"When Am I Ever Going to Use This?"

Perhaps the most oft repeated question every math teacher hears. Worse, regardless how we answer it, the kid asking figures we're just blowing smoke and have no idea what we're talking about. Then of course, we also constantly see memes on social media, "Another day and I didn't use [fill in a high school math class here.]"

The truth is, math is more than counting and memorizing formulas. The main reason most education systems require students to take as so much math, up to algebra or higher in most cases, is not so everyone can "cipher" as Jethro used to say on the Beverly Hillbillies. It's not so you have a bank of formulas memorized when you're 40 to pull out and use at the grocery store.

 

The reason you're required to take so much math is because it teaches you logic and reasoning. When you put these two things together you get good problem solvers. An THAT is why you're required to take so much math! So you'll develop problem solving skills.

When you're young you may not realize that life is made up of a series of problems. Murphy's Law says anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Live a little and you'll understand how true that is. Your parents should certainly understand it. Some problems are simple and some problems are complex, but life always has been and always will be filled with problems. 

Math helps you develop problem solving skills and that's why most education systems insist you take so much math. 

While they can't make every student take all the math they offer, there are many, many students who cheat themselves by taking the bare minimum, or taking math classes below their ability level. The more advanced the math classes are, the better they are at developing those problem solving skills. So, those students who take those "hard" math classes have more opportunity to become better problem solvers.

So, the next time you think you're never going to use algebra, trigonometry, geometry, statistics, or even calculus, you'll be wrong. You may not employ the Mean Value Theorem, or convert degrees to radians, but you're going to face problems throughout your life. Some big, some small. 

And the more math you took in high school, the better equipped you'll be to solve those problems.