Why is maths a hated subject?

Education concept. Student studying and brainstorming campus con

It’s common knowledge that maths is a hated subject amongst students across the country. But what’s the reason for this? If you’re concerned about doing mathematics as a subject, read on to understand the reasoning behind this negativity.

It’s difficulty

A lot of students, including average performing students, dislike maths because of its difficulty. Maths is known for the challenge it poses for students and is seen as difficult compared to most other subjects. So, why is this subject hard for students to get their heads around? Much of maths is applying the knowledge you have learnt in class to exam questions. However, with most other subjects – at GCSE, at least – the subjects only really require memorisation of knowledge.

Maths demands more than simply memorising the full textbook. And if you feel you need additional help then you might want to consider an online maths tutor. You need to be able to think mathematically, understand concepts, and work out what the question wants. One of the most difficult things about maths is knowing what the question wants you to do. Often, wordy questions can throw lots of information at you at once, making things confusing. With so many different equations and formulas, students need the academic skill to know what method to use.

It’s a ‘boring’ subject

Many students complain about school being boring, and this can also apply particularly to maths. Whilst artsy subjects like history, art, and languages can offer passion and interest, this often isn’t the case with maths. Students can usually connect to art subjects more because they are often linked to a hobby. For example, learning languages might be interesting if you love travelling, and English might be interesting if you love reading. Maths isn’t as easy to link to a fun, exciting hobby associated with students. Students can, therefore, see maths as a dull, abstract subject that is fairly difficult to understand. There isn’t much fun in working out equations and numbers, putting many individuals off from studying it further.

A teacher smiling at camera in classroom

Students see it as irrelevant

One of the most common things that students and adults alike often comment on is the uselessness of maths. For sure, maths is extremely relevant in some jobs such as accountancy, engineering, and meteorology, just to name a few. Maths can earn you a lot of money in these professional careers, and you’ll be problem-solving daily. However, for most jobs and good careers, it’s obvious that you don’t need what you learn in maths at school. This can range from algebra, trigonometry, and Pythagoras’ theorem. Most people only need a basic understanding of mathematics to manage their financial budgets in everyday life. And even then, people could hire a financial advisor if they find themselves struggling. Therefore, maths is often seen as a hated subject. This is because many people find it to be irrelevant in their everyday careers and normal lifestyles.

Overall, people often dislike maths because they find it difficult, they lack interest in it, and they find it pointless. These factors lead to a lack of motivation in revising for maths, minimising the chances of performing well in it.

If you, or your parents would like to find out more, please just get in touch via email at info@exam.tips or call us on 0800 689 1272

If you, or your parents would like to find out more, please just get in touch via email at info@exam.tips or call us on 0800 689 1272

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