Some Of The Best Lessons Happen After Class

Back in Swedish high school a few years ago, I had a friend (we’ll call him “NetFriend”) who got most of his facts from the American Internet, and he would constantly talk about pressing issues from the US as if they were current issues right now in Sweden or quote memes as if they were facts.

NetFriend, a bunch of other friends, and I were talking after a math class where we got our test results back.

Me: “So, how did everyone do on the math quiz?”

NetFriend: “Ah, man. I got, like, zero points.”

Friend #1: “What, you didn’t study?”

NetFriend: “Ah, it’s stupid anyway. We don’t learn real stuff here.”

Me: “What do you mean?”

NetFriend: “Like, we only study what numbers are called and how to find areas of triangles, not how to balance a budget or something important!”

Me: “Are you serious?”

NetFriend: “They should be teaching us stuff about reality, like how to pay our taxes and how to vote! How to, like, buy a house and stuff!”

We stare at him, disbelieving, as he continues on that line for a minute or two. I interrupt.

Me: “[NetFriend], can you read?”

NetFriend: “What?”

Me: “The math quiz was about percentages! The questions asked us to calculate interest, figure out how much you save if something is on sale for a certain percentage off, and figure out which job is more lucrative to pick if job A and B have different starting wages but one has a higher guaranteed raise, given three years. Isn’t that ‘real world’ enough?”

NetFriend: “I… didn’t… Well, you know…”

Friend #2: “No, we don’t know.”

NetFriend: “I didn’t… read all the questions.”

Me: “That might explain your low score, you dunce.”

Friend #1: “And have you also missed that the Civics test next week is about voting and taxes?”

NetFriend: “Is it?”

Later that day, I helped him summon the courage to talk to his math teacher about letting him retake the test. [Friend #1] helped him study the math, and [Friend #2] helped him with civics. He was OUR dunce, after all. He also promised to study more in the future, and he did finish high school with passing grades, so lesson learned, I guess.