Is the high jump hard? A Level Maths
The answer is yes if you are trying to break an Olympic record. Even if you can do it, it’s hard! On the other hand, if the bar is 2 cm off the ground it is easy, as long as you are able-bodied. Somewhere in between we all have a personal best height, different for each of us. Very often, with some effort, perseverance and training we can improve our personal best, and there is a lot of satisfaction in doing so.
Similarly in mathematics, if you are trying to prove, say, Fermat’s last theorem, it is hard; even if you can do it, it’s hard (Andrew Wiles, who proved it in the 1990s, took over ten years of dedicated effort to do so!). On the other hand, at the level of two plus two equals four, most of us find it easy. Somewhere in between we all get to a point where we find it hard; we all have a personal best where we start to struggle, different for each of us. However, as with the high jump, with effort, perseverance and training (education) we can often improve our capability. There is a lot of satisfaction in being able to understand something today that we didn’t understand yesterday.
Most real-world applications of mathematics don’t require the level of knowledge and understanding needed to solve Fermat’s last theorem. We can all raise our personal best mathematical “bar” to the point where we can make good use of our mathematical know-how.
Many people feel a real fear when it comes to mathematics and this can stop them from achieving their personal best. If this applies to you, then it is worth acknowledging this barrier and also seeking help from your teachers, friends and family. It can also be useful to try out different learning techniques such as watching YouTube videos about maths or spending time working in a group with your friends. A major area of breakthrough can simply be to realise that everyone can improve with a combination of hard work and the right teaching and encouragement – your attainment is not fixed. For some pupils they might just move up one grade (a major triumph), but for other students they can find that they can do more than they ever dreamed.