Arithmophobia Shouldn't Exist! By Jacob Dupuis

Who likes math? Who likes calculating all sorts of equations that keep getting bigger and bigger? Not very many people do, and many people are legitimately afraid of these numbers and symbols. People really shouldn't freak out at math though because math is the only undeniable science, it becomes easier after you understand WHY you do such things and it is one of the most important things to know how to do in life.

Math is right. If somebody tells you that 2+2 is 4, is it possible to disagree? Can you prove them wrong? No, because unless the person made a mistake of some sort, the answers can not be changed. Math is the kind of thing that you can get right or wrong, with no middle ground. You do not have to worry about a teacher judging that your answer is wrong because there is only one answer and for it to be deemed wrong the teacher must find some sort of proof, which they won't find.

Does this make sense? Well, it will eventually.

Secondly, math becomes much easier if you take the time to understand WHY you are doing things the way you are, instead of just  going ahead and trying. If you understand what each rule means and why it exists, math becomes more "logical", and it might even become useful in everyday life. The fact that math is undeniable means that if you make a mistake, it is easy to find out what the answer should be and make corrections, further enhancing your understanding of the subject.

Lastly, math is extremely important in life. Sure, algebra and many other subjects are not used every day and they might seem like useless things to learn, but many jobs require mathematics to be done right. Sure, not every job will, like sanitation engineer (janitor), but jobs are using it more and more. Coding and programming of things like video games are a great example, since they use a kind of "language" comprised almost entirely of numbers. Even office workers need math sometimes and to not understand the basics will only make your life worse in the long run

In conclusion, stop being afraid of math. There is nothing to be afraid of if you take your time and do your best and it is more useful now than it used to be, so if you are in elementary school or college, just keep trying because you will get it right eventually.

By: Jacob Dupuis