again. Otherwise, you'll keep taking it over and over." (Oh, and I've also tried that this is an opportunity to learn how to get jobs you dislike done, because there's always going to be some part of your job you'd rather not have to do.)

And to be clear, obviously I know there are many professions and occupations where you would need to know higher forms of math. But I think he's like me: I knew I disliked math enough that any career that required lots of it was automatically excluded from consideration. I guess what I'm looking for are examples from anyone not in a math-oriented field as to how they've used what they learned in algebra.

[BraveMaroon]

The only time I ever use it is solving word problems: If I leave Nashville at 6:30 PM and travel to Atlanta going 70 MPH, what time will I arrive? Convert your answer to the correct time zone.

I'll also cross multiply to get a percentage.

And that's it.

I struggled with it, and became a Journalism major to avoid algebra in college.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by BraveMaroon

The only time I ever use it is solving word problems: If I leave Nashville at 6:30 PM and travel to Atlanta going 70 MPH, what time will I arrive? Convert your answer to the correct time zone.

Yeah, but that's basic math, not algebra: Distance divided by mph = travel time.

Originally Posted by AzTheta

Algebra, I loved it! Geometry, on the other hand...ugh. Just, UGH.

LOL. I hear so many people say this. My experience (and my wife's), on the other hand, was the exact opposite. I never had any problem with geometry, and it made perfect sense. I can see a circle, a sphere, a cone . . . . I can easily see how it applies to everyday life -- "How much carpet do I need to redo the downstairs? How much sand do I need to fill this sandbox?"

To me, geometry was concrete, and its relation to real life was obvious. Algebra, on the other hand, was totally abstract, and its relation to real life was completely lost on me.

As for visual helps, I think I'm about to order this book, which we've heard good things about: Algebra Survival Guide: A Conversational Guide for the Thoroughly Befuddled.

[ThetaPrincess24]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

And to be clear, obviously I know there are many professions and occupations where you would need to know higher forms of math. But I think he's like me: I knew I disliked math enough that any career that required lots of it was automatically excluded from consideration. I guess what I'm looking for are examples from anyone not in a math-oriented field as to how they've used what they learned in algebra.

When I was in nursing, I used basic ratio/proportion algebra to figure out medication dosages nearly everyday while at the hospital. But that was about the only time I used it. Higher forms of math was never used.

I'm still trying to figure out why elementary calculus & finite math was necessary for me to complete my business degree. A lot of economics, accounting, & finance formulas come out of calculus, but one does not need to know how to do calculus to find the answers, just basic algebra. Even then in the real world, computer programs run those formulas for you. I saw some of the finite math stuff in my statistics class, but outside of that I've never seen it again.