By Amanda Rodarte
For most college students our nightmares no longer revolve around the boogeyman but around a real entity, known as math.
Students spend an average of 12 years in the school system before they hit college. Instead of the requirement for math minimizing, it has been extended to more tortuous years.
The high demand for math required in the general education is unnecessary, depending on selected major.
An English major has no need of knowing the quadratic formula during their career.
General Education classes students are required to take, for students so that they are more knowledgeable and well-rounded. In the last three years attending East Los Angeles College, no one has asked me how to find the slope intersect or have been impressed with my ability to write out numbers in scientific notation.
Not every student was born with a mathematical gene, causing many students with potential to struggle and remain in community college limbo.
“It’s so frustrating, knowing that you are so close to taking the next step, but yet so far away,” said Amanda Prieto, 25, English major who has yet to complete her math requirements.
Having such strong math demands causes anxiety within college students and can affect GPA.
This is especially harmful for college students transferring.
With a lower GPA, students are unable to showcase their capabilities in their subjects of interest.
People who love math and science are going to do well in those classes.
People who love English, writing, art or music, do well in these subjects.
Forcing someone who wants to be a writer to take advanced algebra is a loss of the student’s time, the teacher’s time and a waste of money.
It’s a major blow to a student’s GPA.
“Higher levels of math should be taken regardless of major” because they promote ‘ logical thinking and problem solving” said counselor Keith Hayashi.
But the amount of required classes should be reduced depending on major so that students can move on and take a step closer to their dreams.
“When I first opened my bank account, I had no idea what interest rates were,” said student Zitlali Nevarez .
Replacing upper division math classes with finance or banking , for students with no strong emphasis in math would be beneficial to them and the requirements. Not not only may students gain more of an appreciation for math by practicing mathematical skills that are useful to everyday life, but it would keep the use of math alive.
There is not doubt that arithmetic is essential to everyday life. We need the use of basic arithmetic to calculate spending, the use of geometry to know how many yards of carpet is needed for a room, or to calculate the interest rates that come with college loans.
It’s obviously important, but the levels of the math required should not go past intermediate math depending on a student’s major.
After 12 years of math, students who have no interest in the subject, should be allowed to take a limited amount of math courses, including finance, so they may continue on their path.
We spend 12 years of our life going by state requirements.
As young adults who have already completed state requirements, we have earned the right and freedom to study courses we like that will expand our knowledge in our selected major.
