get back to math
If you are like most people, math is a class you take in high school & college only to be forgotten and ignored for the remainder of life. Sure, we all do arithmetic from time to time when working with money, but most other aspects of math are never again used once you leave school. This is understandable, but unfortunate.
The analytical and abstract thinking required for certain types of math in undoubtedly great exercise for your mind. There aren’t many things that can work your brain like doing a proof or working out a word problem – these skills are more or less in a realm of their own. Trigonometry, algebra & calculus have few analogues in day-to-day life, but I expect they are nonetheless valuable for cultivating a strong and diverse intellect.
Obviously I don’t expect you to jump back into differential equations and matrix algebra, but consider picking up a high-school level math book and work on a few problems from time to time. Try working with a few polynomials, solving for some unknowns, or graphing an equation. Definitely do some word problems. Play around with angles. If you get ambitious, try some simple calculus. Who knows, you might even find it enjoyable.
And if you do need more practice with arithmetic, don’t forget about math games and puzzles.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
