Nothing learned is ever wasted

The older we get, the more we wish we would have paid closer attention to history classes in high school and college. Who knew at sixteen that we'd be at the Roman Forum when we were adults, wishing that we could remember what they did among all those Ionic and Corinthian columns? Traveling through Europe and visiting major attractions before coming home gave Chloe an opportunity to use what she'd learned last year in school. She'd had to memorize all the popes and was excited to be able to use that knowledge to better understand what she was looking at while at the Vatican. That was also a good lesson in understanding that learning about religion is not necessarily religious education, and that it's impossible to talk about world history and avoid talking about religion at the same time. None of what she learned in school last year counts as prerequisites for required classes here (which makes school this year a little harder in the short term), but the general knowledge she learned has made her a more well-rounded person who is able to see things from a broader perspective than before she left, and gives her a sound base to rely on when learning about many disparate subjects.