Today, a wide variety of academic disciplines are taught in public schools - biology, physics, chemistry, algebra, literature, foreign languages, etc. - which should contribute to the formation of a harmonious and educated personality. But some scientists are confident that the list of compulsory school subjects should be completely different.
1. The Basics of Writing Fantasy Novels
If you ask any elementary school student, they will tell you that making up your own stories is fun. Many scientists argue that for better development of imaginative thinking, children should not only learn classical literature, but also learn to write books themselves.
2. Applied mechanics (invention)
In schools, as a rule, they teach abstract algebra and geometry, which few people will need in life. Most children find these subjects boring, since the course of study provides only bare theory. Surely, more people would begin to get involved in the exact sciences if they taught them through practical examples, while inventing various devices. Maybe there would be a new Leonardo da Vinci in the world.
3. Filmmaking
Some public schools have drama clubs, the attendance of which is optional and not compulsory. But in such circles they usually teach performing skills. Considering the pace at which the film industry is developing in the world, it would be worth teaching children how to make films or TV series. For example, one can only imagine how much more brilliant films Steven Spielberg would have made if he had received the appropriate education while still in school.
4. Latin
In the modern world, it is very important to know not only your native language. Latin is the basis of any Romance language. If you get at least basic knowledge of Latin at school, then it will be much easier to learn Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and French.
5. Multi-confessional theology
Upon graduating from public school or college, most young people have no idea about the intricacies of most of the world's major religions. In order not to prejudge the beliefs of other nationalities, it would be worthwhile to familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of each of them.
6. History of philosophy
Of course, we should be realistic and not rely on children being able to fully comprehend the complexity and abstraction of philosophical science. But the foundations of philosophy could be useful in everyday life: people would stop thinking too one-sidedly. All famous politicians were often guided in their work and decision-making by the works of such geniuses as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, Gautama, Sun Tzu and many others.
7. Sports
All schools have physical education classes designed to maintain children's overall physical fitness. It would be much more practical for children, in addition to running and jumping, to also learn the basics and rules of popular sports such as football or basketball.
8. Chess
Most people have a very vague idea of how different pieces move in chess. There are only 1000 international grandmasters worldwide. At the same time, absolutely all scientists admit that chess is an excellent tool for developing the mind. Professional chess players almost always perform better in the sciences, and are also much more diligent and have a more analytical mindset.
9. Music
There are music lessons in almost every school, but the knowledge that children receive is very fragmentary. For example, only a paragraph in a textbook may be devoted to Beethoven, and most high school students know nothing at all about Rachmaninoff. Classical music would clearly not be out of place in the school curriculum.
10. Martial arts
It would be a good idea to include the basics of teaching martial arts in physical education lessons so that children can protect themselves from bullies. Children could also gain greater self-confidence, which would help them later in life.
As soon as a person becomes an adult, he realizes that what he was taught at school was not at all what can be used in real life. In our previous review.
In today's article we will talk about the most difficult subjects that students have to study in universities. It is imperative that those young people who are just planning to enroll and do not yet really know what awaits them in the future should familiarize themselves with the information presented below. You can often hear disputes regarding which direction is more complex - humanitarian or technical. Adherents of each of them prove that they are right, without realizing that the correct answer simply does not exist. It all depends on the student’s abilities, as well as his preferences. This is what can explain the fact that for some a certain subject may be understandable on an intuitive level, for others it may be accompanied by a big question mark.
The most difficult subject
The concept of “the most difficult subject” can be called quite loose. Let’s first look at what “complicated” is. Most people associate this term with the concepts of “not easy” and “not easy.” That is, it is difficult to call a thing that is too abstruse or generally incomprehensible.
This is precisely where the ambiguity of this concept lies. After all, for one person a subject may seem simple, since he is able to quickly master it, but for another person the same subject will seem complex, due to the fact that he cannot understand it. In the first case, the student will immediately understand the basic principles of the discipline and take up its deeper study; in the second, over time the subject will seem more and more difficult to the student.
Therefore, it is necessary to understand once and for all one important idea: complex disciplines do not exist in principle. All the complexity arises from laziness, which prevents you from understanding the main aspects of the subject. A psychological reason also plays a big role, the essence of which is as follows: if others say that a subject is complex, then a person who has not even begun to study it automatically agrees with this on a subconscious level.
It is important right now to exclude from your vocabulary such a concept as “complex subject.” Remember - there are no difficult subjects. Each student can master any discipline if he listens carefully to lectures, writes down all the teacher’s explanations and conducts self-study.
A person gives himself a psychological setting regarding how to perceive an object: as easy or as difficult. If you initially treat literature as a complex and unnecessary discipline, then so be it. The situation is similar with mathematics, history and philosophy. Such an attitude will definitely lead to problems during the session.
But, if you immediately give yourself the right attitude, the subject will automatically cease to be difficult. The main thing is to stop listening to those around you, who, drowning in their laziness and incompetence, sow panic in the heads of other people.
