My Development In the World Of Mathematics

Mathematics is used in the everyday life for simple things be it going shopping and calculating what is the best price for you or even how to tell the time. Reading "Fermat's Last Theorem" by Simon Singh, emphasised the challenge and determination that mathematics brings. Faced with a theorem that no one could prove, Singh did not give up until he proven this theorem and his commitment to succeed continues to drive me in my studies and love for mathematics. This determination has motivated me to want to understand new concepts and theories and to always question and better my understanding in the world of Mathematics. ‘I have discovered a truly marvellous proof, which this margin is too narrow to contain…’ these words from Singh, articulate the wonder in discovery, which I hope to find in my own work.

I have enjoyed studying Decision Making in mathematics. Being required to think logically and strategically to solve real life possible problems such as how business can complete the tasks with tight deadlines is exciting. Studying Critical path analysis in mathematics gave me the skill to use in my business lessons as I would have a question to help companies to plan tasks in order of importance and deadline dates. These charts are normally the first thing a manager thinks of as he would need to separate work for his workers so it all functions on time, and the most important tasks are done first, without difficulty. Prioritising information and planning effectively, are integral to successful businesses and mathematics and the art of understanding numbers enable this to happen.

Mathematics has complimented my other studies such as Chemistry. Through practical investigations, I have been able to apply my problem solving skills to respond to the challenges of practical enquiries. This has ranged from Chemical energetics to calculating Equilibria and Reaction kinetics. It also helped when finding the amount of moles are in a substance and how much of a product will need to be put into a reaction so the reaction is possible and will give out the best results. Mathematics is essential in business, this is mostly shown in finance and accounting ranging from income statements to statements of financial position. Having work experience in a retail shop helped me improve my skills in business and mathematics as I was expected to price numerous objects according to how much we paid to receive them and how much we would have to sell them for to break even quicker and gain the most amount of profit. Assisting with the financial aspect of the business, together with banking and completing the yearly financial records, I have developed numerous skills while working with data and the ability to work with precision when sorting and analysing. This is something I found fascinating which further provoked my interest to study mathematics and finance.

I am currently a mentor to Year 11 students helping them with their GCSE Mathematics. I have been able to concentrate on their weak areas and helped them better understand concepts such as trigonometry, geometry and algebra. I have taken this one step forward by being able to help students whose first language was not English, being a fluent Punjabi speaker has helped me better interact, understand and communicate to these students to provide more effective teaching.

Achieving a gold and silver award from the annual mathematics challenge highlighted my commitment to mathematics and enabled me to lead others to do the same. Being selected to participate twice in the UK mathematics team challenge, myself and 3 others represented the school in the challenge and were placed in the top 5. These experiences have instilled a confidence and enjoyment in mathematics and business and I am ready for the challenge that higher learning brings.