Science and Math.

[Danman1]

I am pretty fucking awesome at Science, I like to think. Which makes me wonder why I am so bad at math. Math is the foundation of science. It's not even really an equation problem. They taught us how to find the amount of energy of an object in Joules, and I grasped it in minutes(feeling smugly superior the following day when others needed it explained more). It is just something about numbers with no explanation, variables with no definition, that makes me confused. My french teacher tried to explain that in France the students are split into students that learn writing and philosophy and ones that learn mathematics and science(That's probably really oversimplified, sorry, but that's how he said it). I can't imagine such a hell. Is anybody else like me in being good at one thing, but absolutely terrible in what goes along with it?

 

[JWW]

You should go into some kind of biology, that's probably the field requiring the least math.

 

[skitzo van]

I kick AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSS at math, but I become what an amoeba would consider retarded when it comes to graphing.

 

[Paksenarrion]

That makes sense, actually. If you're just given a math problem with no real life connection, it's harder to solve because it's abstract. I'm guessing calculating the trajectory of artillery fire is easier for you to grasp than calculating an arbitrary slope m with x^2.

 

[Simple Bluff]

I don't know where you live or if they treat the subjects differently there, but Science is more about pure theory (all them laws and such) whilst Maths is more about mechanical procedure (Calculus is a good example). And the mathmatical part of Science is a lot simpler than the scientific parts of Maths... in science, the most you'd get would be basic and novice algebra.

I don't think I have the same problem (I don't mean to sound snotty, but I think I'm alright at both subjects) but I absolutely hate proofs both in Physics and Maths. Especially the long trigonometric ones that require you to draw out stuff... someone once casually mentioned that Maths in college is mostly proofs, which seriously bothered me, as I wanted to pursue Maths in some form.

 

[Hairetos]

Nope, I'm pretty simple with my strengths and weaknesses.

I'm good at straightforward stuff with processes and I'm pretty good at relating that to concepts.

You give me something based on me creating original visual models and you might as well have asked me to cure cancer.

If you wanna get into hemisphere nonsense, I suppose it wouldn't make sense that I'm good at "seeing the big picture" rather than focusing on details, since details are in the same hemisphere as linear, methodical math. But that's part of the hemisphere "science" that I don't grant any credence.

As for your dilemma, are you good at memorization sciences, like biology, or practical sciences like physics and chemistry? If you are good at the latter, then yeah that makes no sense.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

I'm guessing you shouldn't do pure mathematics then. I'm good at both though.

 

[Danman1]

Pure mathematics, that's the word. Thanks to all who said it. I nearly flunked out of Algebra 1, (for a reference, my sister is 12 and got straight A's in it) but I am good at chemistry. I understand how electricity and currents and energy and magnetic fields and generators and all that works, but if you throw numbers into the mix I'm fucked. God bless calculators I guess.

 

[IxionIndustries]

You should go into some kind of biology, that's probably the field requiring the least math.

Isn't that also the one where you get to travel the world, saving dolphins and pokemon and shit?

If so, then I have my career choice.

OT:
I have the exact same issue. I can barely grasp multiplication problems, can't tolerate algebra, and trigonometry can go fuck itself.

I am honestly dreading college, and even my 3 more years of high school, since apparently you're supposed to understand why Timmy has 5 squared apples arranged in a triangle multiplied by 40 quarts of blood divided by Satan.

 

[Danman1]

You should go into some kind of biology, that's probably the field requiring the least math.

Isn't that also the one where you get to travel the world, saving dolphins and pokemon and shit?

If so, then I have my career choice.

OT:
I have the exact same issue. I can barely grasp multiplication problems, can't tolerate algebra, and trigonometry can go fuck itself.

I am honestly dreading college, and even my 3 more years of high school, since apparently you're supposed to understand why Timmy has 5 squared apples arranged in a triangle multiplied by 40 quarts of blood divided by Satan.

I'm considering saying "Fuck It" and devoting all my energy to English. But I feel like that's the pussy way out.

 

[Generator]

I'm exactly the opposite. When I'm given a math problem, with no relevance to anything in the real world, I'm able to easily solve it because I think of it as such: a problem that's needs solving.

It's when they try to connect it to the real world that I can't solve it, because I'm too busy questioning what makes that question relevant to the real world and when the scenario given would ever arise, needing me to solve it. At least when they just hand me numbers I can think, "Well, it's busy work, but at least I realize why it needs to be done."

