We might not like to admit it, but our schooling does teach us many things. Sometimes it feels like the information we cram into our brains is useless after the test, but it does help us in the real world.

   High school teaches us the math we need to budget, determine cost-effectiveness, and solve real-life word problems. Cosine functions, for example, teach us how medicines are administered and are used to regulate IV fluids, something that is helpful to know even outside of a medical profession. Everyone is prescribed medicine at some point, and understanding the math behind prescriptions can help to curb antibiotic resistance.

  Our social studies courses teach us how to be good citizens and give us insight into the present through the lens of the past. How can we advocate for change today if we don’t know what has been successful in the past? How can we elect representatives if we don’t understand what they stand for? History and civics courses give us thousands of years of successes and failures to use as examples when evaluating the world we live in today.

   Biology, chemistry, physics, and environmental science classes teach us to question and analyze the world around us. The scientific method, for example, is one of the first things we learn in science, but it can be applied to any section of our life, helping us make informed decisions as adults.

   English classes help develop our voice and open our eyes to a myriad of other voices that help us determine what suits us and what doesn’t. Any job requires one to use language effectively: to quote clients, to discuss solutions, to propose changes, or to advertise. Communication is a first impression and an everyday tool, and our high school English classes are a constructive, safe place to explore how we communicate.

   High school is also filled with amazing elective classes: foreign language, music, theatre, art, computer skills, home economics, and business class. The ability to expand our knowledge about specific topics we want to pursue or want to try out is something unique to this stage of life. In high school we determine how much we learn and how much we get out of our free education.

  Some days classes are boring, some days homework piles up, and some days it is really hard to see how high school benefits us. These four years are more than just a hurdle to jump before life begins though, they prepare us for our adult lives.

Photo Credit: https://www.startschoolnow.org/tips-to-organize-your-notes-for-high-school/