MATH IS NOT A SUBJECT
Majority of the students
from different colleges and universities find mathematics as difficult, hard,
and non interesting subject. Indeed, only few loves, appreciates, embraces, and
can stay the said subject easily. Far more than the way students handled mathematics was the another way of looking at it. Say, mathematics should not be treated as a subject but a procedural activity. Like having a new gadget which procedures from unboxing is required to use it flawlessly. Finding the gadget's switches, power buttons, etc. was the first thing to find until we master the entire operation. Having manual for instant reading on how to how-to was sometimes ignored since we use to follow the cyber instinct that we have, and this lead us to use the said gadget limited according to its design.
I have encountered a case about the student who was always frightened in mathematics although he loves to under go math training. He always attends seminars, tutorials, free math sessions conducted by some of their good professors in their free times at school but still he got the lowest scores every time they had math testings. He had already private tutor his parents hired to alleviate the struggle. A lots of paper scratches scattered anywhere just to justify the math solution he had from his tutor. He is not down to other subjects, in fact he always top the History, English, and other non-technical related subjects. He can't be the first honor in his class because his math hinders. He always complain that his math subject was the cause of his series of head aches, migraine and sometimes (did an intended fever) just to delay the exam schedule for mathematics. Why is this thing that happen to him happens also to some of his classmates?
Well, one of his professor one day talked and evaluate him. This professor was a doctor, a Ph.D. in mathematics. The professor conducted several different assessments. As a professional, the professor did not stop to monitor his way of studying and there it is, the professor noticed that the student study mathematics the wrong way. He, the student, opens his notebook and memorize the way his teacher did in the solution. The student follow religiously the way his teacher showing how to deal with the problem. Then the professor concluded that the reason why the student cannot understand the lesson is that student did it the way he did to English and History subjects. So the professor got an initiative how to attack this problem suffered by a child. The professor discuss about how to take care a pet (it was a dog). From puppy up to adult canine. From food proportion, water when bathing proportion, types of shampoo and soaps, time to play and walking with the dog. All consistent activity that requires how to have a healthy dog. The student can not relate the discussion of the professor, until the professor pinpointed the dog as Mathematics and the way he take care of the dog must should be the way to take care of mathematics. Every morning the dog needs food. Every morning your mathematics needs to be re-solved. The dog needs walking as exercise just like your mathematics needs to be repeat in your mind. The dog needs bathing to be clean so as your math needs accurate procedure to have clean output results and less erasures. There's a pet in your brain that needs your proper care. All of these made realization to the student that math is not a subject. It is a working and procedural activities that might lost if not cared properly.
That is the reason why some students feel easy about math because they have mastery on it. They knew the procedures well and has a dominance dealing with it. Mathematics never change but can be lost if not be cared regularly. Everyday we must solve one mathematical problem and the mathematics will reside in your brain permanently. It develops muscle memory more than the regular memory we have. It strengthens the endurance of thinking. Improve the mental stamina, and creates good logical judgement.
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