Does your school education matter to you now?

Doyler92

Ok the thread title may be a bit misleading but here we go.

In your opinion does the stuff you learn in school really matter or have an effect on your life now?

I'm wondering this as I'm getting my leaving results tomorrow and am thinking about some of the stuff I have been taught over the last couple of years.

I feel I will never need the likes of complex numbers from maybe and will never hear of the name Magellan from history. But I do reckon there will be some stuff that may be of benefit to me like French and parts of biology.

So has your school education has an effect on your later life?

chin_grin

I'm sorry I cannot understand a word of what you've written as I haven't gone to school and didn't do English. Also math is useless to me as I just give the teller a magical note with a number on it and I get these other notes and coins back. MAGIC!

bleg

Just be happy to get the knowledge, whether you use it or not doesn't matter.

Sykk

Nah, doesn't really matter. I don't even have my results on my CV as who cares? All people want to see is your degree/experience.

Banned Account

No, of course not. I mean when are you going to have to read or write, count, multiply or divide or use analytical thought. You can just settle in to the next episode of Jeremy Kyle right?

mojorex

I'm getting my results tomorrow and I reckon we will never use half of that information again! Unless we have to repeat!

Celly Smunt

the education system is flawed,everything you've been taught and all the struggle is over,you've wasted so much time over all those years and you can't get it back so now...





















WELCOME TO COLLEGE!!! PARTAYYYYYYY!!1

starbelgrade

Yeah - school taught me a lot of things.. it gave me a general education, a shed load of useless information, a healthy dose of cynicism & an unwillingness to always trust those in authority.

And outside school hours, I learned how to drink, smoke, take drugs & ride women.

They don't call them the 'formative years' for nothing!

starlit

Yes, but often wonder If I had gone to a grind school and gone off to do a four year degree directly rather than have stuck with the secondary school I went to and gone the step by step in college...cert, ordinary degree, honours degree and then do a hdip. Purhaps have chosen a different college/course. Worked during my time in college rather than during the summers. My expectations of the leaving cert results were realistic so don't think I could have done any better, who knows what I could have become! I wonder would things have been any different if my path had been different?

I have learnt a lot though! Reached my potential in things I never thought I would achieve!

Sugar Free

Yeah Leaving Cert students are made to believe it's the be all and end all of exams. In hindsight it's one of the easiest exams you'll do compared to any college, professional or internal exams.

What I studied in school and university I've largely forgotten now. The degree is a handy piece of paper to have for getting a job though.

Of course all of that generally pales into comparison with plenty of experience and not being a numpty.

orourkeda

The stuff you learn in school is of use only in very limited circumstances.

Only if you decide to a third level education immediately after leaving school. Otherwise, its a waste of time.

There really is no substitute for experience

kfallon

Doyler92 wrote: »

I'm wondering this as I'm getting my leaving results tomorrow and am thinking about some of the stuff I have been taught over the last couple of years.

Anything you were taught in Religion class you can leave at the door on your way out.....

Callan57

Education is a light load and never wasted

Wazdakka

Yes.

prinz

Yes it does, greatly.

orourkeda

Callan57 wrote: »

Education is a light load and never wasted

Yes it is.

tc2010

i is smart

Celly Smunt

Callan57 wrote: »

Education is a light load and never wasted

except on women

Black Swan

Education is like assembling building blocks to build a career, Grasshopper. And if your career is academic, you must Pile Higher and Deeper.

flyton5

When I grow up, I want to be a principal or a caterpillar. I love you, Principal Skinner.

Callan57

pmcmahon wrote: »

except on women

and Neanderthals of course

Brendog

I never finished schooling and that ain't effected me no how.

Einhard

Doyler92 wrote: »

Ok the thread title may be a bit misleading but here we go.

In your opinion does the stuff you learn in school really matter or have an effect on your life now?

I'm wondering this as I'm getting my leaving results tomorrow and am thinking about some of the stuff I have been taught over the last couple of years.

I feel I will never need the likes of complex numbers from maybe and will never hear of the name Magellan from history. But I do reckon there will be some stuff that may be of benefit to me like French and parts of biology.

So has your school education has an effect on your later life?

I think the value of a good education can't be measured purely on the job opportunities it might afford. There is also a value in becoming a more rounded individual, open to new ideas and opinions, and able to debate and analyse them. You may not ever need to know the name of the first Europen to sail to India, but the fact that you have studied the period gives you a greater awareness and, in my opinion, understanding of a range of issues from colonialism to imperialism, which allows you a more nuanced outlook on life. But then again I am a history buff so maybe I'm just biased!!

Aoifey!

I know what you mean, I'm getting my results tomorrow too and I remember thinking as I was cramming the week before "When will I EVER need to know about the sexual reproduction of plants?! Or how to work out imaginary numbers?!" Most of the stuff has already left my head.

