Expert: Abe Mantell - 9/16/2005

Question
My question isn't so much about how to do certain things in math, but rather how useful it is in careers in general. I wanted more than anything to be a business major, but I had to drop Calculus because it was simply too much for me. I am now reconsidering my major looking specifically for a major that is not "math-intensive." It seems to me that some people are either really good at math, and some really have trouble following it. And those that are good at it do not understand why those who aren't can't catch on. For some math, or in my case Calculus, is like a completely different language. I want to be very successful, but I don't think I will ever be good at math. There are no statistics out there that suggest that people who are good in math will be overall more successful (and by successful I am referring to income) than those who are not good at it? I would like to think so because I just can't follow that kind of logic. It is philosophical type logic that fits into my mind. But math on the other hand does not seem to translate for me. It just doesn't seem as logical. Thanks in advance for your time. I appreciate any ideas or information you can give me.

Answer
Hello James,

True, there are many successful (as measured by income)
people who have weak math skills!  However, I gather
many (if not most or all) schools that have what seems
like an unessary math requirement (like business and
pre-meds needing to take calculus) have that in place
for 2 reasons:
1. mathematics does require clear reasoning and
-- problem-solving skills.  Two skills that are
-- highly desirable!  In fact, I have heard (and read)
-- stories from such students who do admit that the
-- math courses have helped them to organize their
-- thoughts, break-up problems into a step-by-step
-- sequence of smaller problems, and just help them
-- think more logically!  Sounds good to me!

2. Perhaps it is also a weeding-out process.  Statistically,
-- people who are good at math (or can do it reasonably
-- well) tend to be better able to handle complicated tasks
-- and ideas.

Here are some links tat address the question:
"Why study math?"
http://mathforum.org/dr.math/faq/faq.why.math.html
http://euler.slu.edu/Dept/WhyMath.html
http://faculty.juniata.edu/esch/neatstuff/whymath.html
http://www.math.upei.ca/html/why.html
http://www.mctm.org/01new/pages/WhyStudyMath.pdf

I hope this helps...

Abe