Why Is Math So Hard ?

Why is math so hard ? Here are the top 10 reasons why you may end up believing that math is only for geniuses.  

Why math is so hard

I came up with these 10 reasons based on my experience teaching mathematics in high school. First, see the top 7 reasons below. Then, keep reading to see my top 3 reasons why math is so hard.

Top 7 Reasons Why Math Is So Hard

  • Math is hard because you have a bad teacher. There are many reasons why you may end up with a bad teacher. Among others, the teacher was asked to teach a subject that he does not quite understand himself or the teacher does not know how to explain math concepts in a clear way.
  • Math is hard because somebody told you that "math is hard" and you believed it.
  • Math is hard because you are not a good reader. Many students struggle with math because of their inability to read critically the information in a math textbook.
  • Math is hard because many concepts are abstract and therefore require more effort to understand them.
  • Math is hard because you do not like math. May be you like music, sport, or language and that is ok. However, if you do not like something, you may not invest the time and effort that is needed to understand it.
  • Math is hard because you do not get the support or the tutoring that you need on occasions. Some math concepts may be hard to understand, so you will need some extra help from time to time may be from a teacher, your parents, or a friend to understand something. A lack of adequate support when you need it the most can make math harder to understand.
  • Math is hard because you may have some cognitive limitations. In that case, it is not just math that will be hard. You may struggle to learn anything.

Why Is Math So Hard? My Top 3 Reasons

  • Math is hard because of stereotypes or preconceived ideas. There are many people saying and believing that men are better than women at math. Others may believe that a certain race is better than another at math. Nothing could be further from the truth! Unfortunately, these stereotypes or preconceived ideas can get stuck in our minds and make us believe that math is hard and we can never understand it.
  • Math is hard because of a lack of early exposure. Your first exposure to math should not be when you start preschool or kindergarten. Your parents should expose you to math way before that so that when you start school you already have a head start.
  • Math is hard because you believe that you can just learn a concept and then forget it. Math does not work like that since it is cumulative. Every single thing you learn in class will be used again and again.