<p>Excel in mathematics? I've been strongly curious about this for a long time now. Again, please don't take this as a racist question because it's really not, and I'm asian myself. From all the asian SAT prep schools I went to (in the u.s. btw) , I don't remember one Asian being bad at math (ex: getting a lot of problems wrong when working on chapters on the prep book/practice tests, not asking a lot of questions). I'm a rising high school senior now and I still find Math to be my weakest. I'm different from the typical asians because a lot of them from my experience/view, they are weak in CR/Writing whereas me, I'm weak in Math and feel more comfortable on the CR/Writing. I wonder why that is. I know a rising freshman who just came from Korea a few months ago, he totally murdered the practice tests we were given after class. I was shocked, especially since he was only an 8th grader, and he hit the mid-high 700's, whereas me, I'm still stuck in that Low-Mid 500's hole. What a shame. My friend who is also asian, I don't really see him as a bright kid, got an 800 in math. But his CR? Not so great. I wonder why I can't be like the typical asian who's very strong in Mathematics. Most people say that's the easiest but I disagree, it really isn't for me.</p>
<p>Asian culture makes math the most important thing. So asian kids study it the most, especially as children.</p>
<p>because we view math as constant. no feelings, no nuances, like CR. cold hard math.</p>
<p>hmm idk
my whole asian family is good at math =/
my mom helps me with calc and physics hw lol
and then i have an uncle in china who’s an engineer and a grandpa in china who’s also a retired engineer, my mom couldn’t be an engineer because her eyesight wasn’t good enough
so there goes the asian engineering stereotype</p>
<p>^ yeah, that. math is straightforward, it’s either right or wrong.</p>
<p>^here goes to the new asian glasses thread pigs at sea!!!</p>
<p>^ i do not understand</p>
<p>and i don’t know where the heck my dad is!!!</p>
<p>well in the good old days in china, i guess you couldn’t go into engineering if you didn’t have 20/20</p>
<p>well, thats why ur generallyrong lol. no, i’m remarking about her whole “asian mom poor eyesight” thing.</p>
<p>^ good old days?</p>
<p>^hmm or maybe in those good old days it was just covert discrimination against girls in engineering =/ whooo knows</p>
<p>Asians value the fact-based education (such as math and sci). Such as the one presented in Hard Times by Charles Dickens.</p>
<p>I’ve heard some Sapir-Whorf-influenced linguists say that the structure of some Asian languages, particularly Chinese, might "translate "well into mathematics. I don’t really get it, but it’s neat. The other things people posted are good and probably true too, but that’s something new and interesting.</p>
<p>Certain Asian ethnic groups or nationalities, looking at their HS grad rates in the US, probably don’t do well in math. If your grad rate is hovering around 50-60%, you’re probably not getting 800s in math.</p>
<p>^^^^ Doubt it. I’m trash at the chinese language (serious trash…) as are some of my other AIME level math friends, but we are much better than our friends who are actually good at chinese language.</p>
<p>Small sample though, so maybe not…but I still have my doubts. I think it has much more to do with the fact that math/science is valued.</p>
<p>although we’re not too bad at CR either ;)</p>
<p>If you would really like an interesting theory of why asians are so good at math, read Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers. Supposedly, it’s deeply rooted in the asian languages.</p>
<p>Good question. My cousin recently immigrated from Vietnam and got held back two years. He’s failing English yet has a 100 average in his calc class whereas everyone else is miserably failing. He said math over here he learned like in middle school and it’s nothing compared to the work they get over there. Since in Vietnam they don’t have the textbooks/resources we have over here to learn science, history, and English so they devote all their time to learning math because a language barrier can’t prevent them from doing the work. Math is the same in every country. Pshhh me on the other hand, I’m good at math in school but when it comes to SATs, I suck. Same as the OP, I’m more comfortable in CR/W - 690/720. But my math score [can’t believe I’m admitting this on CC] 480. :(</p>
<p>ive always wondered that too. my dad is amazing at math, him being an engineer. im just average at it. as a rising senior, im only taking pre cal! my talents lie in history/english, well i like to think so anyways.</p>
<p>It’s definitely in the teaching. I’m a rising senior as well and my school has a significant percentage of asians. Step into the Calculus AB, BC, and Physics AP class, and the answer exists. As for why? I’ve read Gladwell’s work as well, and I agree to a degree. Particularly Japanese and Chinese, the difficulty of the written language creates a phenomenon of humans dedicated to memory and mechanicalism. </p>
<p>That, or the piano trend, if you’ve heard of this. </p>
<p>Tell me if you’ve heard this one, but it goes like this. One asian kid gets into harvard. Your mom asks that kids mom how he got in and she says that he’s a piano prodigy. Soon you, your asian neighbors, and the rest of the county are learning piano.</p>
<p>As an Asian proudly interested in the humanities and social sciences, I will tell you that you are not alone!</p>