School Pointless?

[gamerguy55]

School is a lot more than just reading, writing, and math. It's about socializing with people, not just learning, but learning 'how' to learn. I'm not saying that your subjects aren't important, they are, there's just a lot more there, than you're realizing.

I had a chance to basically 'skip' high school and go straight to college, but I turned it down for some of these exact reasons. I may go through high school without having to try, but I'll learn more than if I was in college.

A science teacher once told me that you could teach someone something 21 different ways before they really 'understand' it. Meaning 2 + 2 is always going to equal 4, but there's more to it than that. You have to know that 1 + 1 is 2 and 1 + 3 can also equal 4.

School is far from pointless. Public education is meant for 'average' people. Sure, there are advance classes, but they only go so far.
I know a girl who had been home schooled for her entire life, until this point. She is a junior and attends a vocational school for early childhood care (or something like that), she's very smart, but has never been in a school setting before, and is pretty much lost when it comes to changing classes and being in a classroom setting. What most of us think nothing of can be totally strange for some people.

 

[Reventorghini]

We could be so much further as a human race if students could realize the importance of education. I remember absolutely hating my first two years of high school but the other two years were more of an awakening for me. I started looking at all the people around me that were complaining about how much they didn't need to learn this "crap" and realized those were the ones that were hindering us as a whole. I know that's extreme, but it's what I very firmly believe. I realize that not everyone will be able to make a radical (or even modest) difference, and not everything will click with everyone, but for those who just give up... I find that shameful.

Needless to say; those four years changed me from a follower to a leader.

 

[Toby]

it's not going to get easier than school (normally ). and it's all about the experience. let's face it, going to school is great, you meet other people and make new friends. sure beats sitting in front of a tv/pc all day.

education greatly varies from which school you to to, and which country you live in. I milked school as much as I could (i.e. got a good end report thingy) and it's helped me ever since (to get to the unis I wanted, to make more money than other people, etc.).

so even if you don't learn much in school, at least learn how to play the system. the sooner you start, the easier. be lazy now, and you'll have to catch up later. simple.

 

[Vexona]

^^^

Definitely can agree with the above. While I didn't care for high school, it got me a free ride to college....and college was very fun (I loved it). College in turn got me the job I wanted.

So if school seems lame now, just try to look at the long term and consider it part of the track to getting where you eventually want to be.

 

[CPU64]

My only problem with school/education is the fact that you have to try and learn everything. You have to be a "jack-of-all-trade" with every subject when most of the time, people are better at one specific area. And that is usually the area in which they find a career in..

I have always been good in art and sciences, but I despise advanced maths, or any type of history. I am a complete retard when it comes to remembering dates and events.

Therefore I believe that it is a bit unbalanced that my over all grade has to suffer because of subjects I have trouble with. The same subjects I know I will never use outside of having to remember answers for a test.

I had to take 3 art history courses in college for my major. Out of those courses, the only time I have EVER used any bit of information is when I am out with friends and when passing by a building, I can go: Hey guys! What type of columns are those?

"Doric, Ionic and Corinthian" is the ONLY information I remember, or ever use.
To me art history was a complete waste of time, money and GPA ( I got a D in all 3)

So I say we should take the subjects we are interested in. Everything else should be electives. That way students will spend more time improving their strong skills which will benefit them in the working world.

 

[rowan]

It may seem pointless, but society deems it necessary. there are many, MANY pointless lessons, classes and other crap that you need to learn.
everything else i could have said has been said by other above. listen to them!

 

[Not Now John]

A friend and I recently had a similar conversation. We were discussing why at our school (University of California, Santa Cruz), biology majors such as ourselves, were required to take physics classes and certain general education classes that we clearly would have no use for.

We decided that many classes are not necessarily meant to convey any information, rather they are meant to convey a different way of learning or of thinking. With that in mind, you should treat all classes as important, or at least the ways in which you take them.

 

[Sigma LS]

Most core classes are meant for cultural education more than anything. So you will be able to live in many parts of the world without feeling like you're ignorant (or rather that you are ignorant). Out on the farm, any kid who didn't know the difference between an angus and a brahman or when to plant winter wheat was considered a dumbass. Same thing went with parts and function of a truck or a hydraulic system. Any kid who couldn't do algebra and understand the finer points of earthworks, building, and equipment depreciation in tax law by the time they graduated was also considered pretty slow. Those are considered essential skills and people learned them.

But what about the history of art, political history, geography? What was the significance of Impressionism? What ideals inspired Victorian themes and society? Where the heck is Budapest? It may not be important to where you are right now. It all depends on the crowds of folks you hang around. But the more you know, the more places you can go and fit in. You'll always have something to talk about. Lots of jokes also depend heavily on this type of cultural knowledge.

Example: I saw a youtube vid (maybe compfused?) of a guy that threw a baseball at a wall as hard as he could and it bounced off and nailed him right in the face. My friend was looking over my shoulder and says "You know what that guy is thinking? Third law's a bitch."

Another ex: We play Ultimate frisbee every Sunday. One of the regulars out there didn't show (he's known for tossing the disc very far) and I gave him a call before we started to see if he would make it. He told me that he had other plans. I told him to have fun and we'd catch him next time. The last thing he did was laugh and say "I'll be there as long as I don't break my pinkie." (Cowboys fans will get it )


As to public school, meh. Take whatever advanced classes you can. Take college classes if they are available. That was always the most fun for me. And if you get an advanced degree later on, it's all the stuff you're interested in and nothing else.

 

[Vexona]

There were some classes that I thought I would really love that I ended up hating. Conversely, there were classes I signed up for, dreading terribly, that I ended up loving.

I think if I hadn't been forced to take some of the classes that were required, I would have ended up in the wrong career. Going into college, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Turns out, I didn't actually enjoy doing it and I found my eventual degree path thru a required class I hadn't initially looked forward to. Go fig XD

Sure, I still lament the fact that I had to take Physics as a Web Designer, but ultimately it was a test of whether I could apply myself in something I was predisposed to sucking at. I passed with a B, and that was probably the happiest B I ever go. The consolation is that I never have to do it again too.


And hey. There's always helpful knowledge for Jeopardy and Cash Cab. I love Cash Cab