Re:Math Problems for children from 5 to 15 (2004) [pdf]
by scotty79 on Monday July 19, 2021 @03:23PM
(#27886340)
If you don't use something you are at risk of not retaining it at all.
About 10 years after I got my masters degree I browsed through some notes made during my studies. I was very surprised to find out that it's not that I don't remember some things, I didn't remember if I ever learned them.
Not sure why Physics, Chemistry and Biology stuck with you. I'm sure I don't remember 90% of history, geography, literature and many, many things.
What stuck for me are things that I was learning myself anyways. Math, physics, chemistry, a bit of biology. Same way I retained a bit of electronics even though school never attempted to teach me that. The rest went to hell and I don't regret a single thing forgotten from primary school and high school.
Curriculum for such young humans is aimed at keeping little buggers from annoying their parent for x hours a day, not for usability and future retention.
Kids don't even need decades to forget this stuff. I vividly remember coming back to school after summer break and knowing I forgot everything I learned last year and feeling safe because I'll most likely have no use for that information this year or later (except for math because it's the only thing in school that can be learned only on the foundation of simpler math that you need to learn earlier and retain).
About 10 years after I got my masters degree I browsed through some notes made during my studies. I was very surprised to find out that it's not that I don't remember some things, I didn't remember if I ever learned them.
Not sure why Physics, Chemistry and Biology stuck with you. I'm sure I don't remember 90% of history, geography, literature and many, many things.
What stuck for me are things that I was learning myself anyways. Math, physics, chemistry, a bit of biology. Same way I retained a bit of electronics even though school never attempted to teach me that. The rest went to hell and I don't regret a single thing forgotten from primary school and high school.
Curriculum for such young humans is aimed at keeping little buggers from annoying their parent for x hours a day, not for usability and future retention.
Kids don't even need decades to forget this stuff. I vividly remember coming back to school after summer break and knowing I forgot everything I learned last year and feeling safe because I'll most likely have no use for that information this year or later (except for math because it's the only thing in school that can be learned only on the foundation of simpler math that you need to learn earlier and retain).