Teens Need Math To Land Dream Jobs

What do doctors, lawyers and architects have in common? For one, they are among teens' hottest career choices. They also require a significant understanding of math at work every day. Despite this, many teens are not motivated to take advanced math classes to help them prepare for success in these future careers. 

A telephone survey of 1,000 12- to 17-year-olds commissioned by Texas Instruments revealed that four out of five teenagers believe math is important for achieving their goals of being doctors, scientists, executives and lawyers, but only half are planning to take advanced math classes beyond their schools' minimum requirements.

The survey showed 80 percent of teens want to pursue careers in medicine, sports, science, education, business, military, law or architecture-many of which require advanced college degrees with significant focus on mathematics and science. 

"Parents need to understand how important it is that they encourage their children to take higher-level courses of math while in high school," says David Mammano, founder and publisher of Next Step Magazine, which provides career advice to more than 860,000 teens. "The disconnect between teens' career aspirations and their plans to take minimal math classes could lead to students not being prepared for college-level classes or landing the job they want in the future."

"No matter what career teens choose, a strong math education is critical because it builds analytical and reasoning skills. Students need to take challenging math courses every year in high school," Mammano said. 

He advises parents to work with their teenagers starting in middle school to plan out their course schedules. Parents can seek out resources to help teens understand the value of math and plan for their careers, such as MomsForMath.org, NextStepMagazine.com or Career Voyages.gov.

More tips from Mammano include:

Make Math Fun. Tie math into the things that already interest teens-their hobbies, TV or movies. A great place to start is Texas Instruments' "We All Use Math Every Day™" program that teaches math lessons based on plots featured in the hit CBS TV show "NUMB3RS." The free classroom activities are available at www. cbs.com/numb3rs.

Provide Encouragement. Challenge teens to take harder upper-level math courses even though they may not make straight A's. Parents can make a difference simply by applauding teens for the effort it takes to participate in those classes. Reinforcing everyday use of math at home, while shopping, budgeting, baking or gardening can also help increase students' interest in math. 

Get Involved. Get teens involved in school or community programs such as science fairs or math team competitions that stimulate them intellectually and hone their analytical skills.

Identify Career Role Models. Find local professionals and inquire about mentorship opportunities that match teens' career interests. Teenagers can "shadow" an executive on the job to see what kind of knowledge is needed for that field.

Set The Example. They may not want you to know it, but teens look to their parents as role models. Let your teens see that you are interested in math and show them how you use it each day-at home and in your own career. Acknowledge that your teen's proficiency in math may exceed yours and that is a good thing. Also be aware that they are learning more math in different ways and this often involves the use of technology or teaching tools that might be unfamiliar to you. Talk with your teen's teachers to better understand these new advancements in math teaching. They'd likely welcome the interest.

The Hyundai Azera Surges to the Top

Hyundai’s all-new near-luxury sedan, the Azera, has been received with critical acclaim. Consumers and critics are calling the Hyundai Azera the highest quality, most luxurious Hyundai to ever appear in the highly competitive US market.  A recent award from the automotive consultant group, AutoPacific has underscored what many are quickly learning: the Hyundai Azera is a car that leads in customer satisfaction. None of this is a surprise to Hyundai, but it may be as surprise for you. Read on for a look at Hyundai’s darling near-luxury sedan.

Near-luxury, you say? Yes, it is a category reserved for cars that have many luxury appointments and high engineering standards without the price. Retailing at just over $27,000, the Hyundai Azera is a bargain when compared to similar cars from BMW and Lexus, but not quite the engineering and technological marvel of these two competitors, however. Yet, the Hyundai Azera is offering plenty for consumers at prices well below that of its would-be competitors.

So, what has Hyundai dished up with the Azera? Plenty:

If you like performance, then the Hyundai Azera delivers. Try this on for size: a 3.8L V6 that produces a hefty an impressive 263 horsepower and 255 pounds of torque; terrific for a car of its size.

If you like speed, the Hyundai Azera beats out the Toyota Avalon by registering a zero to 60 time of 6.5 seconds. Compare that to 6.9 for the Avalon.

If you like authenticity, then the Azera’s real wood and aluminum trim will inspire you. No plastic trim, no faux wood…the Hyundai Azera incorporates Lexus-like luxury into its cabin.

If you like cabin comfort, the Hyundai Azera’s lengthy feature list is sure to please. A leather-wrapped steering wheel, power front seats, a 60/40-split rear seat, dual automatic climate control, and a CD/MP3 player are some of the creature comforts offered with the SE. Order the top of the line Premium Azera and you get a rear window sunscreen, a 6-disc Infinity sound system, adjustable pedals, rain-sensing wipers, folding side mirrors, and much more. Keep in mind that even with all of these “extras” the price of the Azera holds well below the $30,000 level.

