By Taylor Haggerty

“When are we ever going to need this?” the distressed student calls from the back of the
classroom. We’ve all been there; after all, geometric proofs are irrelevant when you want to be a
doctor or a supermodel. The teacher will laugh or give a good-natured eye roll in consent, but
there’s no definite answer. When will we need to know? Why aren’t we taught how to do things
that actually matter and can help us out after we leave the sheltered world of seating charts and
grade-point averages?

Probably because we don’t need to be taught, you say. We don’t need to be told how to
clean our rooms or make our beds anymore. The students of Walled Lake Central are full-grown
adults, ready to face the great indoors of the real world. Right?

Not necessarily. There’s a lot more to life than that, if you think about it really hard. For
example, do you know how to do your own laundry? Can you cook a decent meal? Do you know
what foods come cheap and in abundance, so that you have a meal even when you’re short on
cash?
It’s a lot to think about, but wait a moment before freaking out, because it gets better.
There’s also filing taxes, making your way through a job interview, creating a resume, balancing
a check book, getting insurance for your car, your home, and your life, dealing with everyday
household maintenance, and taking care of yourself when you’re sick. You have to find a bank,
find a doctor, and find an apartment that is both affordable and comfortable, along with several
other factors.

I can’t tell you when you’re going to need a geometric proof in your future profession,
but I hope I can help with some of the other parts of life. After all, there are some things that you
need to know that just aren’t taught in school.