1) It taught me how to work in groups. Almost every class I took required group work and you learn how to work well with smart people and know how to deal with ‘dumb’ people. This also preps you on how to run meetings. In school, five people meet up for a project and if no one ‘takes ownership’, the meeting goes nowhere and it’s a waste of time. It’s amazing how often that happens at work as well. This isn’t formally ‘taught’ at school, but when you’re exposed to it enough like we were at Ursinus, you naturally pick up what’s going on.

2) It made me comfortable with public speaking. Almost every class I took required also required a presentation(s) of some sort. I learned that if you know the material front to back, there’s no need for note cards or hours of rehearsing. You also get exposed to dozens of good presentations and dozens of bad ones. You see what makes a quality public speaker. Humor, confidence, actual knowledge, and not reading word-for-word from something. Nothing is worse than reading word for word from something, it’s cringe-worthy. Presenting often at Ursinus definitely prepared me to present well at work.

It’s not about the literal learning, because you’re right, very little of what you actually learn will be applied it in the real world. But it’s about gaining experience for how to solve problems and work with others.