[musicale]

> woodshop

I learned math and programming but I wish I'd also taken wood shop (and metal shop, and other practical courses.)

Making actual stuff with your hands and using physical tools is immensely satisfying and empowering. I really crave it after spending all of my time staring at a screen and typing on a keyboard.

Other practical skills like personal finance, home improvement and maintenance, and cooking can pay dividends for the rest of your life.

I wish I'd had more time for many courses (also including music, art, drama, etc.) that weren't part of the "college prep" track.

[mgas]

100000% agree. I would have loved to get more practical stuff in high school, and less fluff. Woodworking is a lifetime skill, and contributed to my understanding of spatial organization, practical math, fractions, and precision. Plus now I can make stuff.

Cooking as well. I worked in kitchens for 7 years during and after college, and wouldn't trade that knowledge for the world.

I only mentioned woodworking and home ec since they were gender-assigned by the school, not because they were less useful.

[potta_coffee]

I learned how to operate tools safely in woodshop and it's one of the more valuable skills I picked up from my school days. I've forgotten most of my Spanish, almost all of the math, but I remember how to keep my fingers.