Math is not a talent, it’s an attitude – we’ll show you how to master it!

Mathematics. The word alone makes many people feel uneasy. Maybe you’re also thinking: “I’m just not a numbers person.” But here’s the good news: math is not a question of talent, but of the perspective you take and your willingness to learn new things!

Mathematics is one of the most fundamental sciences in the world for a reason: it is considered a key skill in almost all areas of life. If you master math, the door to your dream life is open: Great degree courses and exciting career fields await you, some of which beckon with high salaries. But math may also benefit you more than you think in your everyday life. So don’t let prejudices or bad school experiences put you off!

What you can expect in this article:

Why math seems so difficult for many – and why it has nothing to do with talent.
How you can change your attitude to math.
What advantages math offers you in your studies, career and everyday life.
Five simple tips to master math without stress.

Why does math scare so many people?

Mathematics is often referred to as a “hate subject”. Perhaps you also think back to your school days: complex formulas, strict teachers, exam stress – it all frustrated you. No wonder math becomes a “fear subject” for many.

But the problem is not the math itself. It’s the negative beliefs that we develop as a result of our bad experiences. Thoughts like “I’m just bad at math” block you. But math is a matter of training!

Study shows: Math anxiety can be overcome

A study by the German Rectors’ Conference (2022) with 2,500 participants from 15 faculties shows: 9 out of 10 graduates with math components in their studies report that they are no longer afraid of numbers after graduation and are confident in dealing with them.

These results make it clear: mathematical skills can be learned – regardless of previous knowledge. It is much more important that you dare to start at all! The first step is to change your attitude towards math.

Four strategies to change your attitude towards math

Math can be fun and can help you enormously in life. However, our negative experiences with math often keep us stuck in a negative mindset. So you need to make your experiences with math more positive. Below, we present four strategies to help you do this.

1. create practical relevance

Think about how math benefits you specifically and imagine how you use math in practice:

Analyze key company figures: Transfer this to your everyday life: you could track your monthly expenses and analyze where you spend the most money and identify potential savings, e.g. by switching to cheaper providers.
Recognize trends in data: Observe your daily routines and patterns, such as how many times a week you reach your fitness goals, and use these insights to plan your time more effectively.
Measure goals and make informed decisions: Set yourself goals such as saving for a vacation and regularly check your progress. For example: How much have you put aside this week and how close have you come to your savings goal?

The WiGeMath study (2018), with around 4,000 participating students from various German universities, confirms that practice-oriented approaches increase mathematical performance by up to 25%!

Imagining math practically and in a context that you are familiar with, as in the examples above, significantly increases comprehension and thus your positive experience with math.

2. develop positive beliefs

Replace negative thoughts such as “I’m bad at math” with positive ways of thinking such as “I can learn math”. This change opens you up to progress and removes blockages that make it possible for you to gain positive experiences. Because in order to have new, better experiences with math, you have to start opening yourself up to new things in the first place.

3. proceed step by step

Nobody becomes a math pro overnight. Focus on one subject at a time. It can seem overwhelming at first, but math is always logical. There is always a fixed structure and individual steps that you can work on for a long time. Dividing a task into several small steps can help you to understand it better.

4. see mistakes as a learning opportunity

Mistakes are not a problem, but an opportunity to improve. Analyze what didn’t work, learn from it and try again. The important thing here is not to perceive the mistake as a negative experience, but as something that helps you move forward and is therefore helpful for you.

3 reasons why math will help you in the long term

Math is with you everywhere – often without you even realizing it – and can be the door to your dream life! Here are three reasons why math will help you get ahead in the long term:

1. math is the foundation of our modern world

Whether algorithms, IT security, big data or business management – everything is based on mathematics. Anyone who understands math as the language of the future can get off to a flying start anywhere, but especially in the tech industry.

