Ten reasons why maths is so hard - Part 1 of 2
After what felt like a lifetime of studying English as a second language, I was fully convinced I could conquer life in the UK. That confidence? It lasted exactly one week. My downfall came courtesy of a ticket clerk in London. I told him three times which city I wanted to go to, only for him to blink at me like I’d just spoken ancient Greek. In desperation, I finally spelled it out: B-A-T-H. He lit up and said, ‘Oh, BATH!’… Which, I swear, was exactly what I’d been saying all along!
Mastering mathematics is tough because, in many ways, it’s like learning a new language. In this blog post, I’ll explore this analogy and highlight five key reasons why understanding maths can be so difficult for many people.
Learning maths: like speaking a new language, only harder
Learning a new language is like assembling IKEA furniture without the instructions — long, laborious, and just when you think you’ve got it, you’re left wondering what to do with that pile of extra screws. Turns out, maths is no different. It’s got its own language, packed with symbols, rules, and structures that help us communicate complex ideas with laser-like precision. You start with basic phrases — addition and multiplication — and work your way up to holding full-blown conversations about calculus and algebra.
Mastering this language takes time, patience, and a fair amount of head-scratching, but with the right amount of dedication and support, you will end up speaking maths like a pro.
Binge-watching maths? Not quite yet!
Learning English as a second language has never been easier, thanks to the endless array of tools at your fingertips. You can binge-watch English films or TV shows with subtitles, dive into podcasts or audiobooks during your commute, chat with native speakers online, or tackle interactive language apps — perfect for practising pronunciation without the classroom stress.
Maths, however, doesn’t quite offer the same lifestyle-friendly immersion. Sadly, there’s no binge-watching calculus (yet). The path to maths fluency is a bit more hands-on, and your options for fitting it into daily life are a little more… limited. So, it takes extra dedication and effort to keep those maths skills sharp when you’re not in a classroom.
Maths: a journey beyond the visible and the tangible
Mathematics is a bit like that friend who talks about things you can’t quite see or touch — always reaching for the abstract. While numbers and shapes seem pretty concrete, much of maths dives into concepts that exist purely in our heads: infinity, imaginary numbers, multidimensional spaces.
This abstract quality is precisely what makes maths so powerful. It allows us to explore ideas free from the limits of everyday experience, letting us dance effortlessly between the tangible and the theoretical, uncovering truths that shape everything from science to art.
But to fully appreciate this beauty of abstraction, we first need to wrap our heads around these elusive mathematical ideas. Easier said than done, right? [1]
The tightrope of maths: one misstep can mean disaster
Learning mathematics can be incredibly challenging because it demands a level of precision that few other subjects can rival. Unlike my experience with a ticket clerk in London, where a close approximation might (finally) get you a ticket to Bath, maths doesn’t play that game.
Studying maths is like walking a tightrope — one misstep and the whole act goes up in smoke. You’re cruising through a problem, feeling like a genius, when suddenly a misplaced digit sneaks in, sending your entire solution into chaos. It’s the harsh truth about maths: precision isn’t optional.
Maths: the language with hidden superpowers
There are plenty of solid reasons to learn a new language. It helps you connect with locals while traveling and can unlock a treasure trove of job opportunities. But why on earth would you want to learn the language of maths?
You’ve seen them — students in maths class, staring blankly at the board like it is displaying hieroglyphics, muttering, ‘When am I ever going to need this in real life?’ To them, maths feels like solving puzzles for the sole purpose of solving puzzles — abstract, disconnected, and far from anything they’ll encounter in their day-to-day lives. Try explaining how quadratic equations could be useful someday, and you’ll be met with glazed eyes and an internal mantra of ‘just pass the exam, just pass the exam.’
But little do they know, maths is quietly woven into everything, from calculating their future pizza delivery tip to deciding the best loan repayment plan. [2] Proficiency in maths opens doors to careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Until that enlightening moment arrives, they’ll continue to escape this ‘boring’ subject the second the bell rings, blissfully unaware of how maths has the power to shape their lives and careers.
Public speakers engage voice coaches to enhance their articulation and intonation, while actors rely on language coaches to master new accents for auditions. So why not invest in a coach to help you speak the language of mathematics with fluency and confidence? Explore my services and schedule a free consultation today.
Continue reading: Ten reasons why maths is so hard — Part 2 of 2.
[1] Around 23% of 15-year-old students globally did not reach the baseline level of maths proficiency, which suggests significant struggles with fundamental mathematical concepts. This is a concern as it impacts their ability to apply maths in real-world situations. [2022 results of OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) — https://www.oecd.org/en/about/programmes/pisa.html][2] A 2021 study in the UK found that about 2 in 5 working-age adults have the numeracy skills expected of a primary school child (aged 11 or below). This equates to around 16 million adults who have low numeracy skills, making daily tasks that require basic maths, such as budgeting or understanding financial documents, difficult. [The National Numeracy — https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk]