How to answer when students ask 'when will I use this?'
Many classroom topics lack direct real-world applications, forcing teachers to either admit the material is just for passing exams or pivot to abstract skills. Some teachers handle the question bluntly by stating students need the knowledge right now for upcoming tests and future schoolwork. Others explain that while students may never use a specific math function again, the curriculum teaches them how to think, learn, and reason.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- People have been saying this in most months since September 2026.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
How to answer when students ask 'when will I use this?'
- 1Telling students they need to know it just to pass the classDid this help you?
- 2Explaining that learning builds general critical thinking skills or mental muscle like a gym workoutDid this help you?
- 3Inventing imaginative or gamified rationales for different subjectsDid this help you?
- 4Sharing personal anecdotes or examples of how former students eventually used the skillsDid this help you?
- 5Giving a blunt, immediate answer like 'on the upcoming exam' or 'right now in this class'.Did this help you?
- 6Explaining that the subject teaches them 'how to learn', builds problem-solving skills, and creates neural pathways.Did this help you?
- 7Giving a preemptive lecture at the beginning of the school year about the fundamental purpose of the subject.Did this help you?
- 8Connecting the underlying skills to future earning potential, promotions, or practical communication.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
““When am I ever going to use this in my life?” Today. You’re going to use this today and in a few weeks on your exam.”source ↗
“What’s your go to response when kids ask this? Mine is: you need to know this to pass the class.”source ↗
“I teach math, and I tell them it’s about learning to learn and think. Will you find where x=6.5 in a cubic function? Probably not. Will you ever have to use numerical reasoning in an abstract application or learn a number based skill? Almost definitely.”source ↗
“It’s a valid question and I try to be honest and transparent”source ↗
“I went on to explain that he’ll need to use a works cited page for every paper he ever writes going forward.”source ↗
“At the beginning of every year, I give my students a brief lecture on the "whys" of English class. Yes, you need to write well. Yes, you need to read well. None of that pertains to why we teach literature.”source ↗
“Lol, I say the same thing. "Right now, in 6th grade. You're using it now" lol. I love the look in their faces.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 4How to teach high school reading with elementary literacy curriculum
- 3What does my child actually need to know before starting school?
- 15Why is the new school curriculum so bloated?
- 3How do you balance high academic standards with student well-being?
- 3Special education pull-out services during core instruction time
- 6Why do mandated teaching methods fail in the classroom?