General Chat

Just off the subject of A levels, Have you ever needed Algebra in your life other than school. Ever?

No I have not. But then nor have I come across a Van der Graf generator except in a physics lesson, or needed to draw a diagram of how an ox-bow lake is formed, explained what an artisian well is or translate a paragraph into latin!!!!

Yes, the other day. I was listening to the radio and they were doing a 'brain teaser' every 10 minutes or so. One of them involved money in a purse and amounts left after spending and how much was spent. I actually sat down with pen and paper worked out the answer using algebra. I was very pleased with myself - mind you it was the one and only time in 20 years!!! Rebecca

So which subjects has anyone actually NEEDED (apart from certain communication skills, which for many seem to be decreasing)? As long as someone else is always going to do things for you (and the rest of mankind) I suppose a couple of years doing the 3-Rs is quite sufficent to get everyone through their life.

What I can't get to grips with is all this metrication. Everything I struggled to learn at school in the 50's and 60's to do with weights, measures etc. is now DEFUNCT!!! Dee :-(((

Reading, writing and simple arithmetic should be enough for most people througout their lives, and look up anything else you want to know. Oh maybe cooking would be a good idea too.

Financial lessons would be good. How to pay bills, mortgages etc. Everyone will have to do that.

Alge who ? I am positive that there must be a mathematical equivalent to dyslexia. English fine, Geography not too bad, History, hated the teacher, needlework, well I can sew a button on and put lastic in me knickers, cookery, passable...but sums!!!!!!! might just have been trying to teach me Japanese. ~:o)

Yep. Quite a few formulae can be expressed as algebraic equations. A very simle one: a over b x 100 = y to find what percentage a is of b

eeerrrrr no!!! I hated maths at school, i ended up with an E twice for it!!

Daniel, As Ann has said, there are lots of things we learn at school that we never need again in that pure form - except for answering questions at quiz nights perhaps! But that is not the point. The study skills, the different ways of thinking and applying knowledge, expertise at using various resources etc are all useful and may be needed at some point in the future. You may think that algebra is irrelevant to your future life but the ability to think logically and present a clear, structured argument may make the difference to whether you or someone else lands a desired job. Janice

no not that i can think of danxxxx

Nope, and I've just had to do Maths as part of my degree at uni (did Economics) and don't think I'll ever end up using that again either! Amy x