“Mathematics is the gate and key of the sciences… Neglect of mathematics works injury to all knowledge, since one who is ignorant of it cannot know the other sciences or the things of this world.”
Roger Bacon
Maths tends to be one of those subjects people either love or hate. However, when it comes down to it most of us can agree that studying maths has an important place both in our education system and in our society. But why do we need Maths?
We need it for maths problem-solving and making sense of our surroundings.
Getting help from a one to one maths tutor for exam preparation can set you up for a successful career in fields such as accounting, catering, chemistry, physics, and social sciences.
Common Difficulties with Maths
Depending on your level, obstacles to really understanding certain areas of maths concepts can come from all quarters and many people struggle to solve different mathematical equations.
Such possibilities include:
- A lack of knowledge: Maybe difficulty understanding something in class has left you without a firm foundation to build your knowledge of the subject
- Memory: Maths often requires you to learn formulae and equations by heart
- Vocabulary troubles: Not properly understanding the specialist language can mean you miss out on vital information...Algebra, geometry, precalculus...it can all get too much!
- Confusing concepts: You may not be able to remember which formula applies to which type of maths problems
- Reasoning skills: Maybe you just can't get to grips with the logic behind what you're being taught
- Visualisation: Perhaps you struggle to visualise how the shapes come together or how the graph transformation will look in the end
- Some people are even scared of doing maths and need some guidance!
Why Studying Maths is Important
Studying maths not only opens up the number of careers available to you once you leave college, but it's also very useful in your day-to-day life. We literally use maths for everything from calculating how much food we need to prepare a meal to schedule our day and making sure we have enough time to complete tasks. Yet, maths is something a lot of people struggle with so taking extra maths lessons or grinds can be really helpful.
Math tutoring has several objectives:
- Revising school national curriculum maths concepts
- Bridging gaps and working on weaknesses
- Consolidating and building on previous knowledge
- Prepare readiness for exams and conquer maths tests in school
- Understanding the importance of mathematics as a discipline and the different math concepts
- And, of course, becoming a maths pro!
Choosing the Right Maths Tutor
When it comes to choosing the right maths tutor for you, there is no simple quick fix. However, there are some things we can suggest to make this an easier process for you.
- You need to find someone who can assess your strengths and weaknesses to build you a tailored learning plan that will help you to succeed.
- If you feel unsure about finding your own private tutor, why not call on a tutoring company? Tutoring businesses have a good level of experience of matching tutors with tutees and will be able to find you a teacher to help you beat that maths problem.
- One-on-one mathematics teachers are also there to help with homework assignments.
No matter which type of tuition you settle on whether it's group tuition, one-to-one or online you can be assured that the teacher will reassure you throughout your progress, explain the points you are having trouble with and find different methods of teaching difficult concepts to make you the best mathematician you can be!
“Mathematics knows no races or geographical boundaries; for mathematics, the cultural world is one country.”
10 Good Reasons to Study Maths!
This is our list of the top 10 reasons to try maths tuition.
1. Private Maths Tuition
By choosing a private maths tutor, everything you used to struggle with will soon become a lot clearer as they deliver a personalised programme based on your learning style.
Before scheduling your first 'real' lesson together, the maths tutor may ask to meet you to discuss where your problems lie. They will use this to decide your starting level and how to approach the course content.
2. Take Maths Lessons to Better Understand Your Surroundings
One on one maths lessons will help you develop reasoning skills that will help you make sense of the environment as well as improve your decision-making and problem-solving skills that may come in handy in later life.
Maths skills such as counting, adding and subtracting, multiplying and dividing, fractions, decimals, rounding, graphing, reasoning and arithmetic are all part of our everyday problem-solving skills. Without them, we wouldn't be able to evaluate proportions or estimate to make informed decisions.
Our society is built on maths and understanding its importance can help you to find your place and interact with others.
3. Maths Tuition for Better Career Prospects
Having maths skills on your CV will make you attractive to employers in many professional fields. Jobs that involve math include accounting, medicine, catering, banking, and practical work.
4. No More Falling Behind in Maths Lessons
Unfortunately, class sizes today make it nearly impossible to give each student the support they need, and since maths is so important in the school system, any weakness left unaddressed can harm your overall academic progress.
Private maths lessons mean you get the full, undivided attention of the tutor who will work on your maths revision with you and if you have questions to ask, even if they're not maths questions, you can talk to your tutor without the pressure of asking in front of other pupils.
5. Studying Maths with a Learning Method to Suit You
Quite often, schools move too fast when teaching maths, which means some students inevitably get left behind. The other issue is that not everyone's learning style is on the school math curriculum - which takes a one-size-fits-all approach.
By delivering lessons on a one to one basis in a small group, or from a maths tutor, they are free to adapt the pace to the learner, addressing any difficulties along the way.
For example, your tutor may choose to the - Teaching through problem-solving in maths method.
6. Improve Your Self-Esteem with Maths Tuition
Because of the student-focussed nature of private tuition, you will quickly find that your confidence in yourself and your abilities starts to grow. This means you'll feel more at ease when it comes to maths in the classroom or taking a big maths test.
As far as confidence goes, there is no substitute for feeling prepared and being self-reliant. However, if you are struggling in math (or any subject), consider finding a tutor who can give a boost to your self-esteem.
You'll find that you're not so bad at maths after all, and you may even start to like it!
"Pure mathematics is the world’s best game. It is more absorbing than chess, more of a gamble than poker, and lasts longer than Monopoly. It’s free. It can be played anywhere — Archimedes did it in a bathtub."
