Chinese People ARE Good at Math

Pythagorean theorem, 2x + 6 = 30, isosceles triangles. Terms that bring a sense of nostalgia to Chinese people all over the US. It brings back such good memories because math was something I, in fact almost every Chinese person I know, was always good at. Just think back to your junior high school or high school math classes and you'll soon realize that this popular stereotype is actually true (of course, this only applies to schools that have Chinese students). We just have a thing for numbers. If you take all the SAT scores for Chinese people in the US, I would not be surprised if 95% of those scores had a higher math score when compared to verbal. Math always seemed intuitive and easy. It always just made sense. Whether it is algebra, geometry, trigonometry or even calculus, we find it equally unchallenging. Maybe the Chinese are genetically predisposed to excel in math? It is hard to find reasons not to think so.

I can still remember when my parents used to look at my high school calculus textbook and scoff at how this level of math was being taught in middle schools all over China. This usually progressed into a tirade on the slack educational system in the US and how the kids in China are getting a much better education. I've always wondered what type of math Chinese students would be doing in college if they studied calculus during middle school. To this day I still don't know, if you can shed any light on this, please do so in the comments section of this article.