Things students don't think they need to know after school

Avatar image for oraclex
OracleX

365

Forum Posts

18

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By OracleX

Congrats grads of 2011! You just proved you could memorize enough stuff, paraphrase spark notes, and show up often enough for class to earn some sort of diploma. But there a surprise waiting for you once the party balloons pop and you burn through the money you got from the graduation parties. You do not know the exact time or the place but it will hit you: You will need to remember some of the stuff you learned from school.

Before we go further I'd like to explain that I am not an expert on the subject. I am a college student a semester away from getting a bachelor degree of liberal arts in journalism. My knowledge on the subject comes from getting a part-time job at a library and learning that I still needed to remember a number of things from High School. Here the top things that every human needs to retain after throwing their caps in the air.

1. Spelling: Even in today's increasingly computerized society, there is not going to be a red squiggly line under every misspelled work. There are going to power outages and there are going to be times when hand-written notes are easier to spot than e-mails in a work place. If you can't spell a simple words, it doesn't look good.

2. Math: Not that crazy geometry involving logs and powers, simple cash register math. You may think that is what your cell phone is for it will take more time than remembering you multiplication tables.

3. Any random fact you ever learned: Quick story: I found out my boss's grand daughter was born three months premature. I was able to ask about how scary it must have been to see her grand baby wrapped in tubes. I remembered what the premature baby nursery looked after visiting one as part of a science club field trip. The whole point of school is to get a broad base of knowledge to use at the most random times. This doesn't just apply to school stuff either: sports, books, if you can make conversation about with some one, you can show competence.

Avatar image for samimista
Samimista

22297

Forum Posts

6731

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 17

#1  Edited By Samimista

I agree I'm in high school and even I find it a bit ridiculous how some graduates don't know anything.

Avatar image for redheadedatrocitus
RedheadedAtrocitus

6958

Forum Posts

8982

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 3

::claps over and over:: Thank you for mentioning this.  With regard to how kids think they have the world at their fingertips following a simple high school graduation...I quote Socrates by saying "The only thing in life worth knowing is that you know nothing." Simple as that.  Yes, graduation is a major milestone, but it is not the beginning of the end. It is merely the end of the beginning.

Avatar image for razzatazz
RazzaTazz

11948

Forum Posts

234582

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1887

User Lists: 79

#3  Edited By RazzaTazz

I agree, there is a bunch of stuff that you don't realize how useful it is.  

Avatar image for gtg12
GTG12

1584

Forum Posts

7616

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 3

#4  Edited By GTG12
@RazzaTazz
 
What she said
Avatar image for thor_s_hammmer
Thor's hammmer

7186

Forum Posts

104

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

#5  Edited By Thor's hammmer

I am in highschool and everyone I know does think the things you mentioned are important.
Avatar image for oraclex
OracleX

365

Forum Posts

18

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

#6  Edited By OracleX

I am just writing in generalizations.

Avatar image for mikethekiller
mikethekiller

9915

Forum Posts

11

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#7  Edited By mikethekiller

If you don't think you need to know those things there's a good chance your stupid.

Avatar image for do_i_have_to_give_a_name_
Do I have to give a name?

1045

Forum Posts

68

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Very nice. I especially agree with point 3. And I'm forced to agree with point 1, as I just misspelled "especially" 8-(

Avatar image for billy_batson
Billy Batson

62287

Forum Posts

1286746

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 11

#9  Edited By Billy Batson
@Do I have to give a name? said:
Very nice. I especially agree with point 3. And I'm forced to agree with point 1, as I just misspelled "especially" 8-(

Auto correct to the rescue :D lol 

BB

Avatar image for b_town
B'Town

2369

Forum Posts

791

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 5

#10  Edited By B'Town

Math. Math. And more Math. When I was in High School I really didn't believe I would need to know anything more than the basic.

Since than, I have had to search my brain for some Geometry, Algebra and those pesky dang percentage rules. (shakes head) Using a calculator is fine and dandy but in order to get a correct answer I have to know how to form the question.

I have found myself on a number of occasions pulling out old text books to brush up. My job involves a ton of math and a ton of documentation. All of which must be perfect, there is no room for error.

It is certainly good advice to keep it all fresh if we want to be successful.

Avatar image for pr_beyonder
Pr_Beyonder

2528

Forum Posts

1793

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#11  Edited By Pr_Beyonder
@B'Town said:

Math. Math. And more Math. When I was in High School I really didn't believe I would need to know anything more than the basic.

Since than, I have had to search my brain for some Geometry, Algebra and those pesky dang percentage rules. (shakes head) Using a calculator is fine and dandy but in order to get a correct answer I have to know how to form the question.

I have found myself on a number of occasions pulling out old text books to brush up. My job involves a ton of math and a ton of documentation. All of which must be perfect, there is no room for error.

It is certainly good advice to keep it all fresh if we want to be successful.


What's your profession?
Avatar image for inferiorego
inferiorego

25752

Forum Posts

28300

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 324

User Lists: 12

#12  Edited By inferiorego  Staff

Things I didn't think I'd EVER use after high school:

Speech

English (punctuation, essay writing)

Basic Algebra

11 years later, things I use EVERYDAY in my work life

Speech

English

Basic Algebra

18 year old Inferiorego was a moron.

Avatar image for shadow_thief
Shadow_Thief

2511

Forum Posts

3

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 1

#13  Edited By Shadow_Thief

All things considered, the most important class I ever took was an acting class. The skills I learned there have gotten me through more customer interactions, job interviews, and family reunions than I care to remember.