Styling is all new for the Azera which is on a stretched version of the Sonata platform. The Hyundai Azera replaces the dated XG350, a car big on luxury but disappointing on engineering.

Yes, the Hyundai Azera boldly goes where no U.S. marketed Hyundai has gone before. This is good news for a leader and a car that will certainly cause Toyota and Honda to stand up and take notice.

The Iconic, Hairdresser Friendly: 2006 Honda Civic Coupe

Transforming an icon is never easy. However, the designers and engineers at Honda have done an outstanding job of keeping alive the spirit of Soichiro Honda with the 2006 Honda Civic coupe. When Honda first entered the American market in 1962, they manufactured motorcycles, but the manufacturer expanded to automobiles by introducing clean, economical, and reliable cars. In 1963, Honda spent $350,000 on two 90-second commercials that appeared on the Academy Awards. The ads, though deceptively simple from longtime ad agency Rubin Postaer and Associates, claimed: “You meet the nicest people on a Honda.” Within months, the company sold millions of dollars in motorcycles, but it was not until the introduction of the 1973 Honda Civic did the company achieve its first automotive breakthrough. The American made 2006 Civic is elegant, speedy, safe, and fuel efficient car averaging 40 mpg (51 mpg for the Hybrid) that happily keeps with tradition. Winner of Motor Trend magazine’s 2006 Car of the Year, the 2006 Civic offers a challenge to the Toyota Prius, as Honda’s icon reborn.

If you walk around the 2006 Civic coupe’s exterior, you can’t help but notice the aerodynamically sculpted front nose that resembles a menacing bullet train at speed, hints at where the soul of this car is at. (The car is powered by a naturally aspirated 1.8 liter i-VTEC engine.) The beautifully contoured taillights are wide and arch inwards into the trunk, suggesting an approachable, friendly disposition. Step inside the cabin and the ergonomically designed interior lives up to the hype with stylized, center mounted, backlit RPM dials. The seats are firm and immediately make you feel comfortable as a rogue navigator contemplating his or her next move. The sum purpose of the 2006 Civic coupe is to enhance driving to the fullest, enabling you to keep your eyes on the road, hands on the wheel and foot on the gas.

At the heart of 2006 Honda Civic coupe is its outstanding 140-horsepower i-VTEC engine that comes standard in all Civic DX, LX and EX models. Honda’s racing heritage is vociferously felt in i-VTEC technology that gives you more efficient acceleration across the entire RPM bandwidth, while achieving an EPA estimated fuel economy of 40 miles per gallon. However, the most practical 2006 Civic is the Hybrid, capable of achieving 49 mpg in the city, and 51 mpg on the highway without spoiling any of the fun. 

The Civic showcase is the Si, offering the performance envelope of 197 horses from a naturally aspired 2.0-liter engine.  The Si is only available in a 6-speed manual, with limited slip differential, and a lowered suspension. 

Acceleration is only half the battle in today’s nanosecond world. How the car brakes, corners, and stops are also equally important. As a result, the 2006 Honda Civic coupe is also big on safety. All new Civic models feature side curtain airbags, front side airbags, advanced compatibility engineering™ and body structure reinforcement – to redirect energy around the passenger compartment in case of an accident. For active safety, an automatic seat belt tensioning system is in place to securely hold all occupants in case of collision, and the anti-lock, 4-wheel disk brakes (ABS) will enable you to maintain steering control during hard stops as the Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) will even out braking forces at each wheel. With such a diverse commitment to safety, the 2006 Honda Civic has earned the 5-Star Crash Test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.   

If that wasn’t enough, the new Civic further rewards your senses with a state of the art audio entertainment system. The car is pre-wired for XM® Satellite Radio, MP3 players and WMA and also has an Apple® iPod® adapter that connects directly to the car’s audio. The 160-watt AM/FM/CD 6-speaker audio system amplifies the sound in the cabin for a fantastic effect. The Si boasts a 350-watt system with subwoofer and has an added amplifier for mega bass. Simply download your favorites, plug in your music and press play.

Soichiro Honda understood the desires of the open road. He understood the language of cool, and the needs of the youthfully minded sports car enthusiast. The 2006 Honda Civic fulfils his legacy for an inexpensive road car, with superb lines, a fuel efficient engine, and sound ergonomics. If you have previously owned a Civic, the MSRP of $14,360 – $20,900 for the reinvented 2006 Honda Civic will awaken all senses. If you own a higher priced luxury car, you may be tempted to trade it in. Whether you choose the Hybrid, the Si, or the DX/LX models, you will be purchasing one of the finest, fuel efficient icons in Honda’s history.