— Richard J. Trudeau,
7. Can Maths Tuition offer Value for Money?
With private maths lessons in high demand and plenty of people willing to supply them, one on one tutoring is no longer reserved for those with a lot of money to spare.
By signing up to tutoring websites or doing some research on home tutoring, you'll soon find out that having regular maths lessons won't break the bank. Rates for private maths lessons are generally no more or less expensive than grinds in any other subject.
8. Get a Lot Out of Your Maths Classes
The level of effectiveness of your academic tutoring will lie with the skills of your maths tutor, who must have relevant qualifications and enough experience in teaching maths to lead you to the level of success you desire.
If the home tutor is lacking any of these essential qualities, the tutee is wasting their time and money for counter-productive sessions.
9. Choose From a Huge Range of Maths Tutors
If students see no progress after 1 to 2 months of private tuition, we recommend finding a different tutor or changing the type of lesson.
Most types of maths lessons can be delivered on a private basis, however, it's also worth considering intensive maths refresher courses which are delivered on a short-term scale. Group lessons tend to suit students who work better with peers and only need focused maths help in the run-up to exams, but for those who tend to lag behind and need support throughout the school year, one on one tuition is ideal.
10. Different Maths Learning Situations
Extra-curricular maths lessons come in 2 categories: private sessions and intensive courses.
Private home tuition offers regularity and promotes the comfort of the learner since the tutor generally comes to them.
Intensive courses such as a maths boot camp tend to be aimed at those who are motivated enough to give up their holidays, for example.
To make sure that a student succeeds in maths, confidence is key. Reassuring the student will give them the motivation to overcome their difficulties and be curious about what they can learn. Turning to a private maths tutor for help is not as shameful or embarrassing, in fact, it shows honesty and a will to succeed with the help of a professional.
Why Should I Take a Maths Course in College?
Finishing school can be both a daunting and exciting experience for students. For most, it is the first time in life where you are no longer told what to do. After years of progressing through the education system you are now faced with one of the bigger decisions in life, what next?
If maths has been a subject which you enjoyed throughout school, why not consider pursuing a Maths Degree?
A degree in Mathematics and/or Statistics can be very enjoyable. The reasons why people opt to study Mathematics and Statistics vary widely but include the desire to study something interesting, stimulating and challenging. You may also want to develop your problem solving and logical reasoning skills. It can provide you with the opportunity to understand real-world problems and help to make the world a better place through mathematical and statistical modelling and reasoning.
A degree in Mathematics and/or Statistics will open many career doors for you after graduation. The potential job prospects range from software developer, meteorologist, pharmaceutical statistician, environmental data modeller, teacher, financial analyst to website reliability consultant. Not only is there a wide range of job types and prospects for Maths and Stats graduates, but this Wall Street Journal article reports that ‘Mathematician’ and ‘Statistician’ are both rated in the top three jobs in the world!
Included in the skills you will learn studying Maths and Stats are independent thinking, problem-solving, data modelling and analysis, logical thinking, computer literacy and organisational ability. These are qualities that are highly sought after by many organisations looking to hire. The diverse range of organisations that hire Maths and Stats graduates range from universities and schools to banks and trading firms, to IT and social media giants such as Intel, Google and Facebook.
A mathematics degree does not have to mean that you will become a professional mathematician. The knowledge and skills you will develop at university can help you find success in a wide range of fields. Many maths graduates go on to have high-earning and successful careers in computing, accounting, engineering, science, banking, and business. Mathematics is a STEM subject, which employers consider to be a highly desirable subject area when looking for employees.
Studying Maths With Other College Degrees
“Mathematics expresses values that reflect the cosmos, including orderliness, balance, harmony, logic, and abstract beauty.”
Even if you decide not to take Maths and/or Stats through to degree level, it can be extremely beneficial for you to have it for two or three years.
Obviously, you want to be a scientist and throughout their working careers, scientists need to problem solve, think critically and analyse experimental data on a regular basis. Even if you have your heart set on being a chemist or a biologist, having a strong base of Maths and Stats as part of your degree can improve your scientific skillset, help make you a better future scientist and potentially enhance your future employability prospects.
Perhaps you have decided you want to specialise in economics, or a language or geography but having one or two years of Maths and/or Stats means you can still have a quantitative foundation to your degree which provides you with one or two years of challenging, stimulating and hopefully enjoyable studying while still allowing you to go on and specialise in your chosen subject. It also proves to any prospective employer that you have quantitative skills that are so often desirable in the workplace.
The Bottom Line - No matter what subject you’re trying to master, learning takes time and everyone has different methods that work for them.
Some important skills obtained from your Leaving Cert math courses:
- The ability to identify and analyze patterns
- Logic and critical thinking skills
- Ability to see relationships
- Problem-solving skills
In other words, it is generally understood that learning Maths provides an effective way of building mental discipline and encourages logical reasoning. In a lot of cases, maths is required in college because it provides students with skills that can be useful not just for learning and understanding other courses but that can also prepare students for everyday life situations.
Without a doubt Maths is probably the most important subject and your Leaving Cert, why is this?
It is not impossible to get into a 3rd Level College or University without maths, there are many courses that take people who failed maths, but you are severely limiting your options. Unless you selected courses on the CAO application that did not require maths, if you fail the exam, you will not get into the 3rd Level which means your options are even more restricted. Luckily you can get into some Further Education College or courses without maths.
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