Ok, I know I have no choice but to pass the course. But my point still stands that algebra is not needed for the vast majority of careers out there.

For instance, I did not even start college until 2003, for the 17 years before that I always worked full-time.

As a private investigator, a carpenter, a mechanic, and a writer. No these professions never made me rich, but then again that is not why I work.

Never once did I have to use algebra.

Someone mentioned you need algebra to figure out how much taxes should be taken out from your paycheck. Oh please that is simple percentages, not algebra.

I am not talking about taking out useful mathematics as a requirement. I am talking about this:

-4
Unless you are majoring in the sciences I see no reason to have to know something so incredibly useless.

I stand by my assertion that a liberal arts major should only have to take an "appreciation" course in algebra such as a science major only has to take an "appreciation" course in music.

Well for some reason the entire equation I typed in does not show.

[edit on 18-11-2004 by Leespitfire]

Anyway, if ones goal is to make money then guess Mark Fisher's book "Instant Millionaire" would be more usefull them aglebra , don't you think?

Can I just say, bratok, that in the UK the two most common professions found among chief exec's are accounting and engineering. Try getting a degree in either of them without algebra!
So I don’t see how your idea that people who can do Maths become the assistants to those who can't (I know you didn’t mean it that literally, but like you, I’m exaggerating too).
I am still struggling with Maths at uni, and still wonder what the … could I ever use this for sometimes, however I prove my own ignorance quite soon after when we need it to solve fundamental practical probs! Maths is very important, it would not be taught otherwise.
Just keep at it and it will make sense!

>> Can I just say, bratok, that in the UK the two most common professions found among chief exec's are accounting and engineering.
>> Try getting a degree in either of them without algebra!

I was talking about goals in life. If one wants to have a common profession and be like everybody, then by all means he should learn like everybody does.

Yet if he want something more, to create his own company, for example, maybe he needs to start asking himself questions about what he needs to achieve this goals. Does he need math? or intuition? or some charisma... ?

That’s cool. I understand and agree with you that creative charismatic people are more likely to have success in building up their own products and business' than dull, socially inept, uncreative, uncharismatic people with good degrees.
However if your lucky enough to possess natural creativity and charisma, surely having mathematical knowledge could not hurt. Could this not in fact create a great partnership?

Originally posted by Leespitfire
Most jobs do NOT need Algebra, nor Geometry, Trig, etc
If I wanted a job that required that then I would be going for a BS not a BA yes?

Anything in the Sciences, yes, one would want that background.

But if one is going for a Liberal Arts degree why do they need such advanced mathematics?

A taste of Algebra, just as a taste of Fine Arts for a Science Major should suffice, for a Liberal Arts Degree.

Sheesh, imagine the Mathematics majors having to take advanced Music Theory??

Algebra is probably a requirement for most schools because the majority of children do not know exactly what they will be doing for the rest of their life, therefore they need to know basic math. Algebra is really not that bad, it seems that it is at the time, but later on in other required math classes, one will wish things were as simple as algebra. Trust me...been there. Most people have.

If your've been a carpenter your've done algebra...

how long is an unmeasured offcut of wood?

X mm's, thats how long.

the wood is measured at 400mm therefore X=400

algebra simply allows the expression of the relationships between things.

As a musician I use algebra to calculate the ohmage of speakers in a circuit (ohm's law).

Algebra is a truely universal skill, when you get it you'll see...

According to the front page of ATS today, Prince Charles has decreed we should not indulge in 'thinking above our station', so you can rest easy, Leespitfire.

Personally, I want to know 'how'...

>>However if your lucky enough to possess natural creativity and charisma, surely having mathematical knowledge could not hurt.
>>Could this not in fact create a great partnership?

Yes and no... I believe that every person can only himself answer this question.

There are many theories about whar creativety and charisma are.
For example, some believe that every kid is born a creator, yet then he goes to school where he is told "do so and so", "this is so and so", "stop looking around!", etc. and the creativety wanishes...

Look at the Japneease, they are raised without their parents telling them "don't do that!!!", instead they treat every kid as a genius. And aloms all of them are creators, inventors.

As for charisma? What is a charismatic personality?
First he is 100% sure of what he is doing or saying. Yet if the kid is told all the time that he does not know anything, thet he had to be quait and listen... would he be completely sure of himself?
And a heigh energy level, of cource. This can be achieved by certain energetic exercises.


Good Luck!

Algebra is the basics of math. When you get to the other math courses, algebra will look like 1+1=2.

