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Useless: History. I now have a real appreciation for history and I take the of time to try to understand how our history transpired. But, that is not due to high school history.
Useful: Auto mechanics, math (all courses), English (grudgingly), but most of all - physics.
Ok, I have owned a very long series of troublesome vehicles and I use my mechanical skills almost daily. Physics came naturally to me - I don't know why - and, together with the math that it took to grasp the physics, it has become the core of my world view and understanding.
Earth and Environmental Science - We had already learned plate tectonics, weather patterns, climate change, etc. in middle school. No idea why the people who made the curriculum wanted us to learn it all over again.
Useful:
English - I didn't realize it at the time, but learning how to write concisely and argue coherently is one of the most useful skills I was taught in high school. All that literary analysis and those rhetorical figures paid off nicely in the end.
Spanish - This class actually improved my English grammar a lot and helped me understand the various tenses and parts of speech that make up a language.
Civics - I think it's vital that people know how our government works, especially at the state and local level, which many people probably aren't very familiar with.
Theory of Knowledge - an IB course that was offered by application to a handful of non-IB students (including myself). It took my writing and critical thinking to a new level, making college a much easier transition for me. The teacher was phenomenal and taught us not only the subject matter, but reframed the way in which we learned and thought about learning.
Spanish - I went to Spanish 7/AP Spanish Literature and went on to take more in college, minoring in the ever-useful Latin American studies and even living for a few months in Mexico. French (I got to French 3) was useful, but more in understanding how the English language works and reinforcing concepts in Spanish.
Useless
Most of my science courses were taught by horrific teachers who neither taught the concepts well nor made any real-world connection with the concepts. It's frustrating because I actually really enjoy the sciences, but all love for science was killed in high school. Now as an adult, I'm going back and learning the concepts on my own.
To those deriding the mathematics classes and claiming they are useless:
Doing things you find difficult is how you get better at things. While you don't necessarily need to get better at mathematics, facing problems, exercising your brain and finding solutions to problems (not necessary math problems) is a good thing. It keeps your mind sharp. Otherwise, the first time you hit a roadblock in life, you'll just throw up your hands and give up.
Wouldn't this also apply to nonmathematical subjects that various people also find difficult and distasteful, though? Considering mathematical problems is not the only way of keeping one's mind sharp.
useless- Phys Ed or Gym if you will, a monumental waste of time
useful- I did terribly in it and I recall it to be one of the first years they we're introduced into High Schools in our area. The TRS 80 or "Trash 80"...it was Computer Programming and nobody used the term "internet" or ".com" then.
Most Useless - Animal Science. Weird thing was I was so excited to take it. I felt I knew more than the teacher. I cannot wait to take it again in College. It was a good class and I enjoyed the subject, BUT I guess the teacher was just too horrible for me to actually feel like I accomplished something. Half the time I felt the need to get up and teach the class.
High school english classes were always pointless. I enjoyed most of my English teachers but it really was pointless. I know how to read, write and spell correctly. I don't need to spend an hour reading some stupid ancient play or poem. I don't feel anymore cultured from it.
Most Useful - Agriculture Leadership and FFA classes. We did a lot of things relevant to real-life career skills and I think it helped me a decent amount.
1. Typing - Hated it at the time, but I can't think of anything else I use more frequently.
2. Intro to Accounting - I learned enough that I could have started my first real job without college.
Most Useful: Business Law by far, followed by Tech Prep Alg-Geo. The only math class I ever completely understood. I wished all math could by taught in that format.
Least Useful: Creative Writing, but it was a lot of fun.
Useful - typing. I thought this would be stupid, but my brothers and sister convinced me to stick it out. I am now a computer programmer/analyst and have also held the title of software engineer. My mad typing skills got me employment!
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