I remember very clearly in high school questioning the purpose of some things. Why do I need to learn Trigonometry? Why do I need to read old literature? Why am I dissecting this frog? There were a lot of days I struggled in high school because I felt nothing I was doing was worth the effort. Today, I'm going to tell you why these were actually some of the best lessons I learned in those four years. Here are the top 3 things I'm so glad they taught me in high school.
1. I'm glad we read obscure books. While everyone reads the classics like To Kill A Mockingbird, or the Great Gatsby, (amazing books, by the way), some of the most impactful books I read were obscure books that dive deep into foreign cultures. In 10th grade we read some difficult books—A Thousand Splendid Suns and Nectar in a Sieve, to name a couple. At the time I questioned why we had to read them. They were dense and sad, and frankly hard to understand coming from a very whitewashed and sheltered childhood. However, reading those books taught me more about the culture than I think any world history class could have. Delving into a book that is engrossed in culture is an incredible way to expose oneself to new ideas. That class, little did I know at the time, was the first step to my love of travel and other culture, and my desire to understand other peoples. In an increasingly diverse world, books like this are incredibly valuable.
2. I'm glad we learned logs in Trig. This might seem like a stretch for you all—logs sucked, I know. However, those classes prepped me for college and life in huge ways. The reason for this is simple: sometimes life throws crazy stuff at you, and you need to be prepared to really sit down and figure it out, not matter how hard and complicated it gets. So much of college requires critical thought and patience, and I don't know about you, but trig taught me that (at least a little bit).
3. I'm glad gym was required for everyone. I'm not going to lie, there were days I absolutely hated gym. There were even more days where I would complain that since I was an athlete, I should be exempt from gym class. However, looking back, I am so glad I was forced into gym class because it taught me that I can't always rely on sports for my health and fitness. Gym class teaches that no matter who you are it's important to make active living a priority. Weather you like to run, swim, play tennis or practice yoga, having an active lifestyle is an important part of living a healthy life. When I get done with soccer in the fall, it's very easy for me to fall into sedentary habits. Without the pressure of needing to be at practice every day, it's easy to just spend that time doing other things. However, thinking back, gym class is a great way to teach people that being active surpasses athletics. I should want to work out and be healthy outside of sports.
Now, I could go on and on about the things high school taught me—team playing, making friends, setting routines, making time for myself, setting prioritiesbut the main point here is to not write off everything we learned in high school as pointless. Too many of us look back at high school as something worth hating or a waste of time, but really, imagine how much different life would have been without it. High school prepared me for life in so many ways, even the things I hated in the moment like reading, math and gym class, taught me how to better live now as a young adult.
It could have been nice to learn about taxes, student loans, and the things that complicate life as an adult, but at the same time, life wouldn't be nearly as exciting if we knew how to do everything beforehand. Trial and error is a beautiful thing.
So, thanks high school, you really came through.