Avatar image for pikahyper
pikahyper

19027

Forum Posts

37057995

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 581

#14  Edited By pikahyper  Moderator
@RedheadedAtrocitus said:
Yes, graduation is a major milestone
I haven't considered it a real milestone in at least ten years, a high school education now is a joke. I've helped a lot of cousins, nieces, nephews, younger siblings of friends and my friends children with junior high and high school homework and they make it out to be so unbelievably difficult even when they can use the internet for help and I look at it and its almost all stuff I did before I was even in junior high, no standards these days. I see general English skills lacking the most though, they need to make kids read more, in junior high (for me) we used to have to read one book minimum every two weeks and if we read like ten in a month we got a pizza party and we didn't get any easy reading nonsense books we had to read the classics :/
Avatar image for superojsimpson
superojsimpson

810

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#15  Edited By superojsimpson

kids know nothing?

They're pretty well of if you ask me!! atleast they know something, they know >>> nothing"!!
noth·ing   (nthng)

pron.
1. No thing; not anything: The box contained nothing. I've heard nothing about it.
2. No part; no portion: Nothing remains of the old house but the cellar hole.
3. One of no consequence, significance, or interest: The new nonsmoking policy is nothing to me.
n.
1. Something that has no existence.
2. Something that has no quantitative value; zero: a score of two to nothing.
3. One that has no substance or importance; a nonentity: "A nothing is a dreadful thing to hold onto" (Edna O'Brien).
adj.
Insignificant or worthless: "the utterly nothing role of a wealthy suitor" (Bosley Crowther).
adv.
In no way or degree; not at all: She looks nothing like her sister.


Avatar image for larkin1388
Larkin1388

1826

Forum Posts

101

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 2

#16  Edited By Larkin1388

I hated school but i breezed right through it. Never cracked a book. My only weakness is math.

Avatar image for edwardwindsor
EdwardWindsor

14582

Forum Posts

3654

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 7

User Lists: 9

#17  Edited By EdwardWindsor

The only thing i learned at school and have now wipped from my mind was the French language. As i said at the time why learn a language used less around the world than your first language. Everything else  is important.

Avatar image for stinknugs
StinkNugs

4

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Regarding number 2, your cell phone is not just for simple math, it is also for that crazy geometry you need to remember.

Avatar image for noone301994
Noone301994

22169

Forum Posts

25

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

I didn't graduate in 2011

Avatar image for static_shock
Static Shock

53207

Forum Posts

12480

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

I hated school but i breezed right through it. Never cracked a book. My only weakness is math.

Sounds like me.

But, a lot of what I learned in high school, I've actually had to use later on.

Avatar image for deactivated-097092725
deactivated-097092725

10555

Forum Posts

1043

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 4

Math. Everyone who said math is right.

Avatar image for heroup2112
HeroUp2112

18447

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

what Ms-Lola said. I once had THE highest score on an entrance test for a job. After a bunch of people had to leave and go to the final stage, i got removed because I couldn't remember one damn thing about doing percentages (I was in my late twenties, but still...) Math it up folks!

Avatar image for deactivated-59dfd33ed3601
deactivated-59dfd33ed3601

5575

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@ms-lola: Thanks for the heads up. Even though I kind of struggle with math it was my highest scoring subject on the SAT.

Avatar image for deactivated-097092725
deactivated-097092725

10555

Forum Posts

1043

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 4

Avatar image for rocketraccoonthingy
rocketraccoonthingy

8996

Forum Posts

591

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 8

User Lists: 8

Probably a lot of things. Depends on what profession you take.

Avatar image for cpt_nice
cpt_nice

10331

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#27  Edited By cpt_nice

Math for sure. Besides basic sums and calculating chances, I haven't used any of it for years.

Chemistry and physics beyond the basics I studied when I was 14 - 15. Then again, my study was very science-oriented.

Also, economics. Would have only been helpful if I started a business. Totally useless now. Wish they had taught me how to fill in a tax form, but that was never addressed.

Avatar image for stinknugs
StinkNugs

4

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

I still use a lot from economics class and I don't own a business

Avatar image for rouflex
Rouflex

35970

Forum Posts

16652

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 3

I find it funny that the thread was made around the time i've quitted School.

Avatar image for hbktimhbk
HBKTimHBK

5731

Forum Posts

1056

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#30  Edited By HBKTimHBK

Thread was made when I was a freshmen in high school, now a freshmen in college. Oh life.

Avatar image for the_stegman
the_stegman

41911

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

#31 the_stegman  Moderator

There needs to be a "How to survive on your own" class that teaches;

How to get good credit

What a mortgage is

How to do your taxes

How to apply for jobs

How to write a resume

How to take out a loan

These are more important than the Quadratic Formula or knowing the plot for Of Mice and Men.

Avatar image for cgoodness
Cream_God

15519

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 2

Well i can count.....

Avatar image for masterkungfu
MasterKungFu

20773

Forum Posts

9757

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 11

There needs to be a "How to survive on your own" class that teaches;

How to get good credit

What a mortgage is

How to do your taxes

How to apply for jobs

How to write a resume

How to take out a loan

These are more important than the Quadratic Formula or knowing the plot for Of Mice and Men.

now this is something all schools are lacking in

Avatar image for beaconofstrength
BeaconofStrength

12491

Forum Posts

75

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 2

@the_stegman: Pretty sure that's a personal finance class. And I'm pretty sure almost every school has one, albeit not mandatory.

Avatar image for kgb725
kgb725

24239

Forum Posts

227

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Avatar image for beaconofstrength
BeaconofStrength

12491

Forum Posts

75

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 2

#36  Edited By BeaconofStrength

@kgb725: I learned all those and more, when I took personal finance my junior year. Maybe I just had a good teacher.

Avatar image for khael
Khael

15315

Forum Posts

567

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

That's it?

I mean, after all these years?