Hmm? Yes, I'm really asking you - why? I get it when someone doesn't like broccoli aka green mini-trees as it may have weird taste or something (I'm not talking about myself, as I love broccoli, but as we know, I'm weird, because I love maths as well, so it's not surprising.) But how could someone say "I hate maths"?
Of course - nobody needs it, it's too complicated, the maths teacher is unfair, it makes no sense...
Hold on! Those are all just excuses. I get it, you don't need to be so overexcited as I am when seeing some maths problem to be solved, but think a little...
Nobody needs it - false!
Everyone needs a bit of maths here and there. That's just a fact and you need to get over it. As you could read in my previous article, people who do art need maths. Even quite advanced I'd say. IT people need maths. Scientists need maths... Ok, let's go to easier level - my dad needs maths when doing a lot of DYI work around house and garden (I know that well as I've done lots of it with him and lots of other stuff on my own) - lots of measuring, calculating, using logic,... my mum needs it - for cooking (ratios, simple proportion), for sewing and knitting (calculating, geometry, word problems), everyone needs maths when doing shopping (estimating - is the fiver in my pocket enough for all the stuff in my shopping basket?),...
And how about working with the household budget? Yes, you need to know your figures, otherwise, you'd easier slip into red numbers (and nobody likes red numbers, not even me).
Back to advanced maths - "popular" theme, statistics - yeah, I use a lot of it for my own good. If you'd be anyhow involved in running your own business, you'll start love statistics. It helps predict your future and when you see no red numbers there, it helps you sleep in the night. (And when you see red numbers, at least you know it's high time to do something about it - rather earlier than later.)
It's too complicated - false!
Trust me, it's not too complicated. It could be, there's some maths stuff I find quite difficult too, but even though I know if I'd need to, I'd learn it and would know how to use it. It may seem complicated when you don't know it yet. And we're at the point where maths teacher is unfair (or cannot explain stuff/stupid/...) and that all maths makes no sense - so all these excuses make you think you must hate maths as there's no other solution.
Alright, people can be different, your maths teacher may have no time or may not be able to explain stuff the way you need, he could be even mean or unfair, but that's still no problem of maths on its own. That's just about people who introduce maths to you. Then it may make no sense to you and it may seem complicated.
But once again - maths is in high demand on a daily basis. I understand, if you'd like to study history or make your living as a singer, you'll not need advanced maths (and therefore do not study it!), but all that you're suppose to know about maths while doing your compulsory school years are just the basics for normal everyday life. So make peace with maths and stop hate it, it isn't doing good to anyone (especially not to yourself).
Yes, all the algebra, equations (even sets of equations - trust me, lots of word problems from everyday life can be solved while turned into set of equations or inequalities, including quadratics), geometry, ratios and proportion, even some statistics and probability, I dare to say that functions as well... all of it you'll need time to time in your future lives.
So try not to hate maths, try to understand it, if needed, seek some help to get into it. It's better than live with that bitter taste in your mouth every time when you'd need to calculate some percentages (when you see something being on sale or how much money the 4% p.a. mortgage interests means) because ages ago you convinced yourself that maths is something to stay away from as it stinks and bites and gives you a rush.
To confess; I never liked geometry. (Wow! Veronika doesn't/didn't like some sort of maths, unbelievable!) Not that I wouldn't understand it, but it was soooo not exact (even with pencil and ruler - still not good enough...)! Later I've learnt about the interesting use of geometry, not just to bother me during school hours to sketch million triangles and circles, but the fact it could be calculated as well (analytics geometry) and that some maths theorems can be proved only by using geometry, some numbers cannot be expressed as a number as we're used to, but can be drawn by using geometry... that made the trick and relabeled geometry for me from "unwanted" to "interesting".
It's always about finding something that washes away the bitter taste and leaves us unprejudiced thinking of the maths (and it's beauty... or not? Is there no beauty in maths? Ok, that's too much to ask, I guess...)
