Education

3 Examples of How You’ll Use Math in the Real World

You hear it all the time: When am I going to use math in real life?

Many students truly believe the things they learn in school will never be applicable to their real, grown up lives.  And, as parents and teachers, it is our responsibility to show our students why and how their math skills will be used outside of the classroom.

That’s why today we are going to list several everyday examples of math in the real world to show you, and your student, why taking a good college preparatory mathematics course will help them achieve not only success at the university level, but help them get through the daily grind that is adult life.

1. Contracting or Construction

If your child plans on getting into any type of construction job, such as a construction worker, contractor, architect, or building designer, you can bet they will need strong math skills.

Measuring materials such as concrete, accurately measuring lengths, widths, and angles, and even estimating the cost of projects all require a solid foundation in math.

And, if your student does not plan on getting into the construction industry, don’t worry.  They will still use their math skills at one point. Being able to complete minor home improvements saves a lot of time and money. But you need to be able to compute the math to get most jobs done right. 

If by chance your child opts to hire professional, understanding the math behind their project estimate will ensure they get a good deal.

2. Cooking

Many people love to cook.  And even if your child doesn’t, there will come a point in their life that they will need to learn how to cook even basic meals for themselves.

Understanding that cooking or baking requires basic mathematical knowledge will help your little chef pay attention in math class a little more.  Not even sure how you use math in the cooking process? 

Take a look:

  • Measuring ingredients
  • Converting from Fahrenheit to Celsius
  • Calculating cooking times
  • Understanding cooking ratios
  • Knowing how to add fractions when doubling recipes
  • Calculating pounds per hour when it comes to cooking time
  • And so much more

So, if your student is a foodie that loves to cook or bake, explain to them that fine-tuning their math skills will help.

3. Money Management

So many young people get out into the real world without a real sense of how to manage their money.  This is especially true when it comes to the compounding concept of saving for retirement or the accrual of interest on credit cards.

And unfortunately, most experts agree that those without strong math skills tend to deal with money on an emotional basis rather than a rational one.

However, if students were to learn how to apply their math skills to their investment, saving, or spending habits, there might be a lot less debt floating around.

Teach your child how to properly save and spend money over time, how to create budgets, and what to expect when they make large purchases.  After all, many adults can barely explain the way a home mortgage works or how their car’s purchase price increases over time thanks to a high interest rate.  

As you can see, this is just the beginning when it comes to how math skills apply to the real world.  So, the next time you hear your student complaining they will never use math in the real world, you can argue against them using these examples.

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