Stuff you learned in high school that you’ll basically never use again

The start of a new school season is right around the corner. But once the first-day-butterflies have settled and you’ve gotten into your new groove, there isn’t really anything left to worry about — right? Wrong. Many of us may find ourselves stressing about the part of school that really matters — grades.

It can be tough to find motivation to study for specific subjects, especially when you can’t even figure out how they’ll actually benefit you in the long run. But try not to stress too much — here are a few of the things you’ll learn in school that won’t have much bearing once you get into the real world.

1. Most of American History

If current events weren’t a hint, most of the history that you learn in school is hardly the most accurate. In fact, many states are finding that whole chunks of history — especially that deal with people of color — have been fabricated or changed dramatically to fit the narrative of racism and oppression.

2. Most of Sex Ed

Many states have an “abstinence-only” policy when it comes to sex education — if they even mention it at all in health class. And even if you’re lucky enough to have a sex ed class that discusses condoms and STIs, you’re still largely missing out on vital information — such as gender identity, gender vs sex, initmacy, and ways to build a positive, healthy relationship with your partner.

3. English Lit

This may seem like a wild card — especially from a former English Lit major — but hear me out: most English Lit classes aren’t very diverse or inclusive. Sure, you cover Shakespeare and Hemingway, but barely any classes let you read authors that you may actually relate to. Sandra Cisneros, Toni Morrison, Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche, and even Haruki Murakami are just a few of literature’s most prominent contemporary authors that get very little love in academic spaces.

And bonus points: there’s a strong likelihood that you’ll need to recite soliloquies from Hamlet or Othello on your next job interview — not.

4. Math

In general, many of us hate math. And interestingly enough, a lot of us rarely find use for advanced math in our daily routines and work habits, unless we’re specializing in a math-heavy field. For writers and editors, there’s rarely an opportunity to bust out your knowledge of trigonometry or pentagon formulas.

5. Cursive

In the age of technology, there’s barely any need for physically writing things down anymore. Beyond signing important documents, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a situation that calls for a perfectly looped vowel. Just saying.

6. Mastering the Recorder

Remember that awkwardly awesome and despised musical instrument from middle school? Yeah, we tried to block it out of our memories too.

Good news — in the real world, you won’t need to rely on your awesome recorder skills for the things that need to get done day-to-day. But who knows? Maybe your recorder skills will be a good party trick or fun personal fact to share with your new friends.

Of course, this list is completely interchangeable depending on your individual situation.

But for the most part, many of us find the most value in experiences rather than the theories that we learn and practice in school.

So don’t worry about mastering every subject — once you find your niche, there won’t be a need for you to rely too heavily on the things that you never really mastered in school. Trust us.

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