The tech industry uses mathematics, among other things, to make your life better:

Algorithms: They decide, for example, what content you see on social media or which Spotify playlist is automatically suggested to you. As a result, you usually only receive content that actually interests you.
IT security: Encryption technologies protect all your data, including your bank details, for example.
Big Data: Companies use mathematical models to analyze huge amounts of data and thus, for example, bring better products onto the market for which there is more demand and which may also offer added value for you.

2. Math trains your logical thinking – at work and at university

Analytical thinking and problem-solving skills are in demand in almost every job, especially in jobs that later pay very well. In degree programs such as Business Administration (B.A.) or Data Science and AI (M.Sc.), you will learn how to evaluate data and make well-founded decisions that will help companies move forward. This will make you a key figure in the company’s success and give you the prospect of a hefty salary.

How math is used in different jobs:

Marketing: Imagine you are in charge of a company’s social media page. You see that posts with certain images or headlines get more clicks. Based on these figures, you plan future campaigns to attract more attention and customers.

Calculation example:

You manage a company’s social media page and analyze two posts:

Post A: Has 1,000 views and 100 clicks on the link → click rate = 100/1000×100=10 %
Post B: Has 800 views and 120 clicks on the link → click rate = 120/800×100=15 %

Result: Although post A has more views, post B is more effective as the click-through rate is higher. Based on these figures, you decide to use similar content to post B in future campaigns to increase the engagement rate.

Finance: Develop a computer program that uses data such as stock prices and trading volume to automatically recognize when to buy or sell stocks. Test the program with old market data and adjust it to maximize profits and limit losses.
Artificial intelligence: Think of voice assistants such as Siri or Alexa. An algorithm calculates what you have said at lightning speed, searches for the right answer in a database and returns it to you. Such functions are based on mathematical models that convert speech into numbers.

3. math helps you in everyday life

From budget planning to price comparisons: Math is a practical companion in everyday life. Think about the situations in which you calculate something every day and how much it helps you practically.

Everyday situations in which you use math:

Budget planning: How much can you save per month after deducting all fixed costs? Where can you cut fixed costs to save more money, e.g. for an upcoming expense or for your future?
Price comparisons: Is the discount offer in the supermarket really cheaper than the own brand?

Calculation example:

In the supermarket you will see two options for butter:

Branded butter with 20% discount: Normal price € 2.50 → with discount € 2.50 × 0.8 = € 2.00
Own brand butter (no discount): Price 1,80 €

Result: Despite the discount, the private label butter is cheaper. You save an additional €0.20 if you choose the private label.

Time management: Estimate how long certain tasks take at work, add buffer times and see if you can get exactly to your daily hours – this way you can plan your day efficiently and avoid overtime.

5 tips to master math without stress

So math can really help you get ahead! The important thing is that you have a positive experience with math. To guarantee this, we have summarized five practical tips here that will help you learn math with less stress:

Keep a cool head:
If you see a task that looks complicated, take your time and tackle it step by step. For example: break down a large equation into smaller parts and note down what each part means – often the solution is clearer than it first appears.
Start with the basics:
When you start a new topic, first check that you have mastered the basics. For example, before you start calculating probability in statistics, make sure you understand percentages and simple fractions.
Practice regularly:
Schedule 20 minutes every day to work on math problems. For example: do 2-3 exercises from the last lecture during your coffee break or after dinner – this will keep the material fresh.
Practice-oriented learning:
Think about how you can apply what you have learned. For example: the next time you go shopping, calculate how much you can save on a sale with a 30% discount. This will help you understand it better and you can practise at the same time!
Stay patient:
Progress comes step by step. Set yourself small goals, such as understanding one topic per week. Celebrate small successes, like getting a task right, and remember that every step counts!

Why you should get started now

Math is not an obstacle, but a door opener to your dream life. With the right attitude, math becomes a tool that will help you get off to a flying start in your studies, career and everyday life.

Your dream course of study is waiting for you. So take the plunge, get started and show us what you’re made of!

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Math? Easy! How your mindset makes the difference