Where as things like Economics and Accounting will probably help me a lot in the future as I know how the country is run and how to organise my finances. It all depends on what subjects are relevant to you I guess...and some stuff is just not relevant to anyone!

jester77

Einhard wrote: »

I think the value of a good education can't be measured purely on the job opportunities it might afford. There is also a value in becoming a more rounded individual, open to new ideas and opinions, and able to debate and analyse them. You may not ever need to know the name of the first Europen to sail to India, but the fact that you have studied the period gives you a greater awareness and, in my opinion, understanding of a range of issues from colonialism to imperialism, which allows you a more nuanced outlook on life. But then again I am a history buff so maybe I'm just biased!!

Or just go travelling for a year!!

I would say that 85% of what I learned is of no relevance now and I wish the other 15% was better taught!

Einhard

orourkeda wrote: »

The stuff you learn in school is of use only in very limited circumstances.

Only if you decide to a third level education immediately after leaving school. Otherwise, its a waste of time.

I don't really agree with that. I think that what you learn in school, and the process of learning itself, can have a major impact on an individual. You may forget all the facts and dates, and who said what exactly in Hamlet, but it all subtly shapes your opinions and influences, and even directs how you live your life. It's the same with reading. I certainly don't remember all the information in all the books I've ever read, but I know they've all slowly and imperceptibly shaped me into who I am today.

Einhard

jester77 wrote: »

Or just go travelling for a year!!

I would say that 85% of what I learned is of no relevance now and I wish the other 15% was better taught!

I know people who've travelled the world, and have absolutely no knowledge of any country they've visited beyond what they gleaned from the Lonely Planet in their hostel. Coincidentally, they're often the same people who claim that their school years were a waste of time...

Twee.

Disregarding the actual subjects you study, you've (hopefully) learned to respect authority, meet deadlines, be punctual, think critically, follow instruction, manage time and develop relationships. All pretty important.

jester77

Einhard wrote: »

I know people who've travelled the world, and have absolutely no knowledge of any country they've visited beyond what they glamed from the Lonely Planet in their hostel. Coincidentally, they're often the same people who claim that their school years were a waste of time...

They would be the same people who you'll find every night in the local Irish bar abroad, they might as well have stayed at home!

Owwmykneecap

Education is great but that's not what school is about. An arbitrary grind toward exams, with an emphasis on rote learning.

And drinking.

Copper23

I'd say it does matter a lot, yes.

Might get a few cynical answers here though.

Right, so I don't talk at length on the Champagne region and its topography on a daily basis, I can hardly remember what derivation is at this stage and I don't even live in Ireland, let alone speak Irish daily but its more about being generally educated.

Living out of the country was the first time I appreciated speaking Irish and the history Ireland has to be proud of. It's not really until you mix with other cultures you realize it. The States is the worst, 200 years of bland history and thats it. Going back 800 years for us isn't even doing us justice. My girlfriend is of Irish heritage, her family are mad for asking me questions about Ireland, history and how to say things in Irish. Not the most practical use but what a fool I'd look if I didn't even know!

I did a lot of travelling in Europe a few years back. I was good at Geography and I think it was generally good to know where I was and about the areas. You'd be surprised how few people I met from other countries have no idea where they were, what languages were spoken, what currency to use and anything about he areas they were travelling in.

I don't quote Shakespeare or Heaney daily but it's the experience to have studied them and be aware of them.

I work in an Investments Firm now, I was never top of the class in Maths and even dropped Business studies after Junior Cert. Other paths have lead me here.

The problem is that no, you won't go to college and use every detail of every subject you did and get a job which requires every ounce of knowledge you get from your college course.

It's literally a mixture of stuff you learned through school, college and self learning is where you'll end up. It's not all about jobs either. Just small things like I was saying, in day to day life, knowing them or having learned them just makes you more aware of the world, more intelligent and more well rounded.

Learning Irish is a pain and you'll swear to never speak it again after Irish Paper 2... give it a few years, you'll be surprised how much you wish you had the fluency if nothing else but because it's part of your heritage. Heck, you'll take a trip to Galway and have a pint with a few lads and only wish you could converse with them as they do among themselves.

Sorry, thats all cheesy, but yeah, don't disregard it all, you'll use it all eventually.

veryangryman

Definitely. Some of the better teachers really inspire you, not necessarily just with the coursework, but with outward looking opinions, foresight etc.

One teacher really inspired me. Then i heard he was doinking one of my classmates.

Now he really really inspires me!

No, bit of a waste of time

college was where it all began

The Paws

#33 - If you think school is a waste of time...how are you going to get into college then?!!

Piste

I use the biology and chemistry I learned in school for understanding almost every lecture I study. English helps for presentations and reports and it's always useful to have a second and third language (I did German and French) so I'd say my school education does matter quite a bit now.

MardiB

I got more educationally from school as a beginning to a more personal interests i.e a great basis for history, literature, art etc. Subjects I didn't study in third level. University is great craic but I think I remember more from school, educationally wise;)

InTheTrees

Doyler92 wrote: »

I feel I will never need the likes of complex numbers from maybe and will never hear of the name Magellan from history. But I do reckon there will be some stuff that may be of benefit to me like French and parts of biology.

You think you'll never hear the name Magellan again?

Why???

