Math: What Is It Good For?

If you don't see yourself in a career in accounting or science, you may wonder why formulas and graphs are relevant to you.

Studying math is important for getting into college and most careers—even if they do not directly involve math. If you want to be prepared for life, college, and finding a good job, you need math in your high school schedule.

Getting into College

Some students go to college and some don't. What makes the difference? Math. Students who take Algebra I in high school and then take geometry have about an 80 percent chance of ending up in college. That 80 percent remains the same no matter what your race, religion, or family income.

Choose the Right Classes

Algebra and geometry put you on the road to college. One reason: both are college prerequisites—colleges require these courses because they prepare you for college-level work. Take at least three or four years of math. Discuss your options with your counselor. Consider these classes to get prepared for college:

Challenge Yourself

Higher-level classes will prepare you for college entrance exams and college math courses. Also, college admissions people know how to read a high school transcript, and will know if you were in the math equivalent of basket weaving. Challenge yourself. Don't worry about getting a C in a college prep course rather than an A in a less challenging class.

Be Prepared

If you think you'll never use math again after high school, keep in mind most colleges have basic courses that you will be required to take your first or second year—and chances are one or more of them will require math skills. The major you choose may also require some math classes.

If you think you can't cut it in a more challenging class, think again. At one point only about a third of students in Milwaukee took Algebra I by the ninth grade; the rest took classes like General Math. Then the city decided to put nearly everyone in Algebra I—regardless of math grades—and give the students a little extra help. They found the passing rate stayed the same.

Math after College

It Does Matter

You may end up in a career that doesn't require much math. It's true, your boss may never walk into your office and say, "Quick, what's the Pythagorean Theorem?" but the math you're learning now is more than the sum of its parts. Math trains and disciplines your mind. Just as the point of reading books is not to memorize vocabulary words, the point of math is not to memorize formulas. Math helps you learn to:

Will You Need It?

If you're not sure what you want to do after college, keep in mind that most jobs require at least two years of high school math. If you already have a good idea of what you want to do, and it doesn't require much math, consider that most students switch majors after starting college. Be prepared with the basics, and keep your options open for whatever path you may follow.