Marks should not compel you from learning mathematics; you might meet it on the way up.

When I was a little boy, I used to see my father doing different mathematical calculations as part of preparing for the next day’s class. He was a secondary school teacher. Since childhood, I liked the kind of calculation my father did on a daily basis. Additionally, both my stepbrother and my blood brother were taught by my father how to solve different mathematics questions. The spirit of mathematics was imparted to me before I started primary school. I began primary school with prior knowledge of the mathematics subject. At school, our teacher taught us the same concepts and calculations that I had learned at home with my father. From there, I came to realize that I was an expert in the subject of mathematics at that level because no one could compete with me. My effort towards solving mathematics problems increased day after day, from the family level to the school level. Interestingly, our teacher gave me more priority in class compared to other pupils who were discouraged by the mathematics subject. This motivated me to increase my efforts and study mathematics hard every day, which helped me to score high marks.

At the secondary level, I met students from different schools in Tanzania. The majority of students who chose mathematics as their favorite subject were boys. In our school, almost 75 were boys, and only 10 students were girls. Over time, the number of girls continued to decrease while the number of boys increased. In our school, we had one mathematics teacher who taught the mathematics subject from Form One to Form Four. When I reached Form Two, our teacher got injured and was unable to come to school to proceed with his tasks. The number of students who studied mathematics decreased day by day because most of us lost direction.

One day, my parents asked me about my passion after completing my studies. Since childhood, I had liked the idea of becoming a pilot, and they insisted that if I had that dream, it would be better to invest more effort in studying mathematics. Also, my relatives who specialized in technical fields that demand the application of mathematics, such as doctors, engineers, surveyors, and accountants, inspired me to study mathematics hard, and I did so to the best of my ability. Unfortunately, my Form Four results were not good, especially in mathematics, which I liked a lot. Although I failed in the mathematics subject, I was selected to join Form Five studies. The dreams of becoming a pilot started to disappear slowly from my mind because the combination that I took did not correlate with mathematics, but I remained with the urge to study mathematics, something that was impossible at that time.

At the higher education level, I was surprised to find mathematics as part of my course, where I learned Business Mathematics & Statistics, Economics, as well as Accounting and Budgeting. I like these subjects because their applications are based on reality, especially for HR professionals in the workplace, to facilitate the development of a particular organization as part of my course of study.

Now, mathematics is my favorite subject because it teaches us how to think logically and solve problems. It is also a useful tool for communication, and I can always find new ways to solve problems. Although I am not a complete mathematician, mathematics helps me to evaluate various things logically compared to someone who did not acquire even a little knowledge about the subject of mathematics. In the normal sense, the subject of mathematics seems difficult not only for me but also for many students worldwide, as well as in Tanzania, where the problem started at the family level, as most parents in Tanzania did not consider the importance of studying mathematics from childhood. Not only at the family level but also at the primary and secondary levels, the consideration of mathematics was minimal due to a shortage of teachers.

Mathematics can be challenging, but on the other hand, it is also rewarding. Learning mathematics can help someone understand the world around him/her and think logically to solve problems. Mathematics is a universal language that can be used to communicate ideas between people from all over the world. For example, when mathematicians meet, they have a peculiar way of communicating their ideas. Some people find mathematics difficult, but I think that it is just a matter of understanding the concepts. Once you understand how something works, it is usually not so difficult. This situation started in primary schools where the pioneers and other students struggled with mathematics, and they continued to pass on the difficulties of this subject from one generation to another. This makes children hate mathematics at the beginning stages before starting secondary education.

I think that everyone can enjoy mathematics if they give it a chance. It is a subject that is always changing, and there are always new things to learn. This is because the world keeps changing nowadays due to the advancement of science and technology, for which the knowledge of mathematics is unavoidable to comply with the changes.

Learning Mathematics is not an easy task. For most students, Mathematics is not their favorite subject, even though, as mathematicians say, Math is in everything, more than just concepts and figures. For students, mathematics is just a prerequisite to pass every grade level or to finish elementary or high school. The time and effort spent on math problems and the struggle to come up with a solution is what makes this subject likely to be hated by students.

But considering its relevance in everyday life, whether in school or jobs, especially in this modern era where people need critical and analytical skills, Math takes pride and recognition that enhances these 21st-century skills. Therefore, knowing how to solve math problems and being engaged in mathematical problems is necessary since students cannot outrun the subject since it is necessary, and the gratification that comes with learning is what makes this subject. This compels educational institutions to emphasize how to study Mathematics since it is one of the most studied and relevant subjects. Also, more emphasis should start from the family to the national level to encourage pupils as well as secondary students to discourage the notion that mathematics is a difficult subject, which is not true. This is because what seems impossible is possible; it is a matter of perception as people tend to perceive the subject of mathematics differently.