Can I use Quadratic Equations to figure out how to boil an egg?

We spend so much of our lives in school, yet how much knowledge do we retain? There are things we learn that every functioning adult needs to know, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, basic algebra, reading, vocabulary, grammar, spelling, biology and history. There are also things we learn that I bet 95% of us do not use- such as trigonometry, calculus, really advanced long division and geometry (nope, no one ever asked me to prove a square was actually a square).

And then there is gym! Why are gym classes solely focused on sports? What about aerobics, running/jogging, weight training, ballet, hip hop, salsa or yoga? I don't think its wrong we are taught about sports but all the competition it causes is unnecessary. And instead of making everyone participate in team basketball games, why not first learn the rules of the game, watch some ACTUAL games where professionals play and then play a handful of games? Sure, some of us go on to be football legends and it all started when we first played in school. But you know what? Some of us might like to become professional dancers or yoga instructors too.

There are so many 20-somethings that finish college, have a law degree, get a job with a prestigious firm but can't boil an egg. Said 20-something gets own apartment and their life falls apart. Why not teach cooking classes? A real world finance class? A basic home repair class? Driving? But no, the Board of Ed. leaves these things up to the parents. To them, its right along with music lessons or swimming. Newsflash, not all parents know how to do these things, have the time to teach them or just don't want to. If we had more "life" classes a college grad would know how to find the right price for an apartment, how not to have bad credit, how to shop sensibly, how to balance their checkbook, how to budget, how to buy simple items to make meals that are healthier than takeout, how to drive in case they get a job where travel is required and how to replace broken knobs in their kitchens.

And whatever happened to vocational high schools? Why aren't ALL high schools career oriented? Why not offer computer certification classes or paralegal classes with required internships? This way, if the student decides to go on this same career path, they will already have a knowledge base. If they don't go to college right away, at least they can have a job that's better than being a cashier. Or, if they do start college they can get a decent job while training in a different field.