I think different types of math can also be completely different in how hard they are. Geometry was a cinch for me; algebra was easy the first year and really hard the second year. Most people describe the ones they are better at as more concrete, and describe the harder one as more abstract. It’s funny, you’d think it would be pretty well agreed to which is more abstract and which is more concrete, but it isn’t always so.
Math is tough for many reasons. Probably the biggest one is that math is all about abstract, symbolic reasoning, and strong mental discipline.
Most people are simply no good at abstract symbol manipulation. Humans are well adapted to using symbols to communicate verbally about commonplace subjects that are easily grasped intuitevely. An example of this is verbal speech. If one is forced to increase the symbolism/abstractness of speech though, as happens in writing, you will see that most people’s communication ability drops.
We are not well adapted for abstract symbolic reasoning about subjects not directly in your day-to-day experiences.
Unlike subjects such as English and history, where BS is de riguer, math allows no such thing. There’s such a thing as a correct answer, and an incorrect one. Currently, such dichtomies are non PC (‘everyone is entitled to their opinion!’). The strong mental discpline comes in being able to make mistakes and not let it get you down - many people will try a problem, fail, and give up. That ain’t good.
As others have pointed out, math is also cumulative. So one must have a good grasp of the basics before doing more advanced things. Indeed, it seems to me that the biggest problem people tend to have with calculus is poor grasp of basic algebra.
As one advances in mathematics, it is necessary to train the intuition, which most people have trouble with as well. This first becomes apparent in basic calculus, more so in multivariable/vector calculus. Then, once one starts doing problems in weirdly curved, high-dimensional systems, or trying to grasp chaos theory, topology, [I mention those 'cause that’s kind of what I was trying to do today at work, sort of] and so on, it becomes extremely important. It takes quite a bit of talent and motivation - and most people don’t have either, or one and not the other. (I have the motivation [need math to do physics], but little talent, for instance).
As another observation to support the idea that math is indeed 'hard: It is quite common to find math/physics professors who are well read, well-versed in history, and can debate things with great skill. It is virtually unheard of to find humanities professors who can do math or physics. Math/physics has a much higher cognitive load than humanities.
That’s why I like them 
-Geon
how bout this idea…
in math you build your knowledge from one year to the next. if you don’t learn algebra well you will not succeed in calculus.
elemetary school teachers are primarily women. [the school i went to had one male teacher and 12 female.] and women who teach learned a generation [or more] ago. in those prvious genderations girls were actively discouraged from learning math. a teacher who does not know the subject at hand well, cannot teach it well, and the students have more trouble learning it.
so math seems harder cuz of poor teaching of the subject in the early years?? howz that sound??
Dixie,
My elementary teachers were all women, no men in the entire school, except the janitor. They were four generations back from your perspective. When they were girls, girls could not become anything but nurses, teachers, or housewives. That didn’t change the fact that they knew arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, and calculus cold. They could spot an error on the blackboard from sixty feet, with ten kids scribbling as fast as they could.
The fact is that girls can learn math just fine, thank you. They might not get encouraged to do so, but not all that many boys do either. The point I made before about modern teaching methods was about students not being required to do the basics even though some of it is boring, and some of it is challenging. You have to know how to add to understand how to multiply. Then you have to memorize the multiplication tables. It just keeps on stacking up after that. There are no shortcuts. It is not very attractive to the modern view that stresses keeping children together in large groups rather than keeping subjects under study until they are mastered.
And the problems should not come out in round numbers, either, life does not divide evenly, neither does the math.
Tris
trika,
i agree girls can learn math just fine. i was the best math student in my high school…
i’ve known school teachers that did not have a good handle on math. my prior post was pure speculation. it was aimed at why both boys and girls think math is hard, and not directed at girls alone. 
We learn languages instinctually. Try reading Steven Pinker’s “The Language Instinct” A wonderful book.
Math, however, is something that we don’t tackle 'til we’re 5 or so, while we’ve been working on language since the time we’re born.
I also believe, from personal experience that the TIME of day affects how well you learn. For me, taking a math class in the morning made it a lot easier for me to understand rather than taking one as the last or next to last class of the day. My guess is that being well-rested and feed, it’s easier to handle those abstractions.
Anyone else experience this?
I also believe, from personal experience that the TIME of day affects how well you learn. For me, taking a math class in the morning made it a lot easier for me to understand rather than taking one as the last or next to last class of the day. My guess is that being well-rested and feed, it’s easier to handle those abstractions.
Anyone else experience this?
time of day makes a definate difference. though for me, morning is the absolute worst time to learn anything. i’m in a fog til noon. once the day is well underway, i’m set to learn.
The syntax and concepts of math do not seem to contain any logic whatsoever if you simply look at them without trying to understand them. Society in general has this problem–if you look at something, and can’t understand it simply by glancing at it, then it must be difficult.
I really can’t believe that math is any harder for girls than it is for boys. I’m a female, and I have always loved and excelled at math. Of course, the teacher makes all the difference in the world, but for me math is actually kind of fun. It’s the best feeling in the world to be able to look at a problem and know not just how to solve it but why you must take certain steps to solve it.
Society dictates that girls must be concerned with makeup and beauty and cooking, while boys must be concerned with math and cars and power tools. This is the only reason girls are supposedly worse at math–society won’t let them excel at it.
Slightly off topic and rambling, I hope you can excuse me. I think a large difference between language and math is visualization (I believe this was previously stated).
At Florida’s State BETA Convention (anyone from the south from BETA?) I was on the quiz bowl team along with three other (Freshmen) students from my school. We competed against a team of Juniors and Seniors. One question required we determine the slope of a line based on two coordinate points. I (an upcoming HS Sophomore with Geometry, Alg I, and Alg II completed)did this mentally almost instantly, surprising their team. In school, as well, I mentally calculate plenty of squares and square roots in a fraction of the time it would take to do so on paper. In contrast, I have a friend who is by all accounts smart (750 verbal SAT score in 7th grade, >1300 overall), but who cannot visualize math. He has struggled for two years when we were in Alg I, Geometry and Alg II together. He maintains a low B (86% in our state), while I excel in math.
As for English, I get A’s, but not without lots of work. My aforementioned friend reads the same pace I do, but he visualizes his reading better. He reads something and it’s stored in his head. I often find myself highlighting and rereading in order to remember details which others might never forget.
I also agree with the “3 main learning styles” post. That is all I’ve heard for years, and I have noticed it to a degree in my various classes. I also strongly agree with the post about failure in the early grades not manifesting until later years. That is evident in a number of the students at my school. I am anticipating only about 13 of the 20 freshmen that were in my Alg II class to be with me in Pre-Calc next year.
BTW, my aforementioned friend is, as I am, male. In my Algebra II class, there was a low disparity in the number of males and females. I believe it was about an eleven to nine ratio.