Did you ever end up using any knowledge they taught you in high school?

Question

Those of you who actually went to high school.

Answer 1

not really.

Answer 2

Yes. Do Americans actually graduate high school and not use the knowledge they were taught? Is that even possible?

Answer 3

On academic side, mainly English, Math and History:

English - proper grammer, spelling, etc. especially important when you write resume, letters, admissions tests for colleges and competition tests for higher jobs. Being strong in this area, regardless of HS education can get you far. Most importantly, you being a great communicator is so important.

Math - admission tests for college/jobs, problem solving, how to analyse and plan my budget and make investment decisions. I can calculate how much material like wood I would need to build something. I can do comparison shopping to find the cheapest buy by cost and metric conversions and save money like A costs $$$ per kg verses something similar at $$$ per lb at another store.

History - I can talk about politics, government, the war as if I really know something about it. Colleagues and clients like to talk about political and sports events or jokes during lunch. The more you fit in a team, the more chances of you belonging and staying longer.

Being very good in Math and English without a HS diploma, can still get you far but if you're weak in those areas, people will know you don't have much education without you having to remind them. Someone with poor English and Math, really need to have some other great talented skill to get a job or have your own business that brings in decent money.

Even with a HS diploma, doesn't always guarantee a good job but it is always a good thing to have because it shows you can learn, be competent and reliable. Nobody wants to hire someone who cannot learn or follow directions with little supervision.

Even if you were never good in school, you should always try your best at it and never give up. Ignorance never really helped anyone but made life harder for everyone else. By taking time trying to solve problems yourself is more admireable than depending on others.

You should watch Will Smith in the movie in The Pursuite of Happiness as Chris Gardner. He had a HS education and was very successful in school but even so, it can still be really tough to get a job for some people with all the competition and circumstances. It's just a movie and some things are made up but Gardner, the person Smith plays is real. He really did secretly spend a year living in homeless shelter and slept at a train station with his son, while his colleagues at his salesman job had no idea how poor he really was. He and his son struggled much longer than the movie could show. However, there's a lot of things made up in the movie to simplify things or give a dramatic effect. He really did spend 10 days in jail for not paying his parking tickets but he never got hit by a car. He may not have been perfect (divorces, etc) but he struggled and worked so hard for his success. I am really impressed with Will Smith and his real-life son in the movie.

It really is a success, motivating story but the movie is very loosely based on Gardner's book.

Answer 4

I do use some of the things I learned in high school. I basically look at everything I've learned as a sort of foundation to help me build toward the next level.

Answer 5

Well when we learn in high school we say...why should we learn? Who needs all this after all?


But in my precious life...there were some bright moments when I used my knowledge of what I have learn in high school ...and said , o yes, I really need this knowledge.

Have a nice day!

Answer 6

All the digital circuits courses ended up doing wonders in college.

All the accountancy and administration courses helped to the same (obligatory, I wouldn't have had taken them) courses in college.

I never used:
Economics.
Chemistry.
Literature.
Sociopolitics.
History.
Physic Ed.

So yeah, I agree that over 80% of education prior to college is a waste

Answer 7

Yes

Answer 8

Yes

Answer 9

Only the Art, History, French, and basic Math, and Physical Science.

Answer 10

I used it to pass my early classes in college but other than that no. Basically high school material is so rudimentary that it has little to no use in the real world.

Answer 11

Actually, yes I did and I use it a lot more than what I learned in college and grad school.