Certain studies suggest many students fail to remember things they learned during high school quickly after graduating. This loss of knowledge begs the question whether or not the information is useful for graduates to begin with. Everything students learn in high school serves a purpose after graduation, whether it is directly or indirectly.

The point could also be argued one subject may hold more value than the other in the real world, which is only true to an extent. For example, one might say math is the most useful subject as it helps when working with money in the future; however, it is also important to have a good grasp on things like communication and law, which is where subjects such as English and history enter the scene.

A big part of why everything learned in high school is important is each subject provides a unique perspective when looking at a problem. English, history, math and science all have their own unique framework for tackling an issue. These methods of thinking can help a person tremendously in their life.

Returning to the importance of math after graduation, a large component of its significance stems from the ability to work with finances in terms of budgeting, taxes and one’s career. Math also teaches logical reasoning, for it shows the outcome of one plus one will always be two, so if someone approaches something the exact same way every time, then nothing different will occur.

Similarly to math, science teaches an analytical, problem solving focused mindset to students. In a chemistry class, a student might be asked to identify an unknown substance by observing its qualities and comparing them to those of a known substance. This type of activity teaches students how to perform a methodical, problem solving process through the analysis of new and old information as well as deductive reasoning.

Separate from individual education, history is an important part of society as a whole, so it’s only logical that it is important to individuals as well. History reminds people of their roots and why the world is the way it is, this allows people to improve their lives relative to how certain parts of history happened.

In relation to history, civics and other government related subjects can help students to better understand how the world is structured politically and legally. In civics, students learn about why many laws are in place today, and what they mean on an individual level.

English is also very important to study for its own reasons. It’s the most spoken language in the US, which makes it a useful thing to develop as a skill and eventually master. English class can also help students develop analytical skills through text dependent analysis. In a text dependent analysis, a student must make a statement regarding a particular topic or prompt which must then be backed up with evidence from the text. This process is used almost identically in the real world when trying to argue any point or ask an in depth question.

It is commonly argued that English is useless in the real world, which is a vastly incorrect statement. It has been said beyond basic English skills, a person will not need to know about things like poetry, Greek mythology, and book studies. While these things might not be of great importance in a directly practical sense, they do provide a unique outlook on the world, both literally and philosophically.

Most high school students are required to take a foreign language class at some level during their education. It is important for students to take a foreign language class as it helps understanding of world culture. In my experience, learning Spanish has also given me a new perspective on the English language in terms of structure, organization, and the linguistic origins of both languages.

It should also be noted that if a student wishes to go to college after high school, almost everything they learned in high school will be prevalent in some way. Many college courses require students to take classes related to English, math, or a science as they are important to form a student’s academic backbone.

It is important for high school graduates to retain much of the information presented to them during high school. It will not only help in day to day life, but with a person’s understanding of the world around them in its entirety. High school subjects teach not only the information directly pertaining to the topic, but also a thought process that will help throughout people’s entire lives.