Among those who read this article, there will definitely be people who will say: “Psychology is psychology, but in every university there are a number of subjects that cause difficulties for most students.” We will not argue with this, because these words are not without meaning.
Rating of the most difficult subjects
In order to make our rating as objective as possible, we turned to statistical data. Below you will read the results of a study that showed which subjects are most difficult for university students to study. We will not claim that our rating is absolutely correct, but it reflects the overall picture.
Each student can make his own list, or add some disciplines to an existing list. It is worth noting that some subjects may not be familiar to most readers at all. Be that as it may, the ranking of the most difficult subjects looks like this:
- Theoretical physics (for many students, even ordinary physics is something unreal and fantastic).
- Sopromat.
- Descriptive geometry (to master this subject you must have real talent).
- Higher mathematics (everything is clear here without further ado).
- Practice writing and speaking.
Of course, this list is very conditional. There are still a lot of disciplines, the very name of which can plunge many students into real horror.
Let's take a closer look at the discipline of higher mathematics. It is worth noting that this subject has to be studied not only by technicians, but also by humanists.
It’s not hard to guess that humanities students are luckier in this regard, since higher mathematics will get on their nerves for just one semester. But, as practice shows, the intricacy of higher mathematics is just a stereotype that is not supported by anything. Many humanities students claim that higher mathematics is no more difficult than the algebra they studied in graduate school.
As for specialties with an economic bias, students who choose them will have to study at the higher education level for at least two years. Without fail, they will solve transport problems and become familiar with the unique simplex method. Yes, there is nothing complicated in all this, but you still have to strain your brains.
But in the technical direction, a “tower” is something very scary and terrible. But, as a rule, people who have consciously chosen a technical specialty find higher mathematics easy. Many 5th year students solve tower problems like regular school problems.
Just a few paragraphs were enough to appreciate higher mathematics. As you can see, there is nothing complicated in this subject and, in order to master it, you must first of all start studying and listen carefully to the teacher.
Now we'll talk about the things that actually cause the most difficulty for students.
Independent living is the most difficult subject
Even the most abstruse and intricate scientific discipline is nothing compared to such a “subject” as independent life. No matter how banal it may sound, it is absolutely true. A young man passes final exams, enters a university and is faced with something that he most likely was not familiar with before - independent life. In order to master this “subject,” you need to go through a lot of disappointments and depression. This is precisely where its complexity lies.
The first thing to remember when mastering this “subject” is to never lose heart. Living independently is a series of challenges that must be overcome with your head held high. It is important to realize that there are no unsolvable problems, and a person is able to endure any challenge.
You can often hear the question: “But what to do when everything in life goes wrong?” It's very simple - you need to try to sleep. There is no need to invent anything and it is better to just have a good rest.
Are you struggling with some kind of discipline? Did you fail the exam? This, of course, is unpleasant, but how can such trifles compare with what people who lose loved ones or who have only a few hours to live experience? Therefore, you must always remember the following: problems will always pass, and they will only make you stronger.
If the problem seems really serious to you, try to evaluate it with a sober eye and then make a plan to solve it. It is important to act quickly and decisively, but not to panic or become depressed.
You should never refuse the help of family and friends. Only they are ready to accept us as we are.
Every student has subjects that are difficult for him. But with enough effort, any discipline can be mastered. It is important to first study such a subject as “life”, and after that, even quantum physics will seem ridiculously easy.
Answers (8):
I have chemistry. If I could somehow learn physics, at least a paragraph by heart, at least understand something, then chemistry was a complete zero. And I taught and studied, and all to no avail. At the economic level (acid plus alkali equals a reaction with the release of heat) I understand perfectly well. As a school subject - zero.
Despite an excellent teacher, the most difficult thing for me was drawing. And even if I eventually understood difficult physics or geometry, even the simple task of drawing an object from different positions caused me a stupor.
Drawing was actually not difficult for me, but physics was a dark forest. At that time there were no handouts or interactive whiteboards. There was an old TV in the classroom, and it didn’t work. I’m even wondering if my son is a physicist and how we will study now.
I was such a slacker at school, although I managed to study without C grades. Therefore, there were several subjects that seemed difficult for me. Yes, this includes drawing (I simply didn’t understand why we needed it, but I seemed to cope with grief), chemistry (the teacher, as it turned out, did not know how to explain anything), physics (I was simply not interested in this subject), computer science (the teacher did not focus on everyone, but only on those whom he prepared for Olympiads in his subject).
The most difficult subject for me at school was chemistry. I won’t say that our chemistry teacher was a bad teacher; she knew her subject well, but could not convey it to us. And I wasn’t the only one who didn’t understand chemistry.
For me, the most difficult subjects were geometry and drawing. I didn’t like these subjects and didn’t understand them. But I graduated from school with good grades in these subjects, the guys from my class helped me with drawing and solving problems.
Let me make a reservation right away - this is my personal opinion as an ex-schoolgirl and mother. Let it be subjective, but reasonable. It’s just a shame to watch how children and teachers spend a lot of energy, time and nerves on lessons that no one needs.
