School Stuff You Still Use

 

Tonight, I had to log onto a career resource and resume template website. I made an account my freshman year of high school; the teacher warned us to create a username and password we could remember because we would be using this website for a long time. The student teacher mentioned he was using it.

I was skeptical. There are many things teachers will tell you will be long-term things that you will use later in your education, or perhaps into your career. As it turned out, a few of these predictions were right, and many were wrong. Not that I think the teachers were universally wrong: Some students probably did go on to use those things, but not me.

I now have three mental lists.

  1. Things teachers told me I would use that I have yet to use
    1.  My trigonometry reference table. I understand that anybody who went on into calculus classes used this. I went into statistics classes and did not.
    2. My “prime after prime” prime number reference sheet from seventh or eighth grade. I was told to hang onto it but lost it within a year. I never needed a prime number reference sheet after eighth grade.
    3. The “Hand over hand” steering technique that they tried to teach me in driver’s ed. (Maybe I do use this sometimes, but I never think about the way I steer…I just drive!)
    4. MLA stuff. This one isn’t exactly true, because I did continue to use it during my first few semesters of college. However, upon getting into my major, I switched to APA, which I like better. When you are writing quickly, it’s so much easier to remember that Allen (2013) said something, rather than remember that this thing was said by Allen on page 11. I thought it was odd that they did not endeavor to teach us both systems in high school. English class focused on MLA, which made sense, but so did all the other teachers, with the exception of one science teacher my freshman year who requested APA formatting.
    5. Factoring and the quadratic equation. Again, people who had to take more than two math courses in college probably use this. I do not.
    6. Strategies to say “no” to drugs. I do not believe I have ever been offered drugs. Where are all these people that were supposed to be offering kids drugs all the time?

2. Things teachers told me I would use that I did use

  1. The aforementioned resume formatting site
  2. Library research skills, especially the online databases
  3. Typing (Although I didn’t learn it when I took the class, I just kind of picked up on it later, and my form is terrible.)
  4. Writing a business letter. (And a resume!)
  5. The metric system. I don’t remember if I was explicitly told “You will use this” or not, but every science class uses it, and it’s just good to be familiar with the system. I know I have needed to convert metric units a lot more than I have needed to convert customary units.
  6. A number of writing strategies. Tenth and eleventh grade were especially productive years because I was required to write a rough draft in 40 minutes.

3. Things nobody expected me to use that I used anyway

  1. Chemistry splash goggles. I bought a pair for a class and keep them around now in case I need to deal with cleaning chemicals that sting my eyes or such things.
  2.  Standardized test skills. Dealing with computer screens or bubble sheets for a long time is a skill, as is the particular style of question that shows up on the tests.
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  1. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    WillowSpring (View Comment):
    Maybe the most useful skill was reading upside down. I have written about this before, but to make a long story short, I was doing a science project to investigate the rate of learning. I was the only subject I had, so I had to pick something that I didn’t know which could be quantified. Obviously, I should spend time in Shop Class reading children’s books (gotta start somewhere) upside down with a stopwatch in my hand. I have to admit that that skill was useful for a long time.

    I got a math book in college where it was misbound with the cover on upside down. So I would turn it so the cover was right and the text upside down and backwards and read it that way. The fun part would be when someone asked me a question or looked over my shoulder.

    • #91
  2. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    JoelB (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    JoelB (View Comment):

    I just remember something I learned from my elementary school music teacher and still use almost every day. the mnemonic for notes on the musical staff:

    Piano Staff, read the notes easier? [Solved]/Trash My Thread]

    Only difference here was I remembered the lines on the bass cleff staff by Great Big Dogs Fight Animals. We gringos did not know what a burrito was back then

    All cows eat grass.

    Yes, I knew that one too. Probably in vogue before there were cars.

    You calling me old? 👴

    • #92
  3. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    WillowSpring (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I memorized out to where I figured was a good point and that wouldn’t need to be rounded up.

    Just end the recitation with “and so on…”

    I usually go with 3.14 “and so on.”

    • #93
  4. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    WillowSpring (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I memorized out to where I figured was a good point and that wouldn’t need to be rounded up.

    Just end the recitation with “and so on…”

    I usually go with 3.14 “and so on.”

