Why Math Matters

By Hannah Busgang

Gulf Islands Secondary School has Mathematics courses which are needed to graduate. There is Foundations of Math, Pre-calculus, Calculus and Workplace Math. But let’s be honest, math isn't everyone's favourite subject. For some people, it’s like a jumble of numbers and letters that seem to only make sense to teachers and calculators. But surprisingly, math has a purpose beyond just solving for x. At our school, we offer tons of  math courses for different levels, and in grades 10-12, you have freedom of choice to decide what math you want to take; either Foundations of Math, Pre-Calculus or Workplace. At the base, we have Workplace math which is practical. It’s mainly about applying math to real life situations. 

You’d probably lean more towards Workplace if you were to go into some type of trades program. If you want to understand math that you’ll actually use in everyday life, this would be your go-to option. But it does limit your post-secondary options. Next, we have Foundations of Math, which mixes both practical and theoretical math. It’s designed for students who want to go into an art, business, or social science type of post-secondary program. It covers things like geometry and finance. The math problems in Foundations are more university-like.

Another pathway we offer is Pre-Calculus, which is for those who are math-strong or math-brave, or maybe for people who really enjoy math and really like solving problems step by step. It is more abstract and focuses on algebra, functions, and trigonometry. This course prepares you for one of the most difficult math courses we have to offer at GISS, which is Calculus. That's where things get challenging; you're working with limits, rates of change, and derivatives. You may want to take this course if you want to go into the field of Engineering or Computer Science. That’s where taking this course is a need. So, whether you're solving simple equations or drafting complex graphs, there’s a different math pathway for you. Even though it may be stressful, it’s good to start thinking now about which course is for you, because it will matter in the future.