As said before algebra is the basic stepping stone into higher mathematics. Algebra is like the liberal arts subject to math, everything builds off of it. So, yes, if you're going to major in things like engineering or anything having to do with technology or science you better have a grasp on it. If your taking liberal art's college pathway just remember that's what a liberal arts school is about. They give you the basic all around education...something I can't stand and see a problem with, hence why I am an engineer undergrad : P

I still use things I learned in algebra to this day in differential equations (diff eq) which i had a test in this morning : P

No matter what education system you go with, there will be some classes you'll question, but in order to move you just have to suck it up and get it done to move on with your life.

Joke

Son - did you every need algebra that you learned in school?
Father - Yes, but only once, when the cap fell into the tank, I took a piece of wire, bent it as an integer and fished the cap out.

I am doing college level maths at the moment and i too had trouble with algebra, i mean i knew how to work it to a certain extent but thats not enough. I found that u need to understand the actual workings of algebra not just all the rules that govern it (note this may not be possible on very complex problems). The only way u will learn it is just by being persistant and looking at it from different angles.

Good luck to the people trying to learn.

Actually, if you think about your daily life you actually use a lot of algebra. You use it to measure a recipe or divide two seperate things evenly. Think about it some more! Algebra actually comes in handy most of the time, even when we don't realize it. It may be a hard thing to get used to, but in due time you will get the hang of it and it won't be so bad. Good Luck.

[edit on 22-11-2004 by xx_stephanie_xx]

Could it be possible that you don't see a use for it, because without it, there will be things that cannot be done without it, therefore it is easy to ignore those things you don't know how to do?



Examples:
manufacturing/inventing/packaging
You have a stack of flat cardboard. nearly an infinte supply.
You have a supply of tape. Which will be gone when used up.
how would you maximize your usage of cardboard into the shape of
a box using the absolute minimum of tape?

This is a situation that would be impossible or a nightmare without Algebra.

Retail/Fast Food/Banking
Something more common, Money. sure you could wing it with regular math, but with having Algebra under your belt you can blaze through those forms when breaking down your til (or money-drawer) at the end of the day.
You will love yourself to tears when you can use Vector-math to calculate
your til in a matter of 2 minutes and walk away with an idea of how much you just made the company.

Retail continued:
without algebra, you can forget about trying to forcast sells/shopping holidays(days sales are abnormally hot), or even quickly figure out what item is your best money maker atm.... you just won't have the organizational skills to get through it.

Recreation: Pool(Analytical Geometry for English, Trig for Angled Bank Shots), Clue (indirectly), Poker, Gin Rummy, Ballistics whether for archery or general marksmanship, or even Trying to make Game Enchancer Codes from a cpu memory address.. ok that last one was a bit out there

I guess in short, it allows you to take advantage of circumstances that otherwise would be invisible to someone who is without.

I passed algebra in 7th grade, and took algebra 2 as a freshman, so the requirement didnt really have an effect on me. im taking pre-calc as a sophomore.

Most jobs do NOT need Algebra

yep they do even janitorial and fast food. most all cleaners and chemicals
have proper mix ratios on them. most state and/or co. health depts. require
cleaning towels to be kept in a 16:1 or 32:1 bleach/disinfectant solution.

some form of weights and measures is used almost everywhere. arts and sciences start with Phi.

Leespitfire,

No matter what you plan to do with your life, there are certain things you should study to understand yourself.

Biology teaches you what you are.
Philosophy teaches you who you are.
Astronomy teaches you where you are.
History teaches you your past.
And Math teaches you how to think.

One is no more important than the other. You must have a basic understanding of all of them to be a well rounded person.

The truth is that you know more algebra than you give yourself credit for. You are probably just getting hung up on a certain class of equations. Don't worry about it, just tough it out, it'll come.

I'm surprised that algebra was not a requirement for you in high school. I'm ten years your senior, and I had to have a minimum of two years of algebra to graduate high school.

Congratulations on making the decision to better yourself and go back to school. Education is a journey, not a destination.

Originally posted by Leespitfire
Algebra

You're complaining about algebra? I could understand if you were learning calculus in school, but algebra? Come on man, it comes up, you need it to think. You can't go thru life not knowing it. Sure you don't need it to punch a time card and worry about how there isn't going to be anything left in social security when its your turn to collect, but hell man if you want to think about anything you certainly are going to come across it.

Same as latin. Yeah, it doesn't come up when yer reading the sports page or the crime blotter (unless they're talking about which muscle was torn or what writs were issued), but it certainly comes up in literature quite often. Not entire texts of course, but phrases and entire sayings and such pop up all the time especially in anything written by the older generation. Not to mention that there's often stuff taken directly out of foreign languages, thats why a foreign language is still important for elementary education. I never was offered latin but I would've taken it in a second, and, after seeing now how its used, I know I wouldn't've regretted it. And the same definitely goes for calculus, I really loathed it, I'm horrible at it, but you've just got to learn it, let alone algebra.