 

[Dags90]

OT:
I have the exact same issue. I can barely grasp multiplication problems, can't tolerate algebra, and trigonometry can go fuck itself.

I am honestly dreading college, and even my 3 more years of high school, since apparently you're supposed to understand why Timmy has 5 squared apples arranged in a triangle multiplied by 40 quarts of blood divided by Satan.

Give it some time? The brain takes a while to fully mature its ability to understand abstract concepts. I wasn't terrible at math, but I wasn't awesome at it either (bad at all the number "accounting" in higher math). In college I found calculus to be ridiculously easy. Almost done with formal math teaching for good.

 

[Danman1]

You should go into some kind of biology, that's probably the field requiring the least math.

Isn't that also the one where you get to travel the world, saving dolphins and pokemon and shit?

If so, then I have my career choice.

OT:
I have the exact same issue. I can barely grasp multiplication problems, can't tolerate algebra, and trigonometry can go fuck itself.

I am honestly dreading college, and even my 3 more years of high school, since apparently you're supposed to understand why Timmy has 5 squared apples arranged in a triangle multiplied by 40 quarts of blood divided by Satan.

I'm considering saying "Fuck It" and devoting all my energy to English. But I feel like that's the pussy way out.

It's also a lot easier when it's explained in science. Using an example and knowing why, say, density decreases the buoyancy of a floating object, I just can't understand abstract math.

 

[Lavi]

Er-What I'm good at is usually what I don't care for. I'm brilliant at science, but my passion died due to a shitty teacher.

 

[grimsprice]

That makes sense, actually. If you're just given a math problem with no real life connection, it's harder to solve because it's abstract. I'm guessing calculating the trajectory of artillery fire is easier for you to grasp than calculating an arbitrary slope m with x^2.

I don't know about the OP (he sorta sounds like me in a nutshell), But this is most definitely me.

I flunked tests on matrices. I FUCKING HATE MATRICES. But i remember completing a practical applications test i did at the end of TRIG. We had to travel from point a to point b on a map, while avoiding certain areas, making the path circuitous and complicated, and them launch ourselves back to the starting location. We had to describe the path we took mathematically, and the energy and angle it would take to send us back. I had it done before class was over.

 

[Avelestar]

I'm assuming you're in highschool, so we'll go from there.

Science is a wonderful field to study, and you don't need a strong maths background to succeed. However, some fields will require mathematics knowledge, and those that don't will still have bits and pieces, though usually hidden behind computer programs and in manageable chunks. Physics and Chemistry for example are the most "pure" science fields, and at least here in Adelaide it's highly recommended to do 1-2 years of maths at uni along side your chemistry/physics courses.

Randall of XKCD sums things up pretty nicely.

Spoiler

You should go into some kind of biology, that's probably the field requiring the least math.

Has said it right, biology is one of the least maths demanding fields on the whole. But if you take up ecology like me (the study of populations and their interactions etc. etc.) you wil be dealing with numbers and graphs. You won't need to be able to do huge algebraic equations, but you will need to understand how an equation works and how it applies to whatever it is you're doing. (running computer simulations of population growths is commonplace, and an equation will often be comprised of growth + carrying capacity + mortality, and each of these 3 parts are influenced by different things. i.e. predators, environment type)

If you're in high school still you have plenty of time to work out what you want to do. Take all the science courses you can, and then try and work it out from there. Here in Australia the Bachelor of Science at uni is awesome, you can more or less try everything in first year and go from there. I started out as a chemistry/physics major, but I took a bit of biology in first year, loved it and switched over and couldn't be happier.

And never forget that science is a HUGE field: physics, chemistry, biology, geology, medical sciences just to name a few, that all break off into more and more different fields and specialisations. Try everything, until you find something that you WANT to spend your life working on and learning.

 

[lyrandar]

It is possible that maths simply doesn't interest you and so you don't bother putting in the effort whereas you are better at sciences because you find them fascinating and so learn more. That's the same with me, maths bores me and so it is one of my worst subjects whereas chemistry is perhaps my best.

Also if you are in early or middle high school often there isn't the maths focus of later sciences, so that is something to consider.

 

[FightThePower]

A lot of sciences don't need much Maths skills at all; Psychology or Biology need very little. Physics is understandable, but otherwise I wouldn't say Maths is the 'foundation' of science, really.

I do Psychology at University and the difference in Maths skills in people is quite diverse. Some are great at Maths (I got an A in all my Maths exams at A Level) but a lot of people aren't brilliant at it.

 

[FC Groningen]

As people said, science goes a lot further than the beta side.