The school curriculum is such a thing that hundreds of copies have been broken. And it seems like they change it every year, the long-suffering one: they add one thing, then take away another. Sometimes they juggle with astronomy, sometimes they dance around Orthodoxy lessons with a tambourine. What do we really want from school? Give a person knowledge that will be useful to him in life? Fundamentals of comprehensive development? Interested in further study of the subject?
I remember my own studies. I know what my own daughter is being taught now. And I have my own ranking of the most useless school subjects.
1. Life safety - basics of life safety
This is an absolute hit. Just deciphering the abbreviation is worth it! She herself is discordant. And in the long form, it’s some kind of stillborn set of words. If you think about it, parents teach their children the basics of life safety. Do not climb into boiling water, do not grab a hot stove, correctly pass the knife and cross the road. What about at school? We had this subject taught by a former military man who enthusiastically told us how to behave during a nuclear explosion. Don’t behave in any way, you will die anyway. And me too. Moreover, like a real hipster with headphones, I will die without even understanding what happened. And knowing how to put on a gas mask correctly will not help at all.
No, knowledge of how to pump out a drowning person, how to wash pepper gas off your face or bandage your arms and legs will certainly come in handy. But military ranks memorized by heart (!) or the practice of writing essays on the topic “The Ideal Soldier” are unlikely. Meanwhile, the first point is usually limited to instructions like “In any unclear situation, apply ice and call an ambulance.” (What kind of practice? What are you talking about?) But the second point is presented in quite a detailed manner. And, in my opinion, this is an extremely mediocre waste of time. The essay can also be written in Russian.
What to replace: first aid classes, how to recognize a stroke, how to act in emergency situations (getting lost, for example). And it would be nice to explain what kind of help a person who finds himself in such a situation is entitled to - from the police, from doctors and officials.
2. Labor education
In the form in which it exists now, it is an anachronism. For example, I was taught to embroider. Guys, are you serious? Embroidery can become a hobby. But devoting school time to it? Of course, the basics of cooking or sewing will come in handy. True, it’s hardly worth sewing an apron or skirt at school. Still, only a few will do this in life. “It would be better if they taught how to darn socks. Or put patches on jeans,” I muttered, hand-stitching with a needle. For what??? Why do I need these skills? However, I don’t even darn my socks – I throw them in the trash with an unwavering hand. And my daughter was taught to sew on a manual machine. Apparently, in case it falls into the Stone Age and electricity is canceled.
What about studying kitchen design? As soon as it comes to my own kitchen, I will be my own designer, and not a single school textbook can tell me.
Boys are taught to sand, saw and plan. No, not bad, of course. Although I have not seen a single adult man who enthusiastically knocks together stools. No, I'm lying. I saw one. He makes a living from this. In general, a stool is much easier to buy than to make. Of course, I welcome the ability to hold a hammer in your hands. But a milling machine is unlikely to appear in my family nest.
What to replace: why not teach girls style lessons, since we've decided to raise ladies? The appropriateness of makeup, the compatibility of colors and clothing elements - everything is better than embroidery. Manicure, maybe even the basics of hairdressing. It would be useful again for career guidance.
What about the boys? You know, every woman probably has a dream that her man would be able to fix a faucet or sink. Do you know many men who knew at least something about the structure of the sink before you asked to fix something there? And one more, in my opinion, useful skill is to understand cars. Change the wheel, tighten the terminal on the battery. Know how the hood opens.
And certainly neither one nor the other could use driving lessons. At least at the stand, at least starting, the basics. Personally, I would trade any hoop for driving practice.
3. Physical education
Don't rush to throw slippers at me. I'm not advocating giving up activism. But there are nuances. In most schools, physical education is taught simply poorly. And in general they don’t count it as a lesson. On the one hand, not every school has the opportunity to teach swimming, for example, or skating. And there is no opportunity to take a shower either. And it sucks.
On the other hand... I don’t even know. Maybe tradition? After all, for the last 30 years, physical education lessons have looked the same: for most of the quarter we fool around, play volleyball in a circle, or chatter. And we pass three or four lessons out of the entire quarter like crazy. Despite the fact that the majority cannot do push-ups, sit-ups, or pull-ups correctly. Maybe you learned the rules of playing volleyball or basketball? Nope. What did you do for so many years in physical education? Unclear.
But we wrote abstracts. About the same basketball. This is how armchair fans grow up.
And yet - my, personally, my physical education teacher was so mediocre that he trusted the most active students from my class to conduct relay races. They came up with the stages themselves and carried them out themselves. We felt incredibly cool. For me, the relay races ended when I broke my arm right in class. After this incident, just the sight of the gym scared me to the point of hiccups. And my own appearance scared the teacher to the point of hiccups.
What to replace: self-defense basics and choreography. It will be useful for both. And also - at least some theory of a healthy lifestyle: nutrition, metabolism, other basics of fitness.