    Spoken like a real slide-rule user.  :-)

    • #94
  5. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    WillowSpring (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I memorized out to where I figured was a good point and that wouldn’t need to be rounded up.

    Just end the recitation with “and so on…”

    I usually go with 3.14 “and so on.”

    A little scanty.

    • #95
  6. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    WillowSpring (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I memorized out to where I figured was a good point and that wouldn’t need to be rounded up.

    Just end the recitation with “and so on…”

    I usually go with 3.14 “and so on.”

    A little scanty.

    “Close enough for government work?”

    aka:

    Measure it with a micrometer.

    Mark it with a grease pencil.

    Cut it with an axe.

    • #96
  7. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    Arahant (View Comment):

    JoelB (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    JoelB (View Comment):

    I just remember something I learned from my elementary school music teacher and still use almost every day. the mnemonic for notes on the musical staff:

    Piano Staff, read the notes easier? [Solved]/Trash My Thread]

    Only difference here was I remembered the lines on the bass cleff staff by Great Big Dogs Fight Animals. We gringos did not know what a burrito was back then

    All cows eat grass.

    Yes, I knew that one too. Probably in vogue before there were cars.

    You calling me old? 👴

    Every Good Boy Deserves Favour

     

     

    • #97
  8. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    WillowSpring (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I memorized out to where I figured was a good point and that wouldn’t need to be rounded up.

    Just end the recitation with “and so on…”

    I usually go with 3.14 “and so on.”

    A little scanty.

    “Close enough for government work?”

    aka:

    Measure it with a micrometer.

    Mark it with a grease pencil.

    Cut it with an axe.

    LOL.

    • #98
  9. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    WillowSpring (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I memorized out to where I figured was a good point and that wouldn’t need to be rounded up.

    Just end the recitation with “and so on…”

    I usually go with 3.14 “and so on.”

    A little scanty.

    It works fine when you’re figuring out the amount of concrete in a 42″ diameter by 15 foot deep hole.

    • #99
  10. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    WillowSpring (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I memorized out to where I figured was a good point and that wouldn’t need to be rounded up.

    Just end the recitation with “and so on…”

    I usually go with 3.14 “and so on.”

    A little scanty.

    It works fine when you’re figuring out the amount of concrete in a 42″ diameter by 15 foot deep hole.

    Yeah, but you still write down volume to 2 decimals.  Because.

    • #100
  11. JoelB Member
    JoelB
    @JoelB

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    JoelB (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    JoelB (View Comment):

    I just remember something I learned from my elementary school music teacher and still use almost every day. the mnemonic for notes on the musical staff:

    Piano Staff, read the notes easier? [Solved]/Trash My Thread]

    Only difference here was I remembered the lines on the bass cleff staff by Great Big Dogs Fight Animals. We gringos did not know what a burrito was back then

    All cows eat grass.

    Yes, I knew that one too. Probably in vogue before there were cars.

    You calling me old? 👴

    Every Good Boy Deserves Favour

    The Brit version, I presume.

    • #101
  12. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    WillowSpring (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I memorized out to where I figured was a good point and that wouldn’t need to be rounded up.

    Just end the recitation with “and so on…”

    I usually go with 3.14 “and so on.”

    A little scanty.

    It works fine when you’re figuring out the amount of concrete in a 42″ diameter by 15 foot deep hole.

    Yeah, but you still write down volume to 2 decimals. Because.

    Actually, I round off to the nearest cubic yard.

    • #102
  13. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    WillowSpring (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I memorized out to where I figured was a good point and that wouldn’t need to be rounded up.

    Just end the recitation with “and so on…”

    I usually go with 3.14 “and so on.”

    A little scanty.

    It works fine when you’re figuring out the amount of concrete in a 42″ diameter by 15 foot deep hole.

    Yeah, but you still write down volume to 2 decimals. Because.

    Actually, I round off to the nearest cubic yard.

    I hope you mean round UP.  Because you probably can’t add more later, if it’s not enough.

    • #103
  14. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    WillowSpring (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I memorized out to where I figured was a good point and that wouldn’t need to be rounded up.

    Just end the recitation with “and so on…”

    I usually go with 3.14 “and so on.”

