You’re hunched over your desk, struggling through a packet of trig identity problems. Exasperated, you turn to your teacher and exclaim, “I’m never going to use this in real life.”
And the truth is, you’re probably right. Most Liberty students will barely use multiplication and division once they graduate, much less advanced trigonometry. In fact, according to a study by Northeastern University, only 22% of American workers use math that’s more complicated than basic fractions and percentages. And these conclusions are true for most subjects: upon entering the workforce, Patriots will likely never need to calculate a net ionic equation, contemplate the meaning of Shakespearian prose, or recall the circumstances for European expansion. Why are students encouraged to take courses that have limited relevance once they graduate?
First of all, the most important outcome of taking these classes are the skills that you gain from the class, not necessarily the knowledge. Though these subjects might seem pointless, they teach us more than we expect. Math teaches us problem-solving. Science teaches us to question things. Literature teaches us to consider morals. Social Studies teaches us how people’s backgrounds impact their actions.
We always complain that high school does not prepare us for adult life. But, if you think that upon graduation, you will be able to concentrate on only the things that you find interesting, you’re mistaken. Once you get a job, you will have to complacently sit through things that bore you. Taking unrelated classes might be some of the best preparation that the school offers.
If Liberty didn’t require certain courses, we would have no incentive to acquire the knowledge and skills important for life as an informed citizen. Subjects that are unrelated to our interests expose us to material that benefits us, no matter what careers we end up choosing.