As I have grown up, I’ve learned. As I’ve learned, I’ve come to the realization that the concepts and topics that we are taught in school aren’t always the ones we will be able to apply to our lives.
Often, the information I’m supposed to be learning for the first time feels redundant; I can usually make the association between what I’m learning now and what I learned in middle school.
Other times, however, the information will feel brand new simply because of how the material is presented. This can be through the works of paperback textbooks, online video lessons, and even hands-on learning.
From numbering the lines in iambic pentameters (a poetic device often brought up in English) to understanding the significance of the sigma (𝝨) notation in my PreCalculus class, it’s no surprise to me that the multitude of topics we learn in school have slowly started to coincide and relate with each other.
Other connections that I’ve made are in the two history courses I took in my junior year: Honors International Relations and Advanced Placement World History (WHAP).
By learning about the fundamentals of the United Nations in the Model UN class, and realizing the vital role of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in world affairs, I finally reached a consensus.
Even though students sometimes might not retain the lessons they learn after the point of examination, that shouldn’t automatically label the coursework as “useless.”
Sure, we may never understand why we have to write proofs in Geometry or read Shakespeare in AP Literature, but it certainly can’t be an aspect of life that we lose track of time thinking about. This is why I am suggesting a more optimistic approach to how we perceive academics through the use of reliable resources that have helped me become more of a brainiac outside of school.
The Daily
Pretty much anything that I hear about being cited in The New York Times is truly remarkable because I know that what I’m listening to is being fact-checked.
Whether I’m getting ready to get out of the house or mindlessly scrolling through social media, podcasts are essential to my everyday life. The New York Times newspaper, along with the company’s Instagram and podcast on Spotify, have got you covered on all news related to current events.
Central News Network 10 (CNN 10)
Anyone who was a fellow freshman in the Forest Hills district is well aware of what this news channel is. Although it pains me to say that Carl Azuz—the original news anchor of the show—is no longer hosting it, the show continues to provide informative pieces about world events that I still listen to today.
Technology Entertainment Design Talks (TED Talks)
When I first began high school, in most of my English classes, we would analyze TED talks on YouTube to learn more about the perspective of the speaker. By having group discussions about these public speakers, it was truly encouraging to just sit amid their words as they shed a beacon of light for their audience.
Technology Entertainment Design Education (TED-Ed)
Another YouTube channel not used as commonly as I would have guessed is the TED-Ed channel. It has beautiful visuals that depict what lesson the video is conveying and is also an amazing way for students to unlock the curious parts of their brains.
Crash Course
Another amazing YouTube channel I love to utilize for both its visual appeal and credibility is Crash Course, which is run by two American entrepreneurs Hank and John Green. Their YouTube videos make learning peculiarly fun and have been a consistent study source that I’ve utilized throughout my high school experience. However, one thing I will add is to not get Crash Course mixed up with Crash Course Kids.
So, as you can see, even though we’re not always going to retain what we learn in school, it doesn’t mean we can’t apply it to real life. There are still ways to incorporate it into your life without always feeling like you’re on a never-ending cycle of just learning unimportant facts and useless statistics.
