Worried that your career may suffer because you don’t have an advanced degree?

You likely already have what you need to succeed, as anyone with an understanding of high school math already has many of the tools they need to improve their work and advance their career.

You don’t need an advanced degree to apply basic concepts to your work, and incorporating the skills you learned in high school math classes (basic functions, equations, and concepts) will allow you to improve your efficiency and meet your professional goals.

Utilizing the logical and analytical skills that math sharpens will enable you to complete projects more quickly, helping you get ahead at work and set yourself apart.

Famous Figures Without Degrees

It’s important to remember that some of the most successful technology inventors and business owners of all time never completed college, meaning they were self-taught and built their success largely on what they learned in high school.

Michael Dell, who founded Dell Computer and became the world’s largest PC maker, dropped out of college to focus on his business.

Similarly, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs dropped out of college before starting Apple and revolutionizing modern technology.

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and one of the most successful entrepreneurs ever, dropped out of Harvard to pursue his software business.

None of these ultra-successful individuals could boast an advanced degree, but they became household names never-the-less.

What you should take from their example is that lacking an advanced degree doesn’t preclude professional success, as long as you refresh and rely on the skills you have already learned.

Take Control of Your Own Education

Lots of high school students dread their math classes, so if you found yourself daydreaming during geometry you aren’t the only one.

For that reason many teachers struggle to convince students that math will be useful to them later in life, and educators find themselves having to make a concerted effort to convince students that math matters.

Luckily for those who didn’t pay close enough attention in high school, the education landscape is shifting. Emerging unconventional education opportunities now allow those who struggled through math in high school to re-explore it at their own pace.

Professionals have access to a wealth of online resources, including free courses, study materials, and tutoring opportunities.

Adult tutoring classes that emphasize a “growth mindset” can help you reach your full potential by building on your existing skill set.

The opportunity to learn (or relearn) the fundamental skills and concepts you need without paying for an expensive education can be the foundation for future career success, whatever your line of work.

Working with Math

You would be surprised how applicable simple high school math concepts can be in a variety of workplaces, and developing your confidence.

No matter the scope of your position, having the confidence and ability to take on data-driven projects and track your own expenses will give you a competitive edge.

For potential small-business owners, an experienced understanding of basic accounting practices and mathematical principles will be critical to your ability to effectively calculate costs and handle budgets.

Constrained optimization processes will set you up to minimize costs and prioritize profits. Principle of trigonometry and geometry will be fundamental to any involved in fields related to architecture or construction.

Regardless of your career, it’s unlikely you will be able to avoid math playing a key role in your everyday life.

A diversity of careers, including astronauts, attorneys, cartographers, forensic analysts, national security analysts, and urban planners, all depend on skills you were taught in high school math classes.

Research proposals will be better when backed up by data, financial literacy is critical when arguing for raises and promotions. It’s a smart career move to let go of any aversions to math and start embracing its practical workplace uses .

Maybe you’d hoped that you would stop needing to understand math after you passed high school algebra, but the reality is that even a high school background in math can be instrumental in achieving your professional goals.

Simple ways to start using high school math to advance your career include:

• Enrolling in online math courses to brush up on the fundamental
• Memorizing important theories and useful formulas
• Studying practice problems in your free time
• Undertaking basic accounting tasks by yourself, rather than relying on your finance department
• Asking for additional projects at work that will allow you to build your math skills
• Reading the memoirs of successful individuals with unconventional educational backgrounds for motivation and inspiration

Regardless of your best classes in high school, reviewing subjects such as geometry and trigonometry will be an excellent investment in your professional future.

It will give you the tools to quickly craft data-driven reports and confidently defend your budget proposals.

The tools you learned back then can translate to success now. No matter your job, high school math matters.