<p>people often ask if they can choose majors that require some level of math proficiency even if math is not their forte (whether it's hard sciences, engineering or even business) </p>
<p>but how do you really measure if someone is capable of being successful in such a major? </p>
<p>my sister is worried about not having what it takes to be a business major. She's had A's and B's all her life (including in her math classes) but she's worked hard for them, it never came naturally. but she knows she probably can't handle a science major and so she wants to choose a major that is at least somewhat more in demand than a liberal arts major (although it's still very general and commonplace)</p>
<p>i'm not really asking about those cases of people who did badly in math (or academics in general) at one time who went on to become successful in a math-related major later on...many of those cases just involve people who were perhaps never "bad" at math but just lazy/unmotivated or they had the wrong teachers. </p>
<p>I'm talking about someone who works hard and does all right but not amazing. she had easy A's up until about algebra 2, then she started getting mostly B's in math. the highest math class she took in high school was precalculus</p>
<p>Accounting seems fine. For what it’s worth, I had Cs in Calc in HS and have done relatively well in college math and “mathy” classes and I don’t think it was a case of being a lazy/unmotivated student. I think I put the same seriousness in my studies now as I did in high school. High school math is not necessarily easier than college math and might not be a good indication of performance in college “mathy” classes.</p>
<p>My mind instantly said programming, but I know you have to take a decent amount of math for that. I think really it’s just logic. There are plenty of whiz kids at computers who were stuck taking basic math in college. </p>
<p>My sister is similar to yours. She was an A student all throughout high school but she severely tanked on any standard exam that involved math (placing below average). She is thinking about doing accounting and honestly, it’s mostly arithmetic and basic algebra. It won’t be an uphill battle for her, I would think. I think the most difficult part about it is the many rules, ideas, and procedures involved in accounting. It requires “logical” thinking.</p>
<p>It’s really hard to say what works. I’d say a little bit of talent is involved in the hard sciences, hard work (accounts for most of it), and sometimes just plain dumb luck. Outside of the sciences, I’d say just hard work really. Plenty of things can be learned that involved some amount of math. </p>
<p>My dad works as a mechanic for equipment used on airplanes at a big company. 21 years of experience, could not pass Algebra II no matter what. Had a hard time with algebra. When I was studying physics II (calc-based) last semester he could figure out plenty of the problems I had in my textbook if they had diagrams or were just a matter of simple arithmetic/reasoning. Good at the conceptual stuff. The point is that if you love what you do you will care enough to work hard at what you do to get around some deficits you may have.</p>
<p>I don’t think accounting even involves a lot of math classes. The field itself does involve math, but not some hard math that you have to be a mathematician or something. If she wants to do accounting tell her to go for it.</p>
<p>If she can count up to 10, she can handle the math in accounting. Like the poster above said, accounting becomes difficult when it comes to memorizing things like rules and stuff.</p>
<p>All through middle school I had a math tutor. In high school I did pretty bad in math too. My freshmen year of college I got Cs in calc i and ii. I graduated cum laude with a BA in math. Its possible for things to turn around. </p>
<p>I’d tell her to give math in college a try. If she succeeds, it will at least open up a lot of possible majors that she wouldn’t otherwise consider because they are math heavy.</p>
<p>Well, I’d say a degree in accounting is better than a degree in business. Safer (financially) too. Pretty sure you can get an MBA if you wanted to afterwards.</p>
<p>Introductory statistics or major-specific version: psychology, political science, possibly other social studies majors
Freshman calculus, introductory statistics: business, biology, economics (not planning to go to graduate school in economics)
Sophomore level math (some or all of linear algebra, differential equations, multivariable calculus, discrete math): engineering, physics, chemistry, geology, computer science
Junior and senior level math (e.g. real analysis, abstract algebra, etc.): math, statistics, economics (planning to go to graduate school in economics), sometimes recommended for physics and computer science</p>
<p>We only mentioned accounting because it’s what you mentioned. Other fields in business are fine also at most schools. At schools like Tepper and Wharton the business programs are quite quantitative so those schools might not be appropriate, but most business specialties at most business schools should be fine.</p>
<p>your school will tell you the classes you need for oyur major. i took as little math as i had too. i had to take statistics and that’s as far as I went.</p>
<p>Yeah Stat is the only math I have to take here in my CC for Accounting. The most difficult math I have seen that some schools require is Precalc, which my school’s accounting program also offers, but it’s a choice not an obligation. I think i’m going to actually take precalc, I don’t know, it depends on how I feel after this semester and how my GPA is. The stat credits from my school’s acc program does not transfer to Baruch, only Precalc transfers to Baruch’s acc program. But then again, I don’t want to go to Baruch, I want to go to UBuff. Either way, getting Precalc out of the way would feel pretty good. That would be like getting a little monster out from under your bed.</p>