What was the most useful thing you learnt at school?

[kinboshi]

so is it just me and andrewt that could read and write (and do maths) properly before school?

Nope I could read and write before I went to school.  Can't remember about the maths bit though.

[relaedgc]

Reading and writing. While it's obviously a skill that you develop before your start school, I don't think there's any doubt you really make any serious progress until you're in full time education. I've always felt that if you can read and write, then there's simply no object to whatever you wish to learn.

From an educational point of view, I learned very very little at school until my A-levels. I could read, write and do basic maths before school, which is more than some kids I knew could do when they left school at 16. Being in the same class as these guys meant going at their speed until we started getting split into groups by ability.

My reading age was well ahead of the rest of my peers, but I wouldn't dream of saying that I didn't learn anything while at school. I can certainly remember writing lessons, for some reason, because I had a handwriting issue that I managed to perfect with special lessons. I do recall that my spelling ability was far superior to most of my age, but again, I don't think I could discount school from 5-16 as completely worthless.  I suppose it depends on what context you refer to, I've certainly forgotten most of the subject matter but I don't think there's any substitution for the social environment that you're in.

Yeah, I'm talking academically. I used to read encyclopedias at home so 'learned stuff' from them. Admittedly things like algebra were new to me at school, but two years later when there are still kids in your class who ask 'what does x mean?' you're not going to be able to learn too much new till these guys get pooled into their own class.

Fair point, and I can't argue with that. Such is our education system.

[pokefast]

Learnt to play snooker.

Made a decent living for a school boy!.

[Scottish Dave]

Useful was spending 3 years a highschool milking people playing nearest to the wall. Me and friend went halfs and proper took loads from the same people day after day. I learnt not to listen to other people and their opinions, trust your own instincts.

Was this the throwing coins at wall game? I loved this myself, and made some good money out of it

the nearest to the wall picked all coins up shook them and called heads or tails and kept whatever landed that way?

bet it would be fun with £1's today we done it with 10p's

We didn't have any of this heads or tails stuff. Nearest coin scooped the lot.

What did you do with the coins that you didn't guess right?

are you serious, i though this game was a must for guys growing up.

lets say there are 10 players, meaning £10 in the game, everyone throws to the wall, the guy who is closest flips them all at the same time and calls 'heads' or 'tails', he keeps all the ones he called correct, in this instance he got 4 correct, the remaining £6 moves onto the guy who came2nd closest to the wall, he flips/calls/collects, any coins he misses moves onto the 3rd closest to the wall, who flips/calls/collects......and so on till all coins are called correctly

[Cf]

Useful was spending 3 years a highschool milking people playing nearest to the wall. Me and friend went halfs and proper took loads from the same people day after day. I learnt not to listen to other people and their opinions, trust your own instincts.

Was this the throwing coins at wall game? I loved this myself, and made some good money out of it

the nearest to the wall picked all coins up shook them and called heads or tails and kept whatever landed that way?

bet it would be fun with £1's today we done it with 10p's

We didn't have any of this heads or tails stuff. Nearest coin scooped the lot.

What did you do with the coins that you didn't guess right?

are you serious, i though this game was a must for guys growing up.

lets say there are 10 players, meaning £10 in the game, everyone throws to the wall, the guy who is closest flips them all at the same time and calls 'heads' or 'tails', he keeps all the ones he called correct, in this instance he got 4 correct, the remaining £6 moves onto the guy who came2nd closest to the wall, he flips/calls/collects, any coins he misses moves onto the 3rd closest to the wall, who flips/calls/collects......and so on till all coins are called correctly

Ah right. That makes sense. We just said whoever was closest gets the lot

[Colchester Kev]

Useful was spending 3 years a highschool milking people playing nearest to the wall. Me and friend went halfs and proper took loads from the same people day after day. I learnt not to listen to other people and their opinions, trust your own instincts.

Was this the throwing coins at wall game? I loved this myself, and made some good money out of it

the nearest to the wall picked all coins up shook them and called heads or tails and kept whatever landed that way?

bet it would be fun with £1's today we done it with 10p's

We didn't have any of this heads or tails stuff. Nearest coin scooped the lot.

What did you do with the coins that you didn't guess right?

are you serious, i though this game was a must for guys growing up.

lets say there are 10 players, meaning £10 in the game, everyone throws to the wall, the guy who is closest flips them all at the same time and calls 'heads' or 'tails', he keeps all the ones he called correct, in this instance he got 4 correct, the remaining £6 moves onto the guy who came2nd closest to the wall, he flips/calls/collects, any coins he misses moves onto the 3rd closest to the wall, who flips/calls/collects......and so on till all coins are called correctly

LOL a nits version of the game ... closest scoops ffs  !!

[Scottish Dave]

Useful was spending 3 years a highschool milking people playing nearest to the wall. Me and friend went halfs and proper took loads from the same people day after day. I learnt not to listen to other people and their opinions, trust your own instincts.

Was this the throwing coins at wall game? I loved this myself, and made some good money out of it

the nearest to the wall picked all coins up shook them and called heads or tails and kept whatever landed that way?

bet it would be fun with £1's today we done it with 10p's

We didn't have any of this heads or tails stuff. Nearest coin scooped the lot.

