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What was the subject you learnt at school that you never had to use in life?

(187 Posts)
Evie64 Thu 15-Aug-19 03:04:38

I spent (after various other jobs) over 20 years working in Primary Care as a manager. Did I ever use what I learnt and studied so hard for in O level exams? e.g. geometry, algebra, biology, physics, chemistry, sin/cosin & tan (whatever the hell they were?), geography, history, RE, cookery etc. I used maths and english mostly, although I love geography and history and english literature, but it had no bearing on my career choice. The cookery came in handy, but what school subjects have we all taken but never used again since we left?

paddyanne Sun 31-May-20 00:28:23

RE I won the religious education prize every year for 7 years ,sideswiped religion as soon as I left school apart from for work situations ie.weddings .

Callistemon Sun 31-May-20 10:23:26

pottery
Why did my school never offer anything remotely interesting like that?

maddyone Sun 31-May-20 11:15:05

Callistemon
I did pottery in the sixth form along with my A levels. We were required to take another ‘interest’ subject. I chose pottery because my best friend chose it. I hadn’t any interest in it, but worse, I couldn’t make pots for toffee. I remember learning about Josiah Wedgewood and not much else. I also remember going on a trip to look at pots somewhere, possibly a museum. I much preferred my chosen A level subjects.

henetha Sun 31-May-20 11:16:39

Algebra. Who needs it except certain professions?

annodomini Sun 31-May-20 11:34:46

Calculus. After the mock Maths exam, which I failed, I was relieved to be moved into a lower Maths set. I was never quite sure what it was and why I needed to know about it. I sailed through Lower Maths - this was Scotland in the '50s - and never needed to look at a Maths book again.

Callistemon Sun 31-May-20 14:41:06

My nearest to doing any pot throwing was going round the Wedgewood factory and watching them work, maddyone.

It's something I've often thought of doing but never got around to. I do like pottery and china.

maddyone Sun 31-May-20 14:52:07

I think watching them work in the Wedgewood factory might just have raised a modicum of interest Callistemon although I can’t be sure to be honest. Now however, I would love a visit to watch them making Wedgewood. I enjoyed watching diamond cutters in Amsterdam when we went, that was incredibly interesting. Not sure I’d have been interested in that either though at seventeen.

Callistemon Sun 31-May-20 15:00:21

I suppose diamonds, not pots, are a girl's best friend, maddyone

wink

maddyone Sun 31-May-20 15:01:25

Callistemon indeed smile

Barmeyoldbat Sun 31-May-20 15:44:15

My education was interesting. My dad was in the forces and we were for ever moving around and going to different school, sometimes it was just 6 weeks somewhere. So my education in maths never really took off. Everywhere we went the maths class was just doing what I had just done! and so I am excellent at fractions but anything else is a no no.
I would say cross country running was the one thing that was useless to me.

Eloethan Sun 31-May-20 16:58:25

I suppose all subjects have some use, provided you know what that use is. I always thought equations, geometry, etc, etc, were unnecessary and useless - sbecause their very real practical applications were never explained or demonstrated.

I don't really remember anything from physics and chemistry - but I think that is down to me not being very quick on the uptake and therefore rationalising my lack of understanding and engagement by seeing them as pointless subjects.