The Wasted Time Tally
Hours Wasted on Memorization
0
“We are quantifying the human cost of the ‘Assessment of Memory.’ Every hour on this board is an hour stolen from critical thinking.”
"I spent 8 weeks and 160 hours memorizing definitions for MGMT 101. The Army taught me actual leadership in 2 hours."
"In high school, I spent 20 hours memorizing medical terminology. Kids used to compete on medterms knowledge but didn’t know the difference between a W2 and IRA. Why 🙃"
"I spent 301 hours memorizing facts about the Roman Civil War. No one has asked me about it since. Time better spent learning real life skills."
"Spent 300 hours memorizing formulas for the CFA Level I. I wish that time had gone toward practicing messy, real-world scenarios."
"200+ hours grinding through dense readings, memorizing details. I should have been learning how to apply those ideas to real-world problems."
"50 hours of memorization drills x 300 students. We measured their memory, not their thinking."
"100 hours memorizing dates like 1066. They are empty terms that pop into my brain like buzzwords. Associated context? Crickets."
"100+ hours memorizing the capital of every country. I wish I had spent that time understanding politics, diplomacy, and international relations."
"Math is the worst offender. I wasted thousands of hours crunching algorithms for specific tests but was never taught why they matter. We need discovery, not drilling."
"I knew equations by heart but never built the problem-solving skills that mattered. I spent 370+ hours preparing for tests rather than building deep understanding!"
"I had a stack of flashcards nearly four inches tall for AP US History. I wish I spent that time learning to evaluate arguments and analyze primary sources."
'Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow...' I spent hours memorizing soliloquies. It was sound and fury, signifying nothing."
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