What color best represents Math? English? History? Science? This has been a growing question within the past months on social media platforms such as Tiktok, Twitter, and Instagram. Most people associate different subjects with different colors depending on their feelings toward the subject growing up or the color association they had of the subject in school. For example, if a child’s parent always kept the child’s English homework in a yellow folder, then the child may associate yellow with English. If a child often gets frustrated with science due to its difficulty, then they might be more tempted to assign that subject a red or orange folder, as more red-toned colors are often associated with anger and frustration. In my opinion, Math is red, English is blue, History is yellow, and Science is green.
Although I love math, I have always associated it with red due to the challenge it brings, and I always wanted that folder to stick out to me because I used it the most. People would often associate Math with blue if they liked it because it was a cool and calming color that paired perfectly with the vibe given off by the subject, but that is the opinion of a small group according to social media. The color blue is often associated with sensitivity, imagination, and open spaces, all of which do not symbolize math. “Math is best represented by the color red due to the subject’s complexity and rigor which could cause one to become angry or frustrated”, according to Rylie Knight, a Richwoods senior. This is a shared opinion among numerous students here at Richwoods High School. I believe that math is red because not only is the course work usually challenging but it can also be loved by some, cause anger in others, and it can bring joy and courage in others to pursue something challenging, all of which are associated with the color red according to colorpsychology.org.
English class has always been a calming experience for me, which is why I heavily associate it with the color blue. English is often associated with imagery through reading, an open space to create ideas, and often contains sensitive stories or ideas. “I simply enjoy reading which allows me to calm my mind and that is why I associate English with the color blue”, according to Addison Smith, a Richwoods senior. The color blue often symbolizes peace or calmness according to colorpsychology.org. This idea has further allowed me to associate English with the color blue because that is a feeling that both I and other classmates feel when reading a book, which is the most common aspect of any English class. English class can also be calming for someone who enjoys writing or journaling. Some associate English with red, but in my opinion that is just plain nonsense because nothing about English is aggressive or frustrating other than a heated English discussion on the Catcher in the Rye. With all of this said, I have concluded that the only possible color English could be is blue.
History tells the story of the past of humanity. History has enlightened us on repetitive issues and ideas, religions, cultures, and much more. Yellow is a very prevalent color in our history, for example, many ancient civilizations believed in sun gods and described them as wearing yellow or having gold skin or bones, because of this, yellow became a sacred color in the ancient world (Hunterlab). With all of this said, I feel that it is safe to say that history is best represented by the color yellow because the ancient world has an influence on the way that we live today. Carry Castro, a Richwoods senior said that “the color black is what I associate history with”, although I could see where he could’ve gotten that from, I do not believe that black fully demonstrates the in-depth knowledge history brings us. Yellow is a color best “signifies joy, happiness, betrayal, optimism, caution, idealism, imagination, hope, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard and friendship”, all of these adjectives can be related to events in history and to the world we live in now which will eventually become history (GMU).
Science is most commonly associated with nature which leads me to believe that science and the color green are the perfect pairing. There isn’t much to say regarding science and the color green. It’s a no brainer that they are commonly paired together. Science represents nature, growth, the environment, and more. Science is literally “the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and the testing of theories against the evidence obtained”, this Oxford language dictionary definition allowed me to conclude that science is green. “The color green means nature and brings to mind lush grass, trees, and forests”, grass, trees, and forests are all things that are studied in science or are used to help come up with theories or solutions to problems. The color green is also associated with the sensation of being refreshed or being healthy which is something that plants provide to humans.
Although there are many different opinions regarding the colors we each associate with certain school subjects, there are valid arguments that regard colors as being connected to emotions. Evidence shows that the emotion you associate with a subject, can easily be translated into the color you associate with the subject. In my opinion, the rigor of Math causes it to be associated with the color red; the calmness of English causes it to be associated with the color blue; the ancient figures and content of History causes it to be associated with the color yellow; and the environmental aspect of Science causes it to be associated with the color green.
Sources:
Braam, Hailey van. “Psychology, Meaning and Symbolism.” Color Psychology, 20 May 2023, www.colorpsychology.org.
“The Color Yellow.” Yellow, mason.gmu.edu/~mgraha16/507/module3-3.html#: ~:text=Yellow%2C%20the%20lightest%20hue%20of, %2C%20illness%2C%20hazard%20and%20friendship. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
Kendra Cherry, MSEd. “What Does the Color Green Mean?” Verywell Mind, www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-green-2795817#:~:text=For%20many%20people%2C%20the%20color,luck%2C%20health%2C%20and%20envy. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries | Find Definitions, Translations, And …, www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
