My favorite subject in school has always been math since day 1 at Owasco Elementary. My growing passion for math may have been influenced by the fact that my dad has been an Algebra teacher for as long as I have been alive. He gave me several tips growing up to help me memorize many of the formulas that are required in most math classes. Despite the fact I could always go to him for math-related help whenever I wanted it, I never really needed the assistance.
Math seems to just come naturally to me, and not only do I find working with numbers to be fun, I am also fairly good at it. As a kid, I played a lot of video games, my favorite games being puzzle games. To me, many math formulas and equations are like puzzles in that they challenge the mind in order to reach a specified goal. In a puzzle game, you might find yourself trying to escape a giant maze in order to reach the small opening representing the finish line. In math, you might find yourself solving for “x” when given a massive equation, in which you eventually end up with a simple answer, much smaller than the equation in which it came from. This may explain why math is my main academic strength.
I never once failed a math test, at least not in my high school career. I also strived to achieve at least a 90 as an overall marking period grade or on a final exam. My favorite mathematics course that I’ve taken in high school is Geometry, and I remember every topic I ever learned in that class. This course was the first time I had ever received a perfect score on a Regents Exam. It brought me great joy to see a 100 next to my favorite school subject, let alone a Regents Exam in general. I knew from that day forth that I wanted to major in mathematics and work in a math-related occupation.
What kept me from straying away from the path of math was my determination and motivation to be involved in math for the rest of my life. I often practice many topics in math even when it isn’t required for me to do so by the school. I still remain a hard worker in my Pre-Calc class and expect to finish the year with a 95 overall average in the course. Very few people approach a math class with the enthusiasm that I do, and this is what makes me so much different from the people who do well in math each year. Many people don’t appreciate just how creative each question on a math test or homework assignment is, and for me, every question that I’ve yet to see is a surprise, and I wait for each one with a great deal of anticipation.