MardiB

Always remember, the prizes can be quite decent in pub quizzes. It will come in handy:)

up for anything

Aoifey! wrote: »

Where as things like Economics and Accounting will probably help me a lot in the future as I know how the country is run and how to organise my finances. It all depends on what subjects are relevant to you I guess...and some stuff is just not relevant to anyone!

You're probably the only person who does then!!

Star Bingo

well they did nuffin for me, nuffin. them brothers they called me evil cos i use my left hand n slapped it with a leather wad, called me evil cos of the extreme metal craze of the time, and expelled me when i bump a statue of the virgin mary - that was 1992 - a mere 2yr later the pupils were apparently running the show, slapping the teachers laughin rolling joints down the back etc.

but i went on to star alongside arnie in 'End of Days' :pac: an ever so subtle clue to what school.. also the career guidance there was second to none. sent me to clogher road vocational n now i know how the country's run

hinault

Fine post, Copper23.

Except for one comment.
You make the point that education ought not to be for a job.

The politicians here will claim the same thing, except in the next breath they tell us that this country needs to have better education standards.
They will say that the foreign multinational demand better standards.
We'll have the best educated dole recipients in the world!
(sorry to be cynical).

I have to laugh at the push for education.
How come all the MBA's failed to spot the fact that the banks created the biggest asset bubble of the last 110 years?
And more so, how come all these MBA's failed to forecast the largest recession since WWII?


Education has it's place of course.
But in this country, we don't need more education.
We need business people, we need people who can develop and build companies.

GodlessM

I suppose my secondary school education came in handy as being smart is never a bad thing. And good maths and english grades did get me into college, which was a good enough 4yrs. If only this degree would amount to something now :rolleyes:

A V A

nope doesnt matter to me one bit !!!!

dont need some of the bull that they try to ram into your head !!!

Davidius

It does a bit. It allowed me to gauge my interests and it's nice to have a foundation in something in case I ever want to pursue it a bit further. Nothing wrong with a bit of knowledge.

The Paws

The Paws wrote: »

#33 - If you think school is a waste of time...how are you going to get into college then?!!

I thought it was a waste of time because it took too long to cover the courses, that's all. Either teach it to the exams in a more efficient way or include some real education which isn't exam-based. More philosophy, that kind of thing.
And I got into college fine

stovelid

Doyler92 wrote: »

I'm wondering this as I'm getting my leaving results tomorrow and am thinking about some of the stuff I have been taught over the last couple of years.

Good call: getting in your excuses now.

fakearms123

this question is so stupid and some of the replies here are stupid, 11/12 years in school is the most education you will ever receive in your entire life! You learn how to read, write, count, multiple, divide, you learn about the geography of the world, the history of your country, your continent and then your planet, you learn about the solar system and space, you learn about science, evolution, religion, you learn another language, your own language (irish), you learn about art and how to draw shapes and designs, you learn valuable social skills, teamwork, physical education, how to swim, you become aware of right and wrong, you build lifelong friendships, you even fall in love in school, sex education, business studies, economics, you learn how to cook, wood work, tech graphics, i could keep going on and on, you will never learn as much as you've learnt in school for the rest of your life

Cheeky_gal

Doyler92 wrote: »

In your opinion does the stuff you learn in school really matter or have an effect on your life now?

Not in the slightest for me - I'm in full time work in a company I've always wanted to work for and I dropped out of college!

Although a few of my friends who dropped out of school early are some of the dumbest people you can meet so in relation to meeting people and not coming across like a social retard, then yes, school is important.

Cheeky_gal

fakearms123 wrote: »

this question is so stupid and some of the replies here are stupid, 11/12 years in school is the most education you will ever receive in your entire life! You learn how to read, write, count, multiple, divide, you learn about the geography of the world, the history of your country, your continent and then your planet, you learn about the solar system and space, you learn about science, evolution, religion, you learn another language, your own language (irish), you learn about art and how to draw shapes and designs, you learn valuable social skills, teamwork, physical education, how to swim, you become aware of right and wrong, you build lifelong friendships, you even fall in love in school, sex education, business studies, economics, you learn how to cook, wood work, tech graphics, i could keep going on and on, you will never learn as much as you've learnt in school for the rest of your life

Multiply.

Go back to school!

fakearms123

fakearms123 wrote: »

this question is so stupid and some of the replies here are stupid, 11/12 years in school is the most education you will ever receive in your entire life! You learn how to read, write, count, multiple, divide, you learn about the geography of the world, the history of your country, your continent and then your planet, you learn about the solar system and space, you learn about science, evolution, religion, you learn another language, your own language (irish), you learn about art and how to draw shapes and designs, you learn valuable social skills, teamwork, physical education, how to swim, you become aware of right and wrong, you build lifelong friendships, you even fall in love in school, sex education, business studies, economics, you learn how to cook, wood work, tech graphics, i could keep going on and on, you will never learn as much as you've learnt in school for the rest of your life

It was 10 years, and I learned a good chunk of that before/outside school.
Maybe you shouldn't be calling people stupid for having different experience?

Doyler92

stovelid wrote: »

Good call: getting in your excuses now.

Good thinking. Seeing as I got rewarded with a mighty 320 points