The problem is you're taught algebra and such but never told how you'd apply it as teachers know only how to teach the material. When your water pipe under the sink is leaking, you need math to figure out what size pipe you have. Otherwise you sit there feeling like a moron and buying random fittings that don't fit, or worse yet, devising contraptions to measure it. If you knew that during math class, you'd have paid more attention (I know I would have).