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Old 07-05-2015, 12:15 PM
 
Location: Northern Virginia
1,474 posts, read 2,283,842 times
Reputation: 3289

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How much pertinent information have you retained from grade school, high school?

Do you remember facts you learned once but have never used again?

For example, I was a whiz in higher mathematics even in college, I found it fascinating & fun. Have never had the opportunity to apply those skills to anything outside of those quick semester classes however, and now if you put those books in front of me I'd be learning it all over again from scratch. Haven't retained it.

This saddens me because we put in years of effort for the sake of education, yet the majority of our efforts aren't retained, save for the skills & info we use on a daily basis. Speaking, reading, writing, basic math, interesting facts that you'll always remember.

History, science...I barely scraped by in those classes simply by short term memory and passing tests. I found that information mostly dry and incomprehensible, but I made it through. Only now as an older adult do I have the freedom to study & learn as things interest me.

How much have you retained from your education?
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Old 07-05-2015, 12:31 PM
 
13,395 posts, read 13,408,281 times
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I've retained most of it and I use it regularly. Math, science, history, etc.
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Old 07-05-2015, 01:14 PM
 
Location: A coal patch in Pennsyltucky
10,263 posts, read 10,505,282 times
Reputation: 12559
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zelpha View Post
How much pertinent information have you retained from grade school, high school?

Do you remember facts you learned once but have never used again?

For example, I was a whiz in higher mathematics even in college, I found it fascinating & fun. Have never had the opportunity to apply those skills to anything outside of those quick semester classes however, and now if you put those books in front of me I'd be learning it all over again from scratch. Haven't retained it.

This saddens me because we put in years of effort for the sake of education, yet the majority of our efforts aren't retained, save for the skills & info we use on a daily basis. Speaking, reading, writing, basic math, interesting facts that you'll always remember.

History, science...I barely scraped by in those classes simply by short term memory and passing tests. I found that information mostly dry and incomprehensible, but I made it through. Only now as an older adult do I have the freedom to study & learn as things interest me.

How much have you retained from your education?
I'm not sure I understand your point. Are you saying you didn't pursue a career in a field where you excelled? Or are you saying that you really didn't learn much most subjects but managed to figure out how to get by? Is the goal of education to remember everything that you were ever taught?

I think beyond basic reading, writing and simple math, the point of education is to expand on the basic concepts such as learning to learn, reading to gain more in-depth understanding, and becoming a better communicator. Beyond that the goal to expose people to more advanced concepts to see who has the aptitude to learn more complex subjects such as advanced math, chemistry and physics. By the time they are a junior in high school, more people have a good idea whether they have the aptitude to become an engineer or go to medical school.
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Old 07-05-2015, 03:41 PM
 
Location: The analog world
17,077 posts, read 13,264,267 times
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I do not agree that the majority of our efforts are unretained.
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Old 07-05-2015, 03:52 PM
 
Location: Northern Virginia
1,474 posts, read 2,283,842 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by randomparent View Post
I do not agree that the majority of our efforts are unretained.
Hmm...maybe it's just me then. For example, I need to consult a dictionary/thesaurus almost daily for words I've heard and used so many times in the past, but still can't readily come up with them if not used on a daily basis and/or don't remember what they mean.

I basically don't retain anything scholastic that I don't use on a daily basis, or that hasn't been deeply burned into my memory.

I remember events, feelings, people. Academics? Not so much. I was a good student too.
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Old 07-05-2015, 03:58 PM
 
Location: Concord, CA
7,125 posts, read 9,197,293 times
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I've retained all of it and expand it daily by learning more each day. Although I'm now 65, I haven't forgotten anything. In fact, it's much easier now. I'm an electrical engineer and I use my technical knowledge every day. If I crack an "Intro to EE" textbook now, it's like reading a comic book.

I also learn new things daily. Education is a life long process.
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Old 07-05-2015, 04:12 PM
 
Location: California
37,043 posts, read 41,975,975 times
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I'm like you OP, I retained the basics BUT because I'm a reader I have learned a lot more since I finished school than I actually did while I was in school. I learned things I needed and wanted to know and most of THAT has stayed with me.

Some things from elementary school, like times tables, stuck even though I only memorized a couple numbers . Reading The Odyssey, Animal Farm and several things by Kurt Vonnegut in high school also left a lasting impression and continually pop into my head.
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Old 07-05-2015, 04:12 PM
 
Location: Northern Virginia
1,474 posts, read 2,283,842 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vision67 View Post
I've retained all of it and expand it daily by learning more each day. Although I'm now 65, I haven't forgotten anything.
So are you saying that you've retained every fact you've ever read in your history textbooks from grade school on?

Please be honest.
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Old 07-05-2015, 04:13 PM
 
Location: Northern Virginia
1,474 posts, read 2,283,842 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ceece View Post
I'm like you OP, I retained the basics BUT because I'm a reader I have learned a lot more since I finished school than I actually did while I was in school. I learned things I needed and wanted to know and most of THAT has stayed with me.

memorized a couple numbers are still in my brain. Reading The Odyssey, Animal Farm and several things by Kurt Vonnegut in high school also left a lasting impression and continually pop into my head.
Yes! That's exactly where I'm coming from. Thank you.
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Old 07-05-2015, 05:48 PM
 
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
7,665 posts, read 5,380,733 times
Reputation: 16102
To the original poster (Zelpha): You questioned the poster, Vision67's honesty. I don't know either of you; however, your suspiciousness of someone who claims to remember their education is unfair and misplaced.

At the risk of you questioning my veracity or abilities, I can honestly say that I have retained essentially all the information that I learned well the first time around, and I have expanded that knowledge over the years. I hesitate to mention my IQ, but it is extremely high, and I had exceptional teachers during my earliest years of education, so that I not only retain what I learned, but know how to learn new material very quickly.

I am also blessed with an extremely strong image-oriented memory and a couple of my former activities and some jobs (photography, journalism, memorization for dramatic and musical productions, computer programming, teaching communication, foreign languages, investing, extensive foreign travel and more) have added to my natural ability.

I had an extremely poor, alcoholic geometry teacher who was replaced with multiple substitutes, so our whole high school class goofed off and geometry remains a weakness.

Good teachers—great teachers—are very important to the quality of learning of everyone who had them, and I appreciate every one of them who graced my life.
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