You stuck around through the movie credits in the hope of seeing an extra scene at the end. Just before that scene, “MMXXIII” appears on the screen. Why? Depending upon when you went to school, you may have never learned that those letters represent “2023,” but there was a time when countless schoolkids had to.  

From our earliest schooldays, we’re taught skills that can help us navigate careers, interpersonal relations, and, ideally, whatever the future may throw at us. New technology, societal changes, and other factors often render some skills obsolete. Let’s review a few of them before diving into lasting, broadly applicable skills and where you can acquire them. 

Reading and Using Roman Numerals  

The seven-digit Roman numeral system was devised by the Romans in the pre-B.C. era. It wasn’t until 1931, however, when American educators advocated Roman numerals be taught during elementary school. Today, many schools no longer formally teach Roman numerals, but teachers may still reference them in some classes. Even if you don’t know your Roman numerals, you might recognize them from every modern Super Bowl—e.g., “LVII,” which took place in early 2023— and may spot them on some clocks and government buildings. It’s good to know Roman numerals, but you may not need them in your XXI century (21st century) career.  

Reading an Analog Clock 

What has no hands but many digits? A digital clock or watch. 

Whether found at city hall, a bank, or elsewhere, a towering analog (traditional) clock seems to lend gravitas to a building. Clocks like these are likely to stay around as long as their respective buildings stand. But what about the skill of reading an analog clock or watch? The modern ubiquity of mobile phones, computers, and other devices that by default display the time in digits have rendered “telling time” a dead skill.  

Some schools are still teaching students to read analog clocks around the age of six, a practice that’s widely supported by parents. Further, a 2021 CBS News poll showed that nearly three-quarters of Americans believe this skill should be taught in schools. But time may not be on the side of analog clocks; as years advance, parents of schoolchildren will no longer have grown up with analog clocks and may have different views. 

Writing in Cursive 

With the prevalence of texting and email in everyday communication and the use of computers to create work documents, cursive writing has languished as a foundational skill. Fewer than half of U.S. states—21, to be exact—require the teaching of cursive in public schools. Cursive handwriting, as unique to the individual as a fingerprint or DNA, helps children develop key motor skills and greater mental acuity, among other benefits. Still, a 2022 NEA Today Facebook poll showed educators divided on whether cursive is critical to young learners. Those who downplayed the importance of cursive generally felt efforts spent teaching an obsolete skill would be better placed elsewhere.  

Using a Library Card Catalog and the Dewey Decimal System 

The bulky wooden card catalog cabinet, a fixture in libraries since at least the late 1800s, stored the basic details and location of books within the library. Each card in the cabinet identified a book’s location using the Dewey Decimal System. Developed in 1876, this numeric system was divided into broad classes including religion, social sciences, language, pure science, and literature, with each class having multiple subcategories. Using the Dewey Decimal System required some interpretation, and hence, for some schoolchildren, was akin to learning a new language. 

The card catalog was declared dead by Smithsonian Magazine in 2015 when the Online Computer Library Center ceased printing the cards. The Library of Congress still houses a card catalog, however. Collectors can sometimes find the cabinets in antique stores, and the cards have been recycled or otherwise repurposed. To look up a library book now, we enter a search term into a library webpage, either from inside the library or any location with internet access.  

Using the Metric System 

Based around units of 10, the metric system is the global standard in scientific fields and was once taught in the U.S. as early as elementary school. But we remain one of very few countries that never adopted the metric system. (England—officially a metric country—still incorporates the “English system” that we use in the U.S.) U.S. momentum for the switch to metric ground to a halt during the 1980s, though there have been recent renewed efforts. With our country now firmly a part of a global economy, there may be a business case to make for going metric, though none of us should hold our breath. 

It may be hard to believe—or even funny to some—that these were once considered important skills. But they were. Are there enduring skills that will help you in practically any career? Absolutely! 

Soft But Durable Skills 

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, soft skills provide today’s jobseekers with a “competitive edge,” as they are among the skills most sought after by employers. Forbes concurs. Durable skills, a more specific term gaining ground with experts and employers, are also in high demand. A sort of “Soft Skills 2.0,” durable skills by definition have a half-life of over 7.5 years and include: 

  • Problem-solving 
  • Teamwork 
  • Critical thinking  

In a study of 82 million job postings, about 70% included durable skills. These listings represented positions unlikely to be eliminated by future automation and many were leadership roles, demonstrating that durable skills can continue to benefit professionals for years. Despite this, durable skills are in short supply among today’s job seekers, as reported by Forbes in 2022. The skills aren’t widely taught in schools, and many individuals finish high school or even college underprepared to enter the workforce. 

Where to Build Skills That Last 

UT Permian Basin’s online Bachelor of Arts in Humanities is a multidisciplinary program that broadens your perspective of human history and cultures. Working with one of our faculty advisors, you can steer your studies to your specific interests by choosing two to four concentrations from areas encompassing foreign languages, history, communication, the arts, and other essential subjects. As you complete your degree, you’ll develop highly sought-after—and lasting—skills that will benefit you in a career and beyond, including communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork. 

Our BA in humanities program is delivered in an asynchronous, 100% online format that empowers you to maintain your professional and personal commitments while earning your degree. You can access the virtual classroom online on your own schedule from practically anywhere in the world—just like today’s library catalogs. No campus attendance is required. 

Hone in-demand skills that will stay with you for life! See more details about our online BA in humanities program or apply now.  

Sources: 
https://www.britannica.com/story/is-it-still-important-to-learn-roman-numerals
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/librarian-congress-weighs-why-card-catalogs-matter-180963371/