My education has been something I’ve always valued. Literally, on the first day of kindergarten, I walked right up to my teacher and said, “I’m Emily Motta, and I’m here to learn.”
No matter what, that has always been my attitude when it comes to school. After all, I am extremely fortunate to live in a country where everyone, especially girls, can receive an education.
Perhaps it’s my feelings on education or my upbringing, but it always has frustrated me whenever I hear someone complaining about school, especially when it comes to their classes.
“This is pointless. When am I ever going to use this in real life?”
“Take *this* class, they said. It will be fun, they said.”
“This is a waste of my time.”
“I’ll never use these stupid gen-eds.”
These complaints are just something I absolutely cannot stand. I hated it in high school, and I hate it even more in college because someone is paying literally thousands of dollars just to whine about “stupid, pointless” classes.
After all, there are people far less fortunate who would do literally anything to receive an education, and here is somebody whining because they think certain classes like women’s studies or English or sociology are a waste of their time.
I have to hold my tongue every time I hear some variation of this, lest I lash out and tell them exactly what I think of their complaints. Well, I guess after thirteen years, I’ve finally had enough.
If you’re one of these people and don’t want to be in your “pointless” classes, then don’t be! Nobody is forcing you to stay. You’re an adult. You have a choice. It’s your money, it’s your life, and you’re the one who has to suffer the consequences of your choices.
But let me tell you, there is no such thing as a pointless class. There is something valuable in every single class at every high school and college throughout the world: knowledge.
Knowledge is never “pointless” or “a waste of time."
These classes that are commonly dismissed as “pointless” and “a waste of time” are the classes that make people into well-rounded individuals.
You can take aspects from every class and use them in your life. For example, your college composition class is helping you 1) learn how to use English — a language that almost every American speaks — properly, and 2) learn how to argue effectively.
A women’s studies class or an African American studies course highlights the histories and struggles of two marginalized groups of people. And after all, you are probably going to interact with both groups sometime during your professional and personal life, unless you decide to live as a recluse in the wilderness of Siberia or something.
Foreign languages and music classes develop your critical thinking skills.
Sociology and psychology teach you about culture and human behavior.
Natural sciences help you understand the world you live in.
History teaches you about the past so you can take your part in helping humanity avoid the mistakes of the past (such as the horrific consequences of nationalism and fascism, which have started to make a comeback in Europe and the U.S. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want a repeat of WWII).
And of course, in many of these classes, you learn how to get along with people you may not like, how to handle viewpoints you don’t agree with maturely, how to develop your study habits for future classes that pertain to your major, and how to deal with doing something that you may not want to do.
Knowledge is the ultimate power, and the diversified knowledge and skills that these classes give you not only help you in your professional life, but they always help you become a better person and citizen.
You’re not just going to be a nurse or a lawyer or a teacher or an accountant or a chemist 24/7, are you? You are going to have a life outside of your occupation and you are going to live in and interact with society.
These “pointless, waste of time” classes are going to be what helps you in your everyday life outside of your career.
And remember that there are thousands of people out there that would give anything to be in your position — even their lives. So, consider yourself fortunate to even be sitting in your women’s studies class in the first place.
The pursuit of knowledge is never a waste of your time.
