Friday, October 16, 2009

Why do I have to learn that?? I'll never use it!

I saw this and could just hear that being
said in math class a near life-time ago.

Have you used something 'in real life' that
you never would have thought you would?

Subjects, particular instances, anything?

If an anteater can use it, I'm sure we can!!

6 comments:

kkdither said...

I think you need those formulas to build that musical contraption with the balls ricocheting perfectly and in sync.

Lizardmom said...

I always loved math and I do use it alot, maybe not all the angles and that stuff but just math in general, still love it!

OrbsCorbs said...

Geometry helps in shooting pool and typing class helps with computer keyboards today. Knowing how to calculate width, length, depth, area, volume, etc., is stuff we use every day. Or at least I do.

Whenever I give a cashier cash for a purchase, I try to figure out my change before the machine does. I usually do.

I remember needing to know the circumference of a circle for some reason, and first thinking to Google the formula. Then I thought, "No, see if you can remember it." I came up with πr² and 2πr. I knew it couldn't be the first one because the answer would be squared, which is area, not length or distance. Turns out 2πr (or πd) is the right equation. And πr² is the area of a circle. Basic stuff I learned over 40 years ago and still use today.

And all of that made it much, much easier for me to return to school decades later to learn about a profession. I had to take an intro to microcomputers class to play catch-up, but after that, I was in gear. No remedial math, language, none of that.

When it comes to education, my biggest regret today is that I didn't take mine further. I should have nailed a doctorate and tenure at a university, then lived the life of Riley, PhD.

Anonymous said...

Geometry is very useful. It helps you understand you can't get a 6 1/2 foot sleeper bed down a stairway into a hallway into a stairway that has a 4 1/2 foot radius.

Anonymous said...

Let me try this again:
Geometry is very useful. It helps you understand you can't get a 6 1/2 foot sleeper bed down a stairway into a hallway that has a 4 1/2 foot radius.

Why Not? said...

I used to try to figure out the change when I worked as a cashier (of course I would double check with the actual register, dont want to cheat the employer or the customer) but I was pretty good at it. Math has helped quite a bit I would think I have tutored many people in Math (basic stuff). I wish I was better at English, never did get great grades in that class and my English skills have only worsened since I learned Swedish.

Photography classes I enjoyed and try to think of when I take pictures. Typing is definitely a good one. My sewing classes help me around the house.