When I graduated from high school forty years ago, I had no idea that mathematics would play such an important role in my future. Like most people who study mathematics, I keep learning until it becomes too difficult, which makes me lose interest. Failure or near-failure is a way to end learning a subject and leave a lasting impression that is not worth repeating. Mathematics courses, being mandatory, are designed to cover topics. One by one, the topics need not be important or of immediate use, but taken together or cumulatively, the topics provide or indicate a skill, a mastery of mathematics. Logic and mathematics, starting with basic arithmetic, showed me how to follow the steps, one at a time. one time and one after another, to get to the results, one step at a time and after another. I have learned that a mistake in one step will make all subsequent steps and results incorrect. Mathematics, like any other rule- and model-based discipline, can show through experience and trial or error, how to solve problems by first following certain methods and then, if necessary, combining and exploring different methods. In the paralegal field, I see the metric system, important for my daily work. Being able to do calculations by hand or with a calculator is necessary to calculate weights, measures and amounts (including money) that appear in daily life. I would be able to calculate estimates, costs and payroll hours. Tax forms provide step-by-step instructions for calculating taxes with arithmetic and minimal use of formulas because the government assumes no expertise in algebra. Calculating taxes requires arithmetic, not algebra. The following are examples of the use of mathematics in the paralegal profession that I have researched... mid-article... blood throughout my life and throughout my federal government career. Until now I hadn't noticed that my handwritten calculations were part of algebra and metric systems. I always hated math and never felt the need to learn anything more than I knew. This course showed me that if you apply yourself and control your process step by step, the end result will be worth it. I found it easy to take measurements. I had very difficult times with Geometry and Probability; It took me days to understand the process. Suddenly, it clicked and I was moving forward. Works Cited1. Agius, Margaret Lucas, How is math used in Paralegal Studies, April 2010 http://www.ehow.com/facts_5724566_math-used-paralegal-studies_.html2. Selby, A., Ph.D. Tutoring, Aperitifs and Lessons in Mathematics and Reasonhttp://whyslopes.com/freeAccess/whyMath.html