8 Things We Learnt At School That We Still Use In The World Of Work Today

Although most of us have moved on from being school pupils and are now in full-time career-focused jobs, we do owe our former schools some appreciation and recognition for the people we became.

Yes, we may never have delved back into our algebra books, balanced on an upside-down gymnasium bench or re-read our dusty copies of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, but school was a lot more important than we give it credit for. Why?

Whether you were a ‘sit on the side-lines’ kind of person, or you mucked in with every little thing; it can’t be denied that school taught us everything we need to know about how to socialise properly. School taught us how to make friends, maintain relationships, be confident around others and how to steer clear of the personalities we clash with. All of these qualities are seen every day in business, and – as most employers will tell you – without decent social skills, you won’t get very far in a job application process.

Anyone in any job will vouch for this one – criticism is an everyday part of life. If you aren’t used to receiving backlash or disapproval for work that you’ve done, you’ll find it a struggle to stay afloat in the expansive pool of business. The thing to remember is, criticism is not such a bad thing. Constructive critique can allow us to develop our skills and it gives us an opportunity to grow. Without it, you’ll never move onto the next level of your career. You should learn to accept it, fix it and move past it. Just like you would have done in school when you made a mistake.

Ever since the first year of primary school, we’ve been asked ‘what do you want to be when you grow up’ and every year we likely had a different answer. But this wasn’t a pointless exercise. Even since the age of 4, school has promoted ambition and dreaming in all of us. Although most of us probably didn’t end up being princesses, footballers or mythical creatures, it did allow us to set our own goals. This alone, is the reason we have grown up to surround ourselves with opportunities and possibilities in the world of careers.

Not succeeding at a task is a part of life that we all have to become accustomed to. In school, making a few blunders is like second nature. But it’s a good thing – because it prepares us to make errors in the real world too.

Anyone who claims they didn’t feel a sense of euphoric pride after receiving a sticker or positive praise from a teacher is lying. Reinforcement like this teaches us how to repeat our achievements, and shows us that we do get rewarded for our hard work. Whilst you might not get a physical prize for having a good day at work, it still instils gratification and satisfaction into our thought processes. Succeeding at something feels good – as a kid, and as an adult.

School isn’t just for exams and mathematical equations. Subjects like art, design, PE, music and drama have given us the chance to freely expand our horizons to places we never could off our own backs. Even in business, having hobbies and interests is essential for us all. Learning how to unwind and how to switch off makes for a more optimistic mind-set.

Commitment is a huge quality of any job or career. If you aren’t committed to your craft, you’ll lose touch with it and your job will inevitably become tedious and dreary for you.

To get through school you had to learn how to grow up, form solid friendships, maintain a social life, turn up on time to every lesson, pass every exam, complete homework every week, make time for extracurricular activities and revise constantly.

Now we’re all grown up and working in the real world, we probably look back on it and wonder why we felt so stressed. In essence, it was a walk in the park in comparison to adult life. But at the time, it seemed like the hardest thing in the world. Yet you made it. You got through it. You committed.

The proof is in the pudding with this one. Our attitude, our drive, our interests and everything else that makes us the person we are was drilled into us from a young age. Of course we all change from day-to-day, but the foundation that makes us our own individual self, began in our early school days.

Happy National Education Day to everyone! If you have any fond school memories or if you can think of any other reasons why school has helped mould who you are; leave us a comment and let us know.