Math is a skill you use every day whether you notice it or not.
There are many reasons you may want to learn maths again as an adult. Perhaps, you want to help your children with their schoolwork, refresh your knowledge in general or even sit your Leaving Cert or maybe take some PLC/QQI Courses?
In fact, math is good for the adult mind, when approached as a practical exercise, you learn how your abstract thinking process applies to every day.
So let's take a look at some of the reasons why math is so important.
Why is Math so Important in Our Day-to-Day Life?
We simply can’t make it through a day without using some sort of basic math.
Why?
As people we need an understanding of math, measurements and fractions to cook and bake. Many people may also use math to count calories or nutrients as part of their diet or exercise routine.
We also need math to calculate when we should leave our house to arrive on time, or how much paint we might need when re-decorating a room in our home.
And then the big one, money. Financial literacy is an incredibly important skill for adults to master. It can help you budget, save and even help you make big decisions like changing careers or buying a home.
Mathematical knowledge may even be connected to many other not-so-obvious benefits.
5 Benefits of Learning Maths as an Adult
There are so many times math skills will be needed in adulthood from your work to daily tasks, but did you know learning maths can actually benefit you as a person?
Below is a list of just some of the ways maths can benefit you:
1. Math Promotes Healthy Brain Function
Solving math problems and improving our math skills gives our brains a good workout. And it improves our cognitive skills over time. Many studies have shown that routinely practising math keeps our brains healthy and functioning well.
2. Math Develops Flexible Thinking and Creativity
Practising maths has been shown to improve investigative skills, resourcefulness and creativity. This is because math problems often require us to bend our thinking and approach problems in more than one way. The first process we try might not work. We need flexibility and creativity to think of new pathways to the solution. And just like anything else, this way of thinking is strengthened with practice.
3. Math Supports Logical Reasoning and Analytical Thinking
A strong understanding of math concepts means more than just number sense. It helps us see the pathways to a solution. Equations and word problems need to be examined before determining the best method for solving them. And in many cases, there’s more than one way to get to the right answer. It’s no surprise that logical reasoning and analytical thinking improve alongside math skills. Logic skills are necessary at all levels of mathematical education.
4. Good Math Skills Improve Your Financial Stability
Budgeting and saving are the big ones. Where can you cut back on their spending? How will budgeting help you reach your financial goals? Can you afford this new purchase now?
As you age into adulthood, It will benefit you to understand how loans and interest work before purchasing a house or car. You should fully grasp profits and losses before investing in the stock market. And you will likely need to evaluate job salaries and benefits before choosing your first job.
5. Practically Every Career Uses Math in Some Way
While scientific careers famously involve math, they are not the only careers to do so.
Even operating a cash register requires that one understands basic arithmetic. People working in a factory must be able to do mental arithmetic to keep track of the parts on the assembly line and must, in some cases, manipulate fabrication software utilizing geometric properties (such as the dimensions of a part) in order to build their products.
Really, any job requires math because you must know how to interpret your paycheck and balance your budget.
Maths Tuition for Adults
Learning maths at any age can be daunting. However, it is an essential part of our everyday communications with the world.
As Galileo Galilei originally said,
"Mathematics is the language with which God has written the universe.”
Because mathematics is the same all over the world, math can act as a universal language, no matter where we find ourselves in the world we can communicate via numbers using things like time, money, weight, speed, percentage, fractions, volume, etc...
So why not give yourself the chance to speak the world language of maths?
At Superprof we have maths tutors ready and waiting to provide lessons at flexible times to suit you. Lessons are available either online or in person simple click here to find a Maths Tutor near you. Lessons start from €15 per session and the best part is most Tutors allow you to attend the first lesson for free!
Adult Maths Courses Ireland
Functional Mathematics - QQI Level 4
What is Functional Maths?
Functional Mathematics is the lowest level of mathematics you can take at a College of Further Education in Ireland. There are thirteen specified learning outcomes for this course which we will look at in a moment.
The course is designed for the below reasons:
- To develop the learners' maths skills which enable them to be more confident in discussing and applying mathematical operations and terminology.
- To facilitate the learner to apply mathematical formulae to given situations, develop and solve equations and understand how they apply to the world around them.
- To provide the learner with the ability to translate real-world problems into mathematical theories and models.
What are the Specified Learning Outcomes?
It is hoped that upon completion of the level 4 Functional Maths course, students will be able to:
- Explain how mathematics can be used to enable the individual to function more effectively as a person and as a citizen
- Discuss the presence of variables in a range of real-life situations
- Convert from scientific notation to standard form and standard form to scientific notation
- Use appropriate strategies including estimation and percentage error to give approximations, where numbers are from the set of natural numbers (N) and from the set of integers (Z)
- Use a calculator with confidence to perform extended calculations, requiring functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, percentage, square root, pi, 1/x, scientific notation keys, memory keys and the clear key, while following the conventions of precedence of operations
- Demonstrate an understanding of the laws of indices and the rules of logarithms by using the laws and rules to simplify expressions, solve equations, and transpose formulae
- Differentiate between simple interest and compound interest by applying the appropriate given formula to a range of savings and credit options
- Calculate pay slips using appropriate statutory deductions, gross profit, net profit and loss on goods sold, VAT inclusive and VAT-exclusive prices
- Solve quadratic equations using factors and the quadratic formula
- Solve algebraic equations including linear equations and linear inequalities of one variable, simultaneous linear equations of two unknowns
- Construct algebraic expressions and formulae for real-life situations using the correct terminology and including the rearrangement of formulae
- Solve problems for a range of familiar and unfamiliar, meaningful, real-life situations by mathematising the situations, making an initial model of the situation, deciding on appropriate mathematical techniques and tools to use in the situation, applying mathematical techniques, examining patterns, relationships and assumptions and making adjustments to see their effect on the initial model, and discussing and presenting results and conclusions in relation to the situation
- Discuss areas where additional mathematical skills could be developed to meet personal needs to enable a more active role in a community, educational or workplace setting.
As you can see the whole aim of this course is to make functioning in society less difficult from the small things such as calculating change and time, to the more difficult things like budgeting and some algebra, which may just open some doors when it comes to you pursuing further college or career paths.
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