What Color Is Math?

The colors associated with different school subjects.

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With many conflicting opinions about each subjects, how can color help us determine our thoughts about school?

Elizabeth Horsford, Social Media Manager

When thinking about school subjects, it is common for people to associate each subject with a certain color. This color may be from a memory one had while learning the subject or was simply just the folder color that one assigned to a subject while growing up. Oftentimes people consider the rigorousness or stress that the course may bring them and use this to decide between a cooler or warmer toned color. For example, when it comes to math people often associate it with the color red because of the difficulty that they face when doing mathematics.

“Math is red. I do not like math and I get frustrated almost every time that I have to deal with it. I do not like the complicated numbers and equations,” junior Jude Kuffour said.

It is most commonly argued that English and mathematics are either blue or red. Based on Very Well Mind, red is associated with anger and hostility meaning that these subjects are often a source of tension for many students. However, the color blue is a cool and calm color representing something that would put one at ease or provide minimal stress towards their life. Thrive Global suggests that a person might associate English with blue if they like writing or reading and see it as a form of stress relief or relaxation. This would also be very likely for those who had English as their first language and/or do not struggle with the literature and technical components behind the topic, such as grammar. On the other hand, math has the possibility of being associated with blue for those who find it easy and/or have had good memories that trace back to the subject itself.

“Reading reminds me of the color blue. This is because I am always reading and enjoy reading. Reading is kind of an escape for me and soothes me when things around me might now be going so well,” sophomore Katia Gil expressed.

According to Buzzfeed, the most agreed-upon correlation is that science is the color green. This relation is clearest because of the simple fact that science involves nature, making it the color of Earth, plants, flowers, fruit, and grassy landscapes in our surroundings. The color green is a cool color making it less harsh to look at and relates to a less challenging topic for some.

“Science is definitely green because when you think of science you think of the environment and many things in nature are green. I also like science better than most topics, so I would give it a positive color,” freshman Jonathan Merci said.

Likewise, the argument over the color yellow is not very hot. The color yellow is most commonly associated with social studies or history. Yellow is a bright color, making it important and difficult to forget. The topic of history is yellow because it correlates to the need to remember different historical documents and dates.

“I think that English is yellow because all the writing and grammar reminds me of the color yellow. Most people may not agree but it just makes sense to me,” sophomore Annayah Jackson stated.

Although there is no right or wrong answer for the association of color with different subjects, it is fascinating to see how different experiences can influence our perspective on school subjects. The variety of colors that correlate to our emotions about a topic can influence one’s performance and outlook for years to come.