    A little scanty.

    It works fine when you’re figuring out the amount of concrete in a 42″ diameter by 15 foot deep hole.

    Yeah, but you still write down volume to 2 decimals. Because.

    Actually, I round off to the nearest cubic yard.

    I hope you mean round UP. Because you probably can’t add more later, if it’s not enough.

    We have 15% waste built in, so I’m OK rounding down.  Besides, the superintendents figure the quantities themselves, so they don’t use my figures.

    • #104
  15. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    WillowSpring (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I memorized out to where I figured was a good point and that wouldn’t need to be rounded up.

    Just end the recitation with “and so on…”

    I usually go with 3.14 “and so on.”

    A little scanty.

    “Close enough for government work?”

    aka:

    Measure it with a micrometer.

    Mark it with a grease pencil.

    Cut it with an axe.

    Close enough for rock and roll. Too much paperwork in government work.

    • #105
  16. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Randy Webster (View Comment):
    It works fine when you’re figuring out the amount of concrete in a 42″ diameter by 15 foot deep hole.

    About 5-⅓ yards.

    • #106
  17. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    WillowSpring (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I memorized out to where I figured was a good point and that wouldn’t need to be rounded up.

    Just end the recitation with “and so on…”

    I usually go with 3.14 “and so on.”

    A little scanty.

    It works fine when you’re figuring out the amount of concrete in a 42″ diameter by 15 foot deep hole.

    Yeah, but you still write down volume to 2 decimals. Because.

    Actually, I round off to the nearest cubic yard.

    That seems more functional and technically correct, but… maybe it’s just me.

    • #107
  18. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Actually, I round off to the nearest cubic yard.

    That seems more functional and technically correct, but… maybe it’s just me.

    Never had a real job, eh? 😁

    • #108
  19. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Actually, I round off to the nearest cubic yard.

    That seems more functional and technically correct, but… maybe it’s just me.

    Never had a real job, eh? 😁

    No, when I’m off duty I pretend everything to 2 additional significant digits just because — I get 20.004 mpg — just to be “accurate”.  When I’m at work, I am required to deal with thousands of a thing and precision is a requirement.

    • #109
  20. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Actually, I round off to the nearest cubic yard.

    That seems more functional and technically correct, but… maybe it’s just me.

    Never had a real job, eh? 😁

    No, when I’m off duty I pretend everything to 2 additional significant digits just because — I get 20.004 mpg — just to be “accurate”. When I’m at work, I am required to deal with thousands of a thing and precision is a requirement.

    That extra 21.12 feet per gallon is important!  It’s the difference between getting into the garage, or stopping on the driveway!  Or in the street!

    • #110
  21. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Actually, I round off to the nearest cubic yard.

    That seems more functional and technically correct, but… maybe it’s just me.

    Never had a real job, eh? 😁

    No, when I’m off duty I pretend everything to 2 additional significant digits just because — I get 20.004 mpg — just to be “accurate”. When I’m at work, I am required to deal with thousands of a thing and precision is a requirement.

    That extra 21.12 feet per gallon is important! It’s the difference between getting into the garage, or stopping on the driveway! Or in the street!

    Yeah.  I play that game.  I’m a loose cannon.

    • #111
  22. Dill Inactive
    Dill
    @Dill

    philo (View Comment):

    WillowSpring (View Comment):

    Limestone Cowboy (View Comment):
    And my old Keuffel & Esser stubbornly refuses to retire.

    I was in Engineering school during the transition from slide rules to calculators. I think a lot was lost. With a slide rule, you had to keep track of the magnitude of the answer, but with a calculator or a spread-sheet, I think the response is to just accept the answer, missing finding any typos.

    And don’t get me started on significant digits.

    Wait..is that why I always have so much trouble with significant digits? Because it’s a system designed for slide rules, not calculators? (I had to use significant digits in a couple chem classes)

    • #112
  23. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Dill (View Comment):

    philo (View Comment):

    WillowSpring (View Comment):

    Limestone Cowboy (View Comment):
    And my old Keuffel & Esser stubbornly refuses to retire.

