Why is math so hard and boring?

http://www.livescience.com

A common opinion among my friends is that math and physics are difficult and boring subjects. The general opinion seems to be that math is something you either understand or don’t understand - like it’s an inherent ability you either have or don’t have.  This is perhaps true to some extent. We are different and we have different preconditions to enjoy and be good at different things. But this is just one, minor, part.

Math is like all other tools. You first need to learn how it works and how to use it. In addition, you need a lot of practice in order to get good at it. You might never understand it in depth, most scientists don’t, but that doesn't have to prevent it from being a powerful (and enjoyable) tool for you to use. It’s like learning a new language. Some basics in, e.g. French, together with some practice won’t make you the translator of the next edition of Baudelaire’s collected poems, but it will certainly be a helpful skill for you to have in order to get the food you want in a restaurant or to find your hotel during your vacation in France. Likewise with math, the chance that you’re the next Einstein who will develop new pioneering theories is not that big but with some math skills you can apply the mathematical tools that already are out there to read and understand your research.

It’s interesting to note how the attitudes to math differ in different countries and cultures. This is reflected math and science proficiency of children from different countries. In international comparison, like the PISA test, large difference between children of the same age from countries with comparable economics can be seen. Two countries that always are listed high are Finland and Japan. In Finland, the good results are often attributed to well-educated teachers and the general high status of the teaching profession. In Japan, the different pedagogy applied when teaching math to children could be a contributing factor. An example of the Japanese math pedagogy is shown in the video below.

All you need to do to multiply 

large numbers is to count some dots – magical!!