The value of skepticism and the continuous joy of always learning, absorbing, and interpretating as much as possible. We never know what will come in handy later, or how much we can learn simply by listening and asking questions in life. It's not just the what, learning is more about the how and the why.

question everything

Not a damn thing that I can recall. What few skills I have were picked up elsewhere.

I learned that I should have been able to use books and calculators for all of my tests in public school

The most important life skill I learned in college was the importance of balance. Prior to attending school (which I did later in life) I was a workaholic and feel that I missed some important things in my children's lives when they were little because I worked so much. As a student I was forced to really focus on what was important to me and flush the rest. I've managed to maintain that mindset which is no small feat here in the US where most people work 60 hours a week just to get by.

Ordered/disciplined thought processes. It has allowed me to take complex problems and see them as simple, discrete pieces along the way to solution. Ordered/disciplined thinking is a part of the analytical process which is peripherally part of the realm of critical thought.

"Critical thinking of any kind is never universal in any individual; everyone is subject to episodes of undisciplined or irrational thought. Its quality is therefore typically a matter of degree and dependent on, among other things, the quality and depth of experience in a given domain of thinking or with respect to a particular class of questions. No one is a critical thinker through-and-through, but only to such-and-such a degree, with such-and-such insights and blind spots, subject to such-and-such tendencies towards self-delusion. For this reason, the development of critical thinking skills and dispositions is a life-long endeavor."

~ Michael Scriven & Richard Paul, presented at the 8th Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking and Education Reform, Summer 1987.

I went to school on a speech and debate scholarship. To say everything I learned in school paled in comparison to what addiction recovery taught me is like saying Oedipus kinda liked his mom.

Your the man brother ... good luck on going back. I wish you well. A lot my of stuff had to do with planning jobs. It pays to know about the skills being used to complete a job. I used a program called S.A.P. Along with primavera. It explains everything. The last planning job I had was 2 cooling towers tied together with the same water source. I was a hero for everybody when I finished But i was so worn out that i needed a break from it. It paid $2.00 dollars more than the journeyman job I normally did. i made less money having a desk job. There was no over time being a planner and i planned 2 to 3 jobs at a time. When I was blue collar i could sit back and relax when I finished a job, not a planner....ugh! I'm proud of you. Go for it. This was my skill. Sometimes it was good to me. Other times.... no. Oh yes... contractors wanting to bribe you... yikes!

In college to become a cop (and learning enough not to), ‘technical police report writing’ feels like the most obvious ‘skill’ I came away with… Keeping it concise; envisioning yourself on the witness stand attempting to recall the details of some blathering report you made ..that may now be key to a life sentence… I loved it, nearly as useful as having learned to type in HS..

On the ‘thinking side,’ I’d say a year of psychology; it led me to realize ‘my fears’ were/ are shared with everyone - therefore I was ‘normal.’ At that age, quite a relief… Sociology ..not so relevant, or useful. Guess I’m in the nature over nurture camp - though can’t remember why..

Teamwork. Top students getting together to study for an exam or work on a project.

"Always look at the bigger picture"; it has served me well.

Also - "put yourself in others' shoes". But only if they're the right size, of course