Although school itself is often a complaint of students, one subject seems to arise more commonly than others to be the most disliked: math. Maybe it’s the amount of homework or the frustration of learning a new concept, but students should appreciate math a little bit more than they do. Math is a fundamental skill needed in any aspect of life.

Sophomore Tyler Dearborn finds math to be a challenge, and, like many students, wonders when math will be needed in life.

“I’ve never [run] into a life situation where I’ve had to use trigonometry or something [like that].”

In reality, trigonometry is used in many more aspects of a normal day than one might think; while enjoying the newest album from your favorite artist or playing an instrument, you are experiencing the impact that the frequencies of sine and cosine functions have. Several prominent careers also require varying degrees of knowledge of this subject. Photographers, animators, and many doctors in the medical field are always using trigonometry in their day-to-day work.

Students of this generation are also immersed in the new technological innovations of this age– many of which involve the development of video games. It may come as a surprise, but math is involved in nearly every aspect of video games, from probabilities of winning to gameplay mechanics.

The creation of these video games is also heavily dependent on physics, from laws of inertia and friction with movement to producing algorithms of water movement. These equations and principles apply to nearly every game being created and played, from Fortnite to Super Mario.

In a study done by CareerCast in 2014, occupations were tested in order to see what the ‘best’ profession was. Based on factors such as environment, stress, income, and stability, the study concluded that a mathematician was the best job in 2014, with a statistician and actuary, both of which analyze and use mathematical data and techniques to predict the probability of an event, coming in third and fourth respectively.

Sophomore Peyton Bruno enjoys math because “it is logical and there is one correct answer. I know if I did something right or wrong.”

As students of the 21st century, scientific, technological, and mathematical studies are hugely important in many occupations across many industries.

But more than being important in daily computational skills and future requirements for any profession, math teaches students to be able to think critically and problem solve.

These skills present themselves no matter what career one may enter after school.

As a math teacher at Horizon, Mrs. Ricia Ingram often sees the struggles students go through with this subject.

“I don’t think a lot of kids see a lot of value in [math],” she says.

While challenging work that a teacher may give in class can seem daunting and make a student not want to complete it, the stimulus the brain experiences while working through that tough problem is a workout.

“Any time you are challenging your brain you are making yourself a better thinker,” Ingram says.

A PayScale study has reported that the top 15 highest earning college degrees “have mathematics as a common denominator,” as put by Dale Stokdyk of SNHU.

Biomedical engineers are always using math to develop new medical advancements in the field, primarily using calculus and geometry, and were the highest earning position of the top 15 careers. According to the United States Department of Labor, the top 10% of doctors in this field earn more than $140,000 per year. Biochemists and computer scientists, where thermodynamics and complex algebra appear commonly, were second and third highest respectively, and the top 10% of both careers earn more than $170,000 per year.

From top earning positions to a simple sing-along session, mathematics can truly be seen anywhere within our lives. Knowing the importance of it and being able to use it are critical to our understanding of the world around us. Being aware of these situations may make that assignment become engaging mental stimuli, as compared to the dreaded worksheet that seems to never end.

In a world where an ever-growing industry of scientific and mathematical implications are becoming more prominent, students should be more open to the possibilities math unlocks for them and their generation. Becoming an educated, youthful force in society will bring multitudes of benefits into every aspect of our lives, and it’s all thanks to math.