What did you do with the coins that you didn't guess right?

are you serious, i though this game was a must for guys growing up.

lets say there are 10 players, meaning £10 in the game, everyone throws to the wall, the guy who is closest flips them all at the same time and calls 'heads' or 'tails', he keeps all the ones he called correct, in this instance he got 4 correct, the remaining £6 moves onto the guy who came2nd closest to the wall, he flips/calls/collects, any coins he misses moves onto the 3rd closest to the wall, who flips/calls/collects......and so on till all coins are called correctly

LOL a nits version of the game ... closest scoops ffs  !!

this is the lazy version, for future Fat Blokes 

[kinboshi]

Reading and writing. While it's obviously a skill that you develop before your start school, I don't think there's any doubt you really make any serious progress until you're in full time education. I've always felt that if you can read and write, then there's simply no object to whatever you wish to learn.

From an educational point of view, I learned very very little at school until my A-levels. I could read, write and do basic maths before school, which is more than some kids I knew could do when they left school at 16. Being in the same class as these guys meant going at their speed until we started getting split into groups by ability.

My reading age was well ahead of the rest of my peers, but I wouldn't dream of saying that I didn't learn anything while at school. I can certainly remember writing lessons, for some reason, because I had a handwriting issue that I managed to perfect with special lessons. I do recall that my spelling ability was far superior to most of my age, but again, I don't think I could discount school from 5-16 as completely worthless.  I suppose it depends on what context you refer to, I've certainly forgotten most of the subject matter but I don't think there's any substitution for the social environment that you're in.

Yeah, I'm talking academically. I used to read encyclopedias at home so 'learned stuff' from them. Admittedly things like algebra were new to me at school, but two years later when there are still kids in your class who ask 'what does x mean?' you're not going to be able to learn too much new till these guys get pooled into their own class.

Fair point, and I can't argue with that. Such is our education system.

My secondary school was shockingly bad.  I was the only boy in my year who went on to uni - that sort of shows the academic level of the school.  I had a brilliant time there, but the level of teaching and education was severely lacking.  I was lucky, I found school very easy and got the grades I got 'despite' the school. 

When I went on to a new college for 6th form,  I soon realised what I hadn't learned at school (especially in maths) and how far behind I was other kids who'd been taught far more than me.  I caught up, but there's no way I should have had to.  When I went to uni I also quickly realised that the language instruction I received for 5 years at secondary school was absolutely awful.  I learnt more in my first week at uni (I studied a language) than I did in 5 years 'studying' French at school - and that's no exaggeration. 

[Claw75]

so is it just me and andrewt that could read and write (and do maths) properly before school?

Nope I could read and write before I went to school.  Can't remember about the maths bit though.

same here but, as I said earlier, I'm still not convinced by the assertions that I could read when I was 2

[KarmaDope]

so is it just me and andrewt that could read and write (and do maths) properly before school?

Nope I could read and write before I went to school.  Can't remember about the maths bit though.

same here, as I said earlier, I'm still not convinced by the assertions that I could read when I was 2

same here as well, and I didn't believe my mother's assertions either, until I saw the pics.

Pity I've managed to forget 95% of it though.

[The_nun]

I have never been very academic, but have been gifted in common sense and a more hands on approach to life. Unlike you lot I couldn't read and write before I started school, come to think of it still can't that well, but from around 2 hours old I made my own bottles, changed my self ( could not quite grasp the potty thing until I reached 3 weeks ), and got my wind up without patting. Can't have it all I guess.

[Claw75]

so is it just me and andrewt that could read and write (and do maths) properly before school?

Nope I could read and write before I went to school.  Can't remember about the maths bit though.

same here, as I said earlier, I'm still not convinced by the assertions that I could read when I was 2

same here as well, and I didn't believe my mother's assertions either, until I saw the pics.

Pity I've managed to forget 95% of it though.

maybe it is true then. not that it makes any odds now!

[nirvana]

so is it just me and andrewt that could read and write (and do maths) properly before school?

My mum was on a mission until we went to school at which point she never pressed or pushed us at all.

But we arrived at school with a reading, writing & maths ability probably a few years ahead of most.

[thetank]

I could read and write but I still pissed my pants twice a week so can't have been that fucking clever.

[ZZZZZZZROPE]

Useful was spending 3 years a highschool milking people playing nearest to the wall. Me and friend went halfs and proper took loads from the same people day after day. I learnt not to listen to other people and their opinions, trust your own instincts.

Was this the throwing coins at wall game? I loved this myself, and made some good money out of it

the nearest to the wall picked all coins up shook them and called heads or tails and kept whatever landed that way?

bet it would be fun with £1's today we done it with 10p's

We didn't have any of this heads or tails stuff. Nearest coin scooped the lot.

What did you do with the coins that you didn't guess right?

are you serious, i though this game was a must for guys growing up.

lets say there are 10 players, meaning £10 in the game, everyone throws to the wall, the guy who is closest flips them all at the same time and calls 'heads' or 'tails', he keeps all the ones he called correct, in this instance he got 4 correct, the remaining £6 moves onto the guy who came2nd closest to the wall, he flips/calls/collects, any coins he misses moves onto the 3rd closest to the wall, who flips/calls/collects......and so on till all coins are called correctly

haha aye used to love this game! for some reason in greenock it was called pap