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Things We Learned in School that are Now Useless
School education has always been the foundation for our intellectual development, equipping us with knowledge and skills for the future. However, it’s undeniable that some of the things we learned in school have proven to be of little practical use in our adult lives.
Schools play a crucial role in shaping young minds and imparting knowledge that can be valuable throughout life. However, over time, certain lessons and practices taught in schools have become obsolete or deemed useless in the real world. In this article, RNN will shed light on some of these once-revered teachings that no longer hold practical significance.
1. How to write in cursive
Once considered an essential skill, cursive writing has lost its relevance in the digital age. With the widespread use of computers and smartphones, people now rely more on typing and texting rather than penning elegant cursive scripts.
In today’s era of handwriting, when jotting down a quick reminder or a phone message for our flatmate, there’s no room for fancy italics. Simple and clear sentences are the way to go.
2. Complex Mathematical Formulas
While mathematical concepts are important for problem-solving, many of the complex formulas we memorized in school have little relevance in our daily routines. Basic arithmetic, understanding percentages, and practical problem-solving are more valuable in everyday life.
3. Reciting Poems and Literature
Literature undoubtedly enriches our minds, but memorizing lengthy poems and texts may not have practical uses in our adult lives.
4. Categorization of Species
While the understanding of biological classifications is significant for certain professions, the average adult might rarely encounter situations where they need to categorize species regularly.
5. How to use a fountain pen
Upgrading to a fountain pen felt like a significant achievement. You used pencils or ‘handwriting pens’ only when your handwriting was so unreadable that you couldn’t write legibly with a fountain pen. Once you reached university, you laughed at how much time you had wasted changing the cartridges.
6. Memorization
While memorizing facts and information was once a staple of education, it is no longer the most valuable skill. In the age of information abundance, the focus has shifted to critical thinking, problem-solving, and understanding concepts rather than rote memorization.
7. How to say and spell antidisestablishmentarianism
Another useless thing we learned in school is this spelling, You may have felt cool and clever using the longest word in the dictionary, but in real life, nobody really uses it.
8. Using an abacus
9. Long division
Long division, once considered a symbol of mathematical skill, has become less necessary due to the convenience of calculators and digital tools that can perform complex calculations quickly.
It’s only practical during a math test when a calculator or computer is unavailable. And who even remembers how to do the ‘remainder method’ now?
10. Memorizing The Periodic Table
Fortunately, we didn’t need to memorize; we could rely on the printed table for tests. Chemists also use it, but they should know it by heart since they require the elements frequently, and looking them up every few seconds takes time.
In reality, you’ll always have a periodic table for reference, and with practice, you’ll naturally memorize important values. The only ones who benefit from memorizing the table of elements are teachers who want to create tests.
11. Categorization of Historical Dates
While knowing historical dates was once a hallmark of a well-educated individual, it is now less crucial in the age of instant access to historical information. Understanding historical contexts and connections has taken precedence over memorizing specific dates.
12. Memorizing all the presidents in order
Knowing the American presidents and their contributions is essential, but memorizing only their names in chronological order seems a bit silly
13. To only read books you’re told to
Thank God public libraries let you pick your own books as an adult. It’s cool being over eighteen after all!
14. Another useless thing we learned in school is Knowing how to count to ten in various languages… and nothing else
15. How to write geometric proofs
16. Handwriting
Although having good handwriting was once seen as a sign of intelligence and discipline, the significance of neat penmanship has declined in the digital age. With most written communication happening electronically, the emphasis has shifted to clear and coherent writing rather than perfect penmanship.