What did you have to learn?
By Amber
@AmbiePam (115689)
United States
March 22, 2026 12:31am CST
Even though I’ve been out of school for decades now, I can still remember all 50 state capitals in the United States. I’m sure a lot of American Mylotters can too. I do wonder though, what else did you have to learn when it came to this subject? We had to learn Canada’s provinces and capitals, along with all the capitals of every country on earth. I can still give you the capitals of Europe and Asia, but don’t ask me about Africa or South America. Of course, countries that existed when I was in school might no longer even have the name they did back then (like Burma/Myanmar).
Did you have to learn all of that in school, and how much do you remember now?
8 people like this
9 responses
@FourWalls (84190)
• United States
3h
I won a trivia game on a radio station because I knew the three state capitals that start with the letter J. I said, “I’ll even tell you the one everyone is forgetting.” (That would be Jefferson City, MO, added to Juneau, AK and Jackson, MS.)
We had to learn the multiplication tables,which they apparently do not teach any longer. 
5 people like this
@MarieCoyle (56221)
•
56m
@AmbiePam
I can’t imagine not having to learn the multiplication tables! But then again we now have high school graduates that can’t even make change,so…
The other day son and I were discussing what all we had to memorize in school. We discovered we both remembered every word in the Gettysburg address. 
1 person likes this
@LooeyVille (41)
• United States
2h
It's so funny that you should mention this. Hubby and I sat in the driveway in the sun for an hour on Saturday afternoon and played a game naming all the state capitals and all the world capitals. Funny! We got about 75% right.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (170515)
• United States
2h
No, we didn't have to memorize state capitals, thank goodness, or capitals for other countries.
I still remember how to do fractions and, sometimes, can read. 
1 person likes this
@xFiacre (14396)
• Ireland
Just now
@ambiepam I didn’t HAVE to learn such stuff but I tend to imbibe it as I go along - sad! I have a reputation for knowing capitals and flags and the previous names of countries. A lot of African countries have moved their capitals since I first knew them.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (375102)
• Rockingham, Australia
58m
I didn't like geograghy much at school and I don't remember much of it at all. I got fed up with not knowing where places were. I discovered quizzes on here and, pardon me if I've bragged about this before, but I now know and can mostly place on a map the states of the USA and their capitals, states of Ireland, Africa, major Asian and European countries and counties of England. I used to know the world capitals but I need to revise them. I need to relearn Canada too.
I like knowing where Iran is and its relationship to Qatar, UAE, etc, etc. And I like knowing where myLotters live.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (204814)
• United States
Just now
I think roughly the same. I don't remember studying Canadian caoitals, but I seem to know most of them for some reason.
@LindaOHio (217095)
• United States
2h
I remember learning the multiplication tables. I can't believe kids don't have to learn that anymore.