    I was in Engineering school during the transition from slide rules to calculators. I think a lot was lost. With a slide rule, you had to keep track of the magnitude of the answer, but with a calculator or a spread-sheet, I think the response is to just accept the answer, missing finding any typos.

    And don’t get me started on significant digits.

    Wait..is that why I always have so much trouble with significant digits? Because it’s a system designed for slide rules, not calculators? (I had to use them in a couple chem classes)

    I suppose that might be where it started, but it applies in other places too.  Any time you’re doing calculations with a certain amount of precision on the input, whether by hand or using a calculator or computer, it’s probably not valid to assume more precision on the result than you started with.

     

    • #113
  24. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Dill (View Comment):
    Wait..is that why I always have so much trouble with significant digits? Because it’s a system designed for slide rules, not calculators? (I had to use significant digits in a couple chem classes)

    No, it’s a system for determining how accurate you can really measure and calculate things. The modern computer lies with its precision.

    • #114
  25. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):
    It works fine when you’re figuring out the amount of concrete in a 42″ diameter by 15 foot deep hole.

    About 5-⅓ yards.

    You’re not allowing for waste.  A little over 6 yards.

    • #115
  26. Ontheleftcoast Inactive
    Ontheleftcoast
    @Ontheleftcoast

    What with my math and chemistry TAs in college plus a couple of professors, I learned to understand technical and scientific English spoken with heavy Japanese, Chinese, Spanish (from Mexican to Peruvian,) Indian, Greek, Russian, German, Farsi, Arabic, and one or two other accents I don’t recall offhand. Texan, too.

    Plus my Chinese roommates who tried to teach me to swear in Cantonese; all were multigenerational ABC but one of the rural kids spoke as if, as the city kid put it, he was fresh off the boat.

    Most of them were fluent English speakers with accents, but I had a Russian class in which the professor’s fifth language was English (first was Lithuanian, second was Russian) and when she couldn’t get the word, spoke German to a Swiss student and between them they would figure it out.

    • #116
  27. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):
    It works fine when you’re figuring out the amount of concrete in a 42″ diameter by 15 foot deep hole.

    About 5-⅓ yards.

    You’re not allowing for waste. A little over 6 yards.

    Yeah, I saw the 15% comment later.

    • #117
  28. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):
    It works fine when you’re figuring out the amount of concrete in a 42″ diameter by 15 foot deep hole.

    About 5-⅓ yards.

    You’re not allowing for waste. A little over 6 yards.

    Yeah, I saw the 15% comment later.

    It gets worse:  for concrete poured against earth, it’s 15% waste, for slabs on grade, 7% waste, for concrete in forms, 5% waste, for slabs on metal deck, 20% waste (to allow for the deflection of the joists under the weight of the concrete).

    • #118
  29. Ontheleftcoast Inactive
    Ontheleftcoast
    @Ontheleftcoast

    Flicker (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Actually, I round off to the nearest cubic yard.

    That seems more functional and technically correct, but… maybe it’s just me.

    Never had a real job, eh? 😁

    No, when I’m off duty I pretend everything to 2 additional significant digits just because — I get 20.004 mpg — just to be “accurate”. When I’m at work, I am required to deal with thousands of a thing and precision is a requirement.

    That extra 21.12 feet per gallon is important! It’s the difference between getting into the garage, or stopping on the driveway! Or in the street!

    Yeah. I play that game. I’m a loose cannon.

    I prefer to buy my gasoline in cold weather when it’s denser. You get more miles for your money that way.

    • #119
  30. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Ontheleftcoast (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Actually, I round off to the nearest cubic yard.

    That seems more functional and technically correct, but… maybe it’s just me.

    Never had a real job, eh? 😁

    No, when I’m off duty I pretend everything to 2 additional significant digits just because — I get 20.004 mpg — just to be “accurate”. When I’m at work, I am required to deal with thousands of a thing and precision is a requirement.

    That extra 21.12 feet per gallon is important! It’s the difference between getting into the garage, or stopping on the driveway! Or in the street!

    Yeah. I play that game. I’m a loose cannon.

    I prefer to buy my gasoline in cold weather when it’s denser. You get more miles for your money that way.

    At least in some places with significant swings of temperatures, stations have to use pumps that adjust for temperature.

    • #120
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