The Hidden Value of Academics
The only light in the pitch-black alley comes from a flickering traffic light in the distance. The only sounds come from the rats scrambling back into the sewer. My face battered and bloodied, I squint at my assailant. I have been strapped to this chair for hours, enduring a marathon of mental and physical abuse. He takes a long drag on his cigarette and exhales. The cloud of smoke further masks his face. “I’ll give you one more chance,” he sneers as he flicks away the Marlboro and kisses his brass knuckles. He repeats his question: “What is the Second Law of Thermodynamics?”
If you have been in the situation described above, then I congratulate you. You have the best answer to the age-old question on the mind of most students today: “When am I ever going to use this?” (or, alternatively: “Why am I learning this?”) This question is rooted in the frustration that the content learned in school does connect directly with the “real world.” Students ask this question every day as they are inundated with facts, figures, and information that they are forced to regurgitate on assessments. Days later, they forget everything and massage their jaws for the next bite at the apple.
Contrary to the cover art of math and physics textbooks, no one has ever asked me to calculate the velocity of a roller coaster at an amusement park. I have never needed to know the order of Chinese dynasties for any other reason than a test in AP World History (side note: I still remember the order, thanks to a handy mnemonic from my teacher, Dr. Martin). Surprisingly, the comic below is incredibly inaccurate (the top left panel is particularly inaccurate…Shakespearean pickup lines simply don’t work):
So why do schools force students to learn seemingly useless information that they will never use again? In my quest to find the answer, I have narrowed my thinking down to two main reasons to prove that those endless facts and figures are valuable.
First of all, academics introduce a wide selection of subject areas to students, thereby giving them a “taste test” of areas that they may want to explore further in the future. Everyone needs to know basic addition, subtraction, etc. Everyone needs to know how to read and write. Everyone needs to know basic historical facts that highlight the successes and failures of the past so that the future can be brighter. Everyone needs to know basic human and natural biology. Conversely, not everyone needs to know how to calculate derivatives and integrals. Not everyone needs to know how to use semicolons (though, I would be thrilled if everyone did). Not everyone needs to know the exact year that Abraham Lincoln became President. Not everyone needs to name all the bones that make up a human body.
However, those extraneous facts lay the groundwork toward career paths and interests that students can explore if they choose to do so. I, for example, actually found proper semicolon usage quite interesting. I also found proper paragraph structure fascinating. As I advanced through school, I chose to take more challenging English classes that taught me more about English-specific content. The information that I learned in school built the knowledge base that I need for my current life as an English teacher.
There are many holes in my logic, and those holes expose some of the many problems that simmer underneath the surface of the educational system. One issue is that many students take advanced classes that they find uninteresting or tedious in an effort to boost their GPAs and impress colleges. I was one of those many students. I took AP Environmental Science, a class that didn’t interest me in the least, in an effort to boost my GPA. I could say the same for AP Calculus. I think this problem is actually rooted in the flawed college admissions system, an issue that I want to explore in the future.
Another hole in my argument is that school curriculum does not reflect every career. There are no AP courses for future cooks, veterinarians, auto mechanics, etc. Fortunately, some school systems offer those career-prep courses at offsite locations at no cost to students. One of the reasons I am so proud to work in Fairfax County is because it offers such a robust list of courses for students to take that allow them to “taste test” fields that interest them. Unfortunately, not every school district is as privileged as mine. Educational equity is an issue for another day.
But what about students who have no idea where their interests lie? Many of my friends graduated from high school without an idea of what to major in when they reached college or what career they should pursue. That sentiment brings me to my second reason that academics are important: learning new information allows students to develop skills that they will need in the future.
I’ll give you an example. When I was in high school, I really struggled with math. I would come home and stare at the numbers and graphs, unable to comprehend what I was seeing. I needed to learn to take deep breaths (stress management) and figure out one problem at a time. I would ask my friends (how to interact with peers) and teachers (how to interact with adults) for help (an underrated skill: how to ask for help). I would look up online tutorials (how to use technology). Eventually, my parents hired me a math tutor (basic economic principles). I also needed to juggle my difficulties with math alongside my other classes (time management).
I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Math class did teach me how to factor, how to calculate slopes of lines, and how to find the surface area of a sphere. I don’t use any of those lessons on a day to day basis, but I use the skills that I built every single day. Case in point: I needed to figure out how to teach the first chapter of The Great Gatsby. I had no idea where to start. I took deep breaths (stress management) and asked my colleagues for help (how to interact with peers and adults). I looked up lesson plans that other teachers had created online (how to use technology) and figured out if I needed to buy any materials for the lesson (basic economic principles). I also needed to figure out how to finish the lesson plan while also planning for my other class, not to mention the mountain of grading that I hadn’t yet touched (time management).
One reason that students don’t think about those skills is because they are not attached to a grade. Their grades, which determine so much of their future, are based on their ability to retain the information that they learn. There is no area on report cards for stress management or time management. Therein lies another flaw in the educational system, which, again, is a fish to fry on another day.
My argument about the importance of school is by no means original, but I think that people need to think past the idea that the purpose of school is rooted in learning information. In fact, learning information may be one of the least important parts of school. Everyone reading this piece has felt frustrated towards academics, especially when the content seems irrelevant. However, I urge everyone to think of those seemingly meaningless facts and figures as a means to reach greater heights.
