What Topics are Covered in Geometry?
Geometry is a broad subject and the basics are often taught in elementary school. Of course, at that level it’s not being called geometry. As you progress through your school years, the topics become more complex and confusing. You will study concepts such as:
- Basic shapes
- Angles
- Polygons, triangles and quadrilaterals
- Perimeter and circumference
- transformations
- Areas
- Congruence
- Similarity
- just to name a few!
The good news is that despite geometry’s troublesome reputation, there are some aspects that are on the easy side. I’m sure you can easily identify most shapes, even when rotated, and understand their properties. Congruence and similarity are also generally on the easier end of the scale for most students, as are transformations and circles. In general, perimeter and area are also topics that most students pick up quickly, their concepts and formulas are easy to remember and can be applied in a variety of ways.
Naturally, what you find easy is likely to depend on your individual learning style and capabilities, and also the quality of your teacher. Don’t be concerned if you struggle with these so-called ‘easy’ topics.
On the flip side, there are some common struggles when it comes to geometry. The subject in its broad sense can be a sticking point for many high school students, but topics such as proofs may make you want to pull your hair out! The reason that many students find proofs so hard is because you have to try and understand someone else’s thought process, it’s not as definitive as most other math topics. This is definitely one of the areas where a high school geometry tutor can help! It might be easy enough to memorize a formula, but the understanding behind it is important to help long term success. Memorizing every single formula can be incredibly difficult, especially when exams are stressful enough!
How is Geometry Used in Real Life?
This is probably one of the most common questions asked by students, especially those who find the subject difficult and struggle to understand the relevance of the topic to the real world. Here are some examples of when you might use geometry without even realizing it:
- Setting up a house – I’m not just referring to owning your own home in the future, but think about how you decorate your bedroom at home. Or a dorm room at college. Finding bedding to match the size of your bed, frames to match the size of your pictures, shelves to fit your books, and how you arrange the furniture. Without even thinking you are using your skills regarding perimeter, area and congruence.
- Sports fields – have you ever played a game of casual basketball or soccer with friends? When you mark out goals and sidelines you are using geometrical skills. They may not be super accurate or technical, but I bet you’ve never played soccer on a circular or triangular pitch. This would be due to your knowledge of parallel lines and angles. Kicking, hitting and throwing all require you to assess angles to be accurate and successful.
- At the dinner table – whenever you cut a cake, lasagna, pizza or any other dish, you are using geometry skills (especially if you wish to serve up even portions).
- Getting crafty – many arts and crafts require geometrical skills to create symmetry and order to look aesthetically pleasing.
Even if you are wondering what, where and when you will use these topics, you will soon find that there are many careers that require a strong geometry background. If you are interested in engineering, architecture, construction, graphic design or robotics, then geometry will be used extensively in your job. Check out how geometry is used in web design here.
You Might Also Be Interested in: Find A Geometry Tutor
How to Improve Your Geometry Skills
The good news is that there is plenty of geometry help for high school students. Geometry tutoring videos are available and allow you to watch and re-watch problems until you have a thorough understanding of the concept, and you can watch them in the privacy of your own room.
Geometry tutoring apps are great at helping you remain focused, but they frequently lack the personalized help for points that are causing you issue. You can also make good use of geometry help online options, many websites come with free answers to give you the confidence that you are on the right track. Some websites offer a combination of tutorials and lessons, while others are, unfortunately, a waste of time. You’ll have to dig around a bit to find ones that have exactly what you need.
Your best bet to understanding geometry and the tricky concepts is to enlist in the help of a geometry tutor. This is often easier said than done. The most common question that is asked when it comes to tutoring is ‘how do I find a geometry tutor near me?’. Of course online tutors are available, but nothing beats the one-on-one, real time help that comes from sitting down with an expert on a subject. Finding local tutors is easy with Private Tutoring at Home. It offers the perfect portal for finding your perfect geometry tutor match up.
Find the Best Online Geometry Tutor or In Person Tutor Near You
Overall, the key to success in geometry is a combined effort. Pay attention in class, ask questions, make the most of online resources, and meet regularly with a superstar tutor! And if you keep working at it, you’ll get the break thru that you need to see the results that you want. Math classes, and geometry in particular, do not have to be overwhelming and difficult. Take the time needed and keep working at it – try geometry tutoring for an additional boost! You’ll get it figured out soon enough.