The Value of Learning

by Charlotte P

“When will we use this in real life?” So many teachers have heard this question numerous times, and some have come up with clever answers. However, the question remains: what is the value of learning what we may not use in our future careers?

We are not talking about whether or not school should also teach necessary life skills such as filling out tax forms, budgeting, or cooking. This article is mainly about whether an aspiring scientist should be learning about literature, or whether an aspiring athlete should study calculus.

Possible Solution 1: There is actually no value in studying disciplines irrelevant to students’ future career plans.

Although highly opposed among adults, many of my fellow students have come to strongly believe this statement. And to a certain extent, they are correct. Time is precious, and life is short. All the time spent in those classes may have been used to further hone in on necessary skills. However, careers change over time. Are there any more telephone operators? Are there not less bank tellers at the bank than before? As for the jobs that withstand the test of time, they require skills in numerous disciplines. A medical doctor, for instance, though primarily focused on the sciences of biology and chemistry, must also be familiar with Latin, Greek, mathematics, and reading comprehension. Moreover, knowledge not used at the workplace can still be used in everyday conversation and, perhaps, in helping the next generation with their schoolwork.

Possible Solution 2: Education should be more work-related as students advance through their education

Of course, few would disagree that an elementary school student should have time to get a taste of everything before specializing. Then, according to this concept, a middle school or junior high student should be able to further specialize, but still must take core classes in math, English, social studies, and science, which generally cover the basics. However, in high school, students should not be required to take classes beyond the necessary level. For example, a student who only needs to know basic algebra need not take geometry or pre-calculus. The problem with this idea is that the high school student still does not know all the available career opportunities and changes his or her interests almost daily. We must admit that teenagers (us) are rather capricious.

Possible Solution 3: A well-rounded education allows for exploration and enrichment.

There is a reason why the Ivy League Universities (and other prestigious universities) believe in the liberal arts curriculum. They have core requirements in addition to major-specific degree requirements. Why? Because they believe that such a system would introduce their students to new fields and possible interests. Many students say that without such a system, they would never have found their interest in (insert academic field here). I believe this idea applies to high school as well. Although I love biology and hope to be a doctor, I also love calculus and literature, and I may indeed land a career in one of those fields instead. If that happens, I would still be content because I know I enjoy those fields. As for enrichment, it’s pretty much a big word for that sensation students get when they say, “Before I took this class, I had no interest (or hated) in the subject. Now, I actually find it to be quite interesting, although I’m still not passionate about it.” For human beings, it’s nice to learn something, whether at school or elsewhere.

So, when will we use (insert school subject name here) in real life? Honestly, maybe never. But learning a wide variety of academic disciplines, including derivatives and integrals, makes you a better person. It is not